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FISHERMEN
TO MARCH ON WASHINGTON FEBRUARY 24
"Visit the
Bus Sign-Up Stations at the Federation Show in Freeport
February 12-14”
In a historic
show of solidarity, recreational and commercial fishermen
will gather together on the steps of the Capitol on February
24, 2010 from noon until 3 p.m. in an organized
demonstration against the unintended negative impacts of the
Magnuson Stevens Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the
federal fisheries law which was revised in January of 2007.
Coordinating the march under the flag of United We Fish,
rally organizers are hoping to see a large show of force in
defense of coastal communities.
"The closures
keep coming and it's good to see the collective fishing
communities and industries, both recreational and
commercial, calling for scientific based Magnuson reform,"
said Jim Donofrio, Executive Director of the Recreational
Fishing Alliance (RFA). "We are all in this together." Donofrio
cited recent closures of amberjack, black sea bass and red
snapper fisheries as examples of what he calls a "broken"
federal fisheries law.
The groups
organized through United We Fish are hoping to prove to
legislators just how many American anglers and business
owners are truly being impacted by the overly restrictive
management requirements created by MSA based on non
scientific arbitrary deadlines. According to Bob Zales of
the Conservation Cooperative of Gulf Fishermen (CCGF), the
time-specific deadlines mandated by MSA coupled with flawed
data collection methods are forcing anglers off the water.
"We fully support real science based management and the
conservation of our marine resources while also being able
to sustain recreational and commercial fishing activities,
providing locally caught seafood, sustaining small family
businesses, and supporting our coastal communities."
This effort
is being coordinated by many organizations and individuals
including but not limited to the RFA, CCGF, United Boatmen
of New York, United Boatmen of New Jersey, New York
Sportfishing Federation, Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's
Association and the Fishing Rights Alliance. "Some people
have asked 'why, it's winter'," said Donofrio who said he's
gotten the required permits and expects a large crowd in DC
on February 24th, regardless of weather. "We can't let
seasons stop the momentum, and if we wait any longer none of
us will be fishing. Many members of Congress will be
standing shoulder to shoulder with us," Donofrio said.
Nils Stolpe,
a consultant to the commercial fishing industry and
columnist for SavingSeafood.org said that over the past
three decades since the original Magnuson Act was
established, fishermen have been gradually phased out of the
fisheries management process, regardless of sector. "The
scientists have been put in charge, and as the list of
closures and restrictions up above painfully demonstrates,
the Act has been turned into a weapon that is now being used
against fishermen and fishing communities."
U.S. Rep.
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) first introduced the Flexibility
in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2008 in the 110th
Congress to incorporate "limited flexibility" into federal
fisheries management. More than 100 fishing groups and
industry members from around the country pledged their
support for the legislation and the bill's 19 bipartisan
coastal cosponsors, but the bill languished during the
volatile economic climate in advance of the presidential
elections in November of 2008.
Realizing
that fisheries closures would continue without congressional
intervention, in March of this year, Rep. Pallone and fellow
Representatives John Adler (D-NJ), Henry Brown, Jr. (R-SC),
Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL), Barney Frank (D-MA), Walter B.
Jones, Jr. (R-NC), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Frank LoBiondo
(R-NJ), Mike McIntyre (D-NC), Michael Michaud (D-ME),
Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) and John Tierney (D-MA), reintroduced
the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009
(HR 1584). Twenty-five total co-sponsors have since pledged
support to date including Rob Andrews (D-NJ), Timothy Bishop
(D-NY), Allen Boyd (D-FL), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Peter King
(R-NY), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Jo Bonner (R-AL), John Mica
(R-FL), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Carol Shea-Porter
(D-NH), Clifford Stearns (R-FL), Donna Christensen (D-VI),
Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Ander Crenshaw (R-FL).
Following a
letter-writing campaign by the RFA-NY and members of the New
York Sportfishing Federation, senior Democratic Senator
Charles Schumer of New York announced his Senate version of
the bill (S.1255). Currently, the Senate bill to correct the
flaws in MSA has no co-sponsors, which is something United
We Fish organizers are hoping will change in February.
"New York's
Senator Schumer is as concerned about his fishing
constituents as he is about the fish, just as Congressmen
Pallone, Frank, Jones, LoBiondo, Kennedy, Adler and others
in the House of Representatives are," said Stolpe. "Hence
they have formed the nucleus of a growing movement in
Congress that, in spite of the editorial opinion of the New
York Times and the expenditure of many millions of dollars
by the Pew Charitable Trusts, is aimed at preserving
recreational and commercial fishing, the lifestyles of
millions of fishermen, and the tens of thousands of
businesses and hundreds of fishing communities that they
support," Stolpe added.
Organizers
from within the recreational fishing sector are hoping to
get commitment from all user groups and across varied state
and regional boundaries. "This is much bigger than any one
state issue or individual grievance," said RFA's Managing
Director Jim Hutchinson, Jr. "Whether it's our restrictive
fluke fishery in New York, the arbitrary closure of state
waters for our anglers in California, or the shutdown of red
snapper and amberjack down south, our community has been
divided by preservationist tactics for too long. It's time
to unite the clans in defense of our coastal heritage and
traditions," Hutchinson said.
"We need to
let Congress and NOAA know that we are the collective voice
of the recreational fishing community and the collective
voice does not accept the current broken management system
which wreaks such havoc on all of us and our businesses,"
said Donofrio, adding "The goal on February 24th will be to
get all of our congressional friends to attend."
"At this
point Senator Schumer and his Congressional colleagues in
the House deserve the thanks and the support of every one of
us who fishes, whether for fun or profit," said Stolpe.
The New York
Sportfishing Federation, New York Fishing Tackle Trades
Association and United Boatmen are helping spearhead efforts
to get anglers on the bus to DC on February 24th.
Be sure to visit the Freeport Recreation Center from
February 12-14 for the 28th Annual Forum &
Auction – bus sign-up stations for the February 24th
rally in DC will be manned throughout the show!
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