This is why we have to elect McCain - Obama is the poster child of the HSUS Great move on the part of Bush.


President's order upholds fishing in federal waters

by Al Ristori/The Star-Ledger Wednesday October 01, 2008, 7:05 PM


The push by some environmental organizations to establish Marine Protected Areas that might prohibit catch-and-release recreational fishing suffered a setback when President Bush signed executive order 13962 on Sept. 26, ordering federal agencies to maintain recreational fishing as a sustainable activity on federal lands and waters, including marine protected waters.
Earlier this year, Bush also signed an executive order protecting striped bass and red drum in federal waters from commercial exploitation, and urging states to do the same in their waters. The American Sportfishing Association applauded the president for taking his latest action to preserve recreational fishing opportunities. ASA president Mike Nussman said: "As a recreational angler and boater himself, the president clearly understands that sportsmen and women are conservationists first and foremost and that recreational fishing is an essential component of the nation's heritage."
Though those executive orders add to Bush's marine conservation legacy, a future president could overturn them with a stroke of a pen. Therefore, it's important the candidates for that office be pinned down on their attitude toward such vital issues. The Sportsmen and Animal Owners Voting Alliance endorsed the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket this week, describing McCain as "an avid fisherman." While Sen. Barack Obama's attitude toward fishing and marine conservation is unknown at this time, the alliance noted his endorsement by the anti-hunting Humane Society as a negative.