WHY should I care? WHY should I get involved? Why ME?

[DarkSkies]

So why should I give an eff about all the rest of those?

[DarkSkies]

Finchaser posted up some good reasons to get involved. I wanted to highlight them here:


[For all recreational fisherman which encompasses people who fish on party boats,charter boats and the beach. Plus most tackle shop owners fish.

I do all three, as many saltwater fisherman do. Surf is dead so we fish boats for cod,pollack,hake and ling.
Always fish boats for fluke,blackfish( fish that are good eating)
We no longer can fish for seabass, which is part of the fight the RFA and SSFFF are undertaking.

1.The commercial guys pay lobbyists to get there way from government ( large fish quota's) they want ours.

2.The RFA (Recreational Fishing Alliance) lobbies for us from the donations and memberships, thats where all the money goes.

Remember the money which goes to the economy is what government looks at. The money spent by beach fisherman is like a pimple on an elephants *** compared to boat sector. With out the boat sector we would have no quota's it would all be commercial,which government (DR. Lubchenco) wants.
The more fisheries they shut down the worse it's gonna be.

Just this year 2009 since Ms Lubchenco took over NOAA thanks to Obama (she came from PEW)
For 2009
1. Seabass shut down here
2. Red Snapper,Amberjack in florida shut down
3. Weakfish here

For 2010
a. seabass 2 months instead of 12 months
b. weakfish 1 fish instead of 6
c. new fluke regulations
d. possible new striper regulations


These are all fights the RFA is involved in to over turn,hence the seabass lawsuit against government,fighting to keep fluke and Striped bass regulations and quota the same. They fight to keep recreational fish quotas from going to the commercials and other fisheries from being shut down. There are 2 groups Recreational and Commercial period thats how fish are split up.

If we fish for them from land or sea really has no bearing we are recreational fisherman it's our quota we want to save. Remember with out bass and blues beach guy's disappear and no one would care especially beach front home owners who also support government against us with political contributions. ]

[DarkSkies]

Guys, kudos to all who are concerned enough to ask questions. There are no stupid questions. Learning is a process, and I commend anyone who wants to learn more.

The motive behind this thread is to educate people more so they will have the incentive to make conscious choices to keep learning, and possibly getting involved.

I may seem like I'm preaching here guys and girls, but this is our fishing future.

The Bill of Rights gives citizens the right to bear arms.
However it doesn't give us an automatic right to hunt or fish. As I see these rights trampled on, I can't help but become more and more involved.

I'm inviting some of you here to do that as well. I realize the decision is entirely up to you. I just want to be able to present some things which I hope will help you in your research.

[DarkSkies]

A lot of people laughed this off. If you think about it rationally, it's a brilliant campaign designed ultimately to prevent or restrict us from fishing.

These devious eco-freaks have designed a very intelligent campaign to get into the minds of schoolchildren and get them to think about fish as delicate creatures that they can adopt as pets or feel sorry for.

Make no mistake about it, the obvious intent is to turn the young generations against fishing. A very well placed strategic move in their war against anyone who fishes.

I could merely just say to PETA and the PEW trust people, but have realized that just because I give them an they won't go away.

In fact, they become stronger every year as they place their disciples in key gov't positions.

They get stronger, while we fishermen argue among ourselves.



A key disciple of theirs is Dr Jane Lubchenko, current head of the NOAA. This is the most powerful gov't organization today that has control over fishing rights.

OUR fishing rights.

And this one woman is in a position of power to shut off our rights as easily as someone turns off a light switch.

She has done this several times.

When will she come gunning to shut the striped bass fishing down?

Not possible, you say?
Don't bet your house on it.

[DarkSkies]

Let's hear what you guys have to say, positive or negative. That's the only way for people to learn.

[Monty]

Where as a few years ago I would look at what is better for everyone, its not that way anymore.
I love fishing, do not need to catch fish to have a great time. I am all for restricting catch limits, raising minimum sizes and eliminating the commercial fishing industry. In the case of the commercial fishing industry, I believe constant pressure on them to reduce their catch and bycatch amounts is required. I also have big problems with charters limiting out +bonus fish on stripers.
If there was an organization that I agreed with on their views and what they were doing to reach certain goals, I would join it and support it. I am sick and tired of compromise.
Till then I will choose for what "action, proposition, etc." I write letters and sign petitions for.
That said, do we really want the fishing to be better than this year? Have you read Finchaser's reports this year? What challange would it be for him if there were more fish?

[finchaser]

Where as a few years ago I would look at what is better for everyone, its not that way anymore.
I love fishing, do not need to catch fish to have a great time. I am all for restricting catch limits, raising minimum sizes and eliminating the commercial fishing industry. In the case of the commercial fishing industry, I believe constant pressure on them to reduce their catch and bycatch amounts is required. I also have big problems with charters limiting out +bonus fish on stripers.
If there was an organization that I agreed with on their views and what they were doing to reach certain goals, I would join it and support it. I am sick and tired of compromise.
Till then I will choose for what "action, proposition, etc." I write letters and sign petitions for.
That said, do we really want the fishing to be better than this year? Have you read Finchaser's reports this year? What challange would it be for him if there were more fish?

Sorry you feel that way,
And by the way fishing this year sucked compared to years past. It is on a decline from the mass desrtuction done by bunker snaggers and charter boats in Virginia and NC in the winter.

Fishing is always a challenge to me ,yes I catch allot of bass from skills I've learned through the years. Many of which were acquired during the moratorium when you sometimes fished for weeks to catch a fish. If things keep up as they are we will be back there in no time. The more we give up the more we will never get back. I'm not in favor of bonus tags but remember that started for the beach guys,the government let boats do what they do with them to help them stay in business and get the recreational guys off there backs.
Remember letters fall on deaf ears and are answered with a form letter from a government officials aid while commercial lobbists wine and dine polititions and take our fish.

Pick up a copy of Sport fishing magazine there is a full page editorial on recreational fisherman loosing the fight against government nation wide and are uniting to fight back.

[fisherofmen]

Sorry monty...I dont see any recreational fishermen selling stripers to market

[ledhead36]

A lot of people laughed this off. If you think about it rationally, it's a brilliant campaign designed ultimately to prevent or restrict us from fishing.

These devious eco-freaks have designed a very intelligent campaign to get into the minds of schoolchildren and get them to think about fish as delicate creatures that they can adopt as pets or feel sorry for.

Make no mistake about it, the obvious intent is to turn the young generations against fishing. A very well placed strategic move in their war against anyone who fishes.

I could merely just say to PETA and the PEW trust people, but have realized that just because I give them an they won't go away.

In fact, they become stronger every year as they place their disciples in key gov't positions.

They get stronger, while we fishermen argue among ourselves.

The sea kittens campaign was stupid. I agree it was brilliant as well. We should find out where the head leaders live and send them rotting bunker heads in the mail. Maybe they can make bunker kittens out of them.

[storminsteve]

.

I could merely just say to PETA

Does PETA protect all fish?