ALERT: Sandy Hook Bay National Marine Sanctuary

[captnemo]

Heads up this guy rik hemmen is a NUT!!!!!! Look at some of the e-mails he has been sending out. If the guy thinks he has 150,000 suporters he is DELUSIONAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Living on the planet of denial!

"rik hemmen -At this stage I am between a rock and a hard place to further the discussion on the subject. It appears that, for the time being, I will have to take the discussion of the proposal out of the public sphere. Too many supporting stakeholders feel restrained in speaking out on this matter, and that results in an asymmetric debate. This bums me out because I believe that vigorous but courteous public debate allows faster progress than back room sausage making, but it appears that public debate has been forced off the table by a small group of very vocal opponents of the idea. I suspect that from now on we will need to have smaller working groups, with policy positions for various stake holders, etc.

This is frustrating. The truly discourteous opponents are a very small minority, but they have chosen to destroy their opportunity to be engaged in this effort. For the time being, the discourteous opponents will be exempted from the discussion and I hope the courteous opponents will fairly and ably represent them. At this stage, my personal count indicates that the proponents of the concept outweigh the sum of courteous and discourteous opponents. However, I would certainly note that the opponents appear to have a stronger aversion than the strength of the attraction of the concept shown by the proponents. This, by itself, introduces an interesting dynamic. Do 150,000 moderately positive votes balance against 50,000 strongly negative votes?

Meanwhile, I have also received so much feedback at this stage that I probably need to engage in a swampdrain to develop NMS V2.0 at which time we can run another test."

He's fruitier than fruity pebbles cereal if he thinks that.

I agree he's got no real support base. There is no way he even has 150 supporters right now. Let alone 150 thousand.

[captnemo]

Capt Al wrote about it in yesterday's blog. From www.nj.com/ristori report

Jersey Shore Fishing: Sandy Hook Bay Sanctuary sparks strong opposition
By Al Ristori
on March 24, 2016 at 7:17 PM

Anglers are up in arms about the proposal by the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association to seek a Sandy Hook Bay National Marine Sanctuary designation that would encompass not only that Bay but also the rivers flowing into it plus a portion of Raritan Bay.

There was overwhelming opposition to that proposal at last week's meeting in the Red Bank Library, which wasn't large enough to hold the crowd that arrived. Rik Van Hammen seemed to be sincere as he spoke about his vision, but never presented any problem that would justify turning over control of the area to the federal government.

On the other hand, anglers in Florida and California can testify why this is the last thing we would want to do. The April issue of Salt Water Sportsman states that proposals there would eliminate fishing in up to 30 percent of the reefs covered, and may be followed up by making the entire southeast Florida reef track a National Marine Sanctuary. The magazine notes that "While anglers have supported a number of spawning-season area closures throughout the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, most consider MPAs a last resort only imperative for the survival or restoration of a fishery. The Coastal Conservation Association calls the proposed creation of a marine sanctuary an unnecessary delegation o a federal agency of a state's authority over its waters. Florida has an excellent record of managing its fisheries."

The same applies to New Jersey. Our fisheries are controlled by the state in cooperation with regulations developed for migratory species by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. No one at the meeting was complaining about the quality of the fisheries or management by the state -- and if they aren't satisfied there's plenty of opportunity to seek change on the state level.

It was only three years ago that President Obama closed the national parks in a battle with Congress over the national debt. That just didn't involve facilities, but also the public's right to use lands that required no facilities, as money was found to pay rangers to keep anglers from walking the beach at Sandy Hook. At least the waters weren't involved up here, but charter captains in the Florida Keys, along with the rest of the public, weren't allowed to fish their traditional waters in Everglades National Park. Giving up state control to the federal government for no apparent benefit makes no sense at all.

[njdiver]

(Snip)


Reed Bohne, the Northeast and Great Lakes regions director of national sanctuaries for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).


(Snip)


"A state’s governor could alter the designation, which would then again be reviewed by NOAA, or outrightly end the process, he said. "


http://tworivertimes.com/marine-sanc...rs-take-sides/

[captnemo]

Hutch mentioned it in his weekly fishing report as well. around the 5 minute mark

[bababooey]

Sorry don't mean to derail the thread but the guy sounds like a crackpot. His new move is to eliminate the public meetings and try to target a tree hugger audience. Can you say crazy birders?

[njdiver]

NJOA and JCAA both reached consensus this week, to oppose the SHNMS.

[voyager35]

Good news, thanks.

[njdiver]

More info:


PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED


While we have made great improvements in issues such as water quality, wildlife and public access in the NMS waters, there continue to be issues that are detrimental to optimal man/nature interaction and general enjoyment of the waters included in the NMS.


Some issues are non-contentious and have almost universal support, but simply are not making meaningful headway, while other issues, on the face of it, may be contentious. Often, even the issues that may appear to be contentious still have a common goal, but there is disagreement about the methods.


Contentious debate is unpleasant and therefore the debate is often avoided, but this does not make the issue go away. Only debate and analysis in a proper forum provides the chance that optimal solutions will be developed.


At present no such forum exists. A structure like an NMS makes it more difficult for the issue of concern to be ignored, and by keeping it on the table over a long period of time, adjustments can be made. Very often the issue does not need to be regulated, but instead improved education resolves the issue.


This is a list of issues that have been raised by various stake holders. These issues have not been vetted as right or wrong, they are simply concerns that have been raised and that, if resolved, will result in improvements that benefit everybody.


Lack of general boater courtesy
Lack of awareness with regard to river and bay wildlife and river quality issues
Lack of awareness with regard to NMS recreational and commercial opportunities
Reductions in recreational boating interest
Storm runoff water quality issues
Lack of native oysters
Lack of spartina grasses
Lack of edible species awareness
Clamming restrictions (check out the neat graphic)
Dissolved oxygen deficiencies
Ineffective bulkheading
Ineffective river scaping
Poor land side trash management
Bridge replacements issues
Land side impervious surface issues
Lack of dredging
Limits in NMS access
Inadequate ecosystem man/nature sustainable education
Lack of protection of culturally significant NMS activities such as boat racing, hunting, fishing and port facilities
Overall poor and non-optimized fisheries yield
Local fish to table inadequacies
Poor feeder creek conditions
Fertilizer overloading
Poor insecticide practices
PCB's and other industrial residue
River and bay bottom degradation
Silting
Lack of existing regulation (law) enforcement


This is a long list and is sure to grow, but if a mechanism can be developed where, as a local community, we make slow headway on most of them, the future will be much brighter. The vast majority of these issues do not need a huge investment to achieve improvements, but they do require general awareness by all stake holders and constant attention.


An NMS will provide a forum. None of this can be solved through special interest pressure, it can only be solved if the bay and rivers are presented as a valid common stake holder.


DISCOVER ENGAGE SUSTAIN


http://www.navesinkmaritime.org/Prob...o-be-addressed

[njdiver]

And more:


http://www.app.com/story/news/local/...uary/82610356/

[hookset]

This guy is delusional and must be stopped. Here's more:
http://tworivertimes...-claypit-creek/

http://patch.com/new...pit-creek-plans


The following speakers have been confirmed for Thursday night's meeting:
• Middletown town administrator Anthony Mercantante
• Rik Van Hemmen, VP of the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association
• Capt. Alek Modjeski, Habitat Restoration Program Director for the American Littoral Society
• Joe Sardonia, Supervising Landscape Architect for the Monmouth County Park System

[VSdreams]

And more:
http://www.app.com/story/news/local/...uary/82610356/

"Cindy Zipf, who runs Clean Ocean Action, said in an email that her group "has no position on the proposal to designate the Sandy Hook Bay a National Marine Sanctuary."

The sanctuary would not include the Belford Seafood Co-op as van Hemmen is proposing it, primarily because he said he does not think he can get the support of one of the most active seafood cooperatives on the Atlantic Coast.
"It's not necessary. That's what I told the guy. We have a lot of different fishermen who depend on those waters. We have a lot of history back there. We don't need the government anymore involved than it already is. We don't need any more government regulations than we already have," said Roy Deihl, president of the Belford Seafood Co-Op.
The co-op is comprised of otter trawler fishermen, gill netters, lobster boats and purse seiners.
Van Hemmen expects to finalize and submit the nomination by October.
After that, Bohne said it takes 90 days or so for the NOAA to vet a nomination. If it is approved, then the Sandy Hook Bay sanctuary would be added to a list that then requires numerous public hearings. It can take several years to complete, according to the NOAA."


So apparently Clean Ocean Action, and the Belford Co-Op, 2 groups that are on the opposite ends of the spectrum, neither one feels the need for this! Good luck Rick Van P you are going nowhere.

[njdiver]

Zoning the Oceans: Using the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the Antiquities Act to Establish Marine Protection Areas and Marine Reserves in America


(Snip)


The National Marine Sanctuaries Act appears to represent the best option for consolidating these management regimes and establishing a new, unified system of marine protected areas in the United States. The Act is clearly flawed-there are too many ways to derail proposed designations and far too little money and legal authority to properly police existing sanctuaries. As discussed above, however, the NMSA at least provides a structure for creating MPAs, a process for receiving and incorporating public comment, and a designation term- sanctuary-that invokes something more powerful, more dignified, and more important than "marine park" or "marine protected area." Executive Order 13158 and the federal government's renewed funding for the marine sanctuary program represent important first steps in the effort to better designate and manage MPAs. If the federal government continues to prioritize the sanctuary program, and amends the NMSA in the few key ways discussed above, it will be possible to create and effectively protect an enviable system of United States marine sanctuaries.


(Snip)


http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/...74&context=elq

[jigfreak]

Thanks for the info.

[ledhead36]

Great job on keeping us informed. One of the places I fish waaaaaay in the back is closed off. They say environmentally fragile on the signs but it is just mud and rocks. No heavy metals, no poison, no nothing. Some tree hugger decided to put a fence there and if you get caught trespassing you get fined. This could happen at sandy hook if you guys let it. Be vigilant.

[buckethead]

The NMS in the news today.
http://www.app.com/story/news/local/...uary/82610356/

[VSdreams]

Dude is a nutty tree hugger if there ever was such a thing as hugging trees.

[captnemo]

Update from the RFA
RFA National Headquarters and the RFA New Jersey Chapter have been working hard to put the sanctuary proposal to a well deserved death.

We have had high level meetings with elected officials and have not found one who supports the sanctuary proposal. We are rolling out a process to obtain resolutions in opposition to the sanctuary designation from the 17 municipalities affected, as well as Monmouth County.

Two local municipalities have recently been accused of contributing to polluted water. Our Executive Director, Jim Donofrio, has met with a local environmental organization to partner with them and address those concerns. After all, we do want clean water.

The NJ Chapter board members are volunteers. But National HQ has full-time paid employees. The RFA needs your financial support. If you are not an RFA member, please go to the RFA website and join - JoinRFA.org. If you are already a member, get your buddies to join. And member or not, sign up for the cod trip April 30th. You can find that on this board.

The individual proposing the sanctuary has an October target date for filing with the Federal Government. We need to stop it before then.

Jim Krauss
RFA NJ Chapter Chair
jkrfanj@gmail.com

[buckethead]

Good news thanks. We really need all the fishermen PACS to get behind this. All the fishing clubs should come out with a support statement too.

[buckethead]

I think we are finally going to be able to put this to bed. This nutcase guy Van Hemmen is backing down.
The Two River Times | Marine Sanctuary Proposal Quietly Recedes
http://tworivertimes.com/marine-sanc...ietly-recedes/

[basshunter]

I went to that meeting. He seemed like a self-righteous, sanctimonious kook. scary to think that could have happened though.