New Jersey's bid for Fisheries Council seat hits a snag

[seamonkey]

But Eidman's founding of the group Menhaden Defenders, part of a coalition that seeks further restrictions on commercial menhaden netting, has commercial fishermen alarmed. His nomination to take back a seat now held by New York is supported by three big recreational groups --- the Jersey Coast Anglers Association, New Jersey Outdoors Alliance and the New Jersey Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs.


Eidman supporters make a case that New Jersey's fishing economy is now three to four times larger than New York's and worth $7 billion a year to the national economy, so by that measure New Jersey should have more representation. They warn, too, of New York's lust for a bigger share of annual catch quotas, which could be taken away from New Jersey anglers.

"He's someone untainted by the politics of all this and he's a conservationist," said Anthony Mauro Sr. of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance. "We know he's a fighter on that and his heart is in the right place."

But Eidman gets no love from the Recreational Fishing Alliance, which dislikes his links to the Marine Fish Conservation Network. Both Eidman and that group are critical of the RFA's efforts to change federal fisheries law.

Jim Donofrio, RFA's director, said the Outdoors Alliance is "endorsing an environmental zealot who supports President Obama's restrictive policies on fishermen, including the National Ocean Policy and catch shares, while opposing local efforts to reform the federal fisheries law."


Christie has two alternative candidates --- Little Egg Inlet charter captain Adam Nowalsky of the RFA and Vineland angler Hansel Torriero --- and Eidman's backers pushed to round up more endorsements from New Jersey's congressional delegation before the Department of Commerce chooses new council members next week. They got Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, both D-N.J., to sign on, with Reps. Frank J. Pallone Jr., Rush Holt and four other Democratic congressmen, but could not round up any Republican congressmen to sign the endorsement that went out Wednesday.

"It has been us who went to both sides of the aisle about not having anybody" nominated to the extra council seat, acknowledged Greg DiDomenico of the Garden State Seafood Association. "But that's how strongly we feel about Paul."

The Mid-Atlantic council is a quasi-governmental group that sets annual catch limits and rules for federal waters from New York to North Carolina. Potentially up for grabs is an "at-large" seat, an extra vote on the council. New York holds two at-large seats and New Jersey has one.

New Yorkers feel aggrieved by their much smaller share of the annual summer flounder quota --- a circumstance they say of inaccurate, historic catch records --- and they want to reclaim some more share from their neighbors in New Jersey. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., is campaigning for New York to keep the seat so his state's council members can fight for more flounder.

DiDomenico of the seafood association admits "it seems counter-intuitive" for New Jersey commercial fishermen to pass on any opportunity to recapture the at-large seat, which New Jersey last held in 2002. "If we were in a position to pursue it and get it back," the ideal candidate should be an experienced scientist that all the recreational and commercial groups can agree on, he said


http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...nclick_check=1

i don't understand the marine fish concervationist network. Who are they and what have they done for the average fisherman?

[DarkSkies]

i don't understand the marine fish concervationist network. Who are they and what have they done for the average fisherman?

Seamonkey, to answer your question, the Marine Fish Conservation Network is a Pro-Environmental Group, which is funded by PEW Trust donations.
(Note that I said Pro-Environmental Group, not Pro-Fisherman Group.

Some have called them Environmental Zealots.
I believe they are.
This has caused great acrimony on some sites, as Mr Eidman emphaticaly states that he is "for" fishermen and "for" Conservation. Their strategy is mostly to say the folks who view them as environmental zealots are mis-informed, while they do not offer concrete responses to the valid questions that are asked of them.












The main point I want to raise awareness of, is this....
Groups like the MFCN will stop at nothing to further their Extreme Eco Agenda,
Groups similar to this, and other PEW funded ones, have been responsible for the MPAs which now restrict fishing in 10% of California's waters.....



They say they want to fight for fishermen, and in fact have made some token attempts to mask their true intentions, but the main goal, is Conservation, Above everything else....



I have serious reservations about groups that support or are likely to support MPAs.
I will fight against this, and bring this to the attention of those who are not aware.
It's something I feel compelled to do, because my fishing is that important to me.....

[DarkSkies]

Here is something I wrote elsewhere the other day.
That thread is now closed.
I'm very sad that the website owner caved into pressure and closed that thread.
There were a few of us who had asked Mr Eidman some candid questions.
He was dancing around, and not really answering the questions that were being asked.


Here's what I wrote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptTB One of my issues is his stance on certain issues, but also his lack of understanding of some issues yet his desire to publicly speak about things that he obviously does not fully comprehend. ...... Pay close attention to that last sentence...we will get back to that. Now back to that last sentence: "In fact all of these species are a great example of just how well MSA has worked so far!" That one sentence shows more clearly than anything else that Mr. Eidman does not have a handle on Mid-Atlantic species, rebuilding history, management, you name it. . Then, it took RECREATIONAL FISHERMEN like yourselves spending tens of thousands of their own dollars by donating to SSFFF to prove that the stock was EVEN LARGER than the science claimed, and was that much closer to the rebuilding target than the science claimed it was. (it also showed the target was too high) It took the generous donations of fishermen around the country to allow SSFFF to prove the science was wrong and improve the science of Summer Flounder to a point where the stock was shown to be rebuilt "on time." And these are the fisheries Mr. Eidman thinks show how well the current MSA is working? Mr. Eidman, perhaps you should read up on your history before making such comments. How can someone who has so little knowledge of our Mid-Atlantic fisheries expect to represent the fish and the fishermen of the Mid-Atlantic???

Capt Bogan has been involved in fisheries management for decades.

There are those who say his involvement is because of a financial self-interest of his family in fishing.
There are those who discount what he says for other reasons.

I don't know about you folks reading this, but every time he puts up a post, you can see the thought that went into it. The vast array of knowledge he has gained about the processes (which may be boring to most of us) over the years, is apparent.

I would hope that Capt Bogan doesn't get discouraged in this particular fight. If the majority of fishermen put half the energy he did into seeking the truth, we would have better fisheries management, because politicians would take notice.











Quote:

Originally Posted by HutchJr >> Folks, I hope you realize that this is a complete lie. Mr. Eidman is clearly listed by the Marine Fish Conservation Network as an “individual who as acted or is expected to act as a lobbyist for the client identified on line 7” (which is the Marine Fish Conservation Network.) A "lobbyist" is someone paid to work the political system! This form shows that Mr. Eidman and fellow lobbyists of record for the Marine Fish Conservation Network met with legislators in 2009 specifically on issues related to the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act and the National Ocean Policy. Knowing this information, it’s simply mind-boggling that Anthony Mauro would promote Mr. Eidman as “someone untainted by the politics of all this” when he's been paid to lobby for a political cause related to fisheries. This is not personal folks, this is all about truth and transparency!

I hope these gentlemen don't mind my shortening their posts to just the highlights. These are important points in this discussion. On other boards I have questioned Mr Matalonis and Mr Eidman about their involvement with PEW trust and their connections. Until it was reported here that he was a paid lobbyist for the MCN, Mr Eidman has not come out on these fishing boards and admitted it.





Why, I ask you readers here, would he feel it not a valid point to disclose unless he had something to hide?
Food for thought, people.

[cowherder]

So it sounds like they are wolfs in sheeps clothing, maybe. Dark thank you for getting involved. Like seamonkey I do not understand this all and that sometimes prevents me from geting more involved. I see these discussions online and they sometimes turn into arguments. They all know more than I do so I kind of hang back and chill. don't want to say something stupid. But thanks again for fighting the fight. We need more people like you who are willing.

[nitestrikes]

Chris Zeman reappointed - say bye bye to PEW Eco terrorist Eidman. (no offence fellas but I am glad they kept it in our state)

Chris Zeman was reappointed to his seat on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council by the Secretary of Commerce. Zeman did a good job of representing the public interest in his first term, and will be able to utilize that experience for three more years.
The effort by some N.J. legislators to win the at-large seat that I served in during the original Council, but has been held by N.Y. recently, didn't carry any weight in Washington as it went to N.Y. again -- though to N.Y.C. charter captain Tony Di Lernia rather than a commercial fishermen. Senator Schumer (D-NY) had requested that seat for his state in hope of holding a vote to get a larger fluke quota -- that, presumably, would have to come from New Jersey's larger historical share.

[fishinmission78]

good deal. Anyone who represents the public interest and is a fisherman is a good one.

[bababooey]

I get sick of all the politicization.

[voyager35]

Well bababooey if you let it slide by then don't complain when the laws made are not to your liking. No offense meant.



Here is the latest:

Chris Zeman, who did a good job of representing the public interest during his first term, has been reappointed to another three-year term by the Secretary of Commerce as New Jersey's obligatory member on the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council. However, the hotly-contested at-large (between N.Y. and N.J.) seat that I held on the original Council set up by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management Act and remained in N.J. for some time after that was given to the Empire State again – though the commercial fisherman whose term expired was replaced by NYC charter skipper Tony Di Lernia, who had served on the Council previously.
The at-large seat became controversial because N.Y. Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Kristin Gillibrand sent letters to the Secretary of Commerce stressing the potential importance of that seat in an effort to get a better deal for N.Y. on the summer flounder quota. It's likely that could only be accomplished by taking quota from N.J. that was set up years ago on the basis of historical landings. With that threat in the air, N.J. Democratic Senators Lautenberg and Menendez countered with a letter urging return of the seat to the Garden State. Gov. Chris Christie nominated Paul Eidman of Menhaden Defenders as his preferred choice, but the nominations of New York's Democratic Governor, Andrew Cuomo, probably carried more weight with the Obama Administration.