WTF: Time to get Involved SFC

[hubris 1]

our govt is like a big giant luxury bus drivin down the road, the only problem is that every seat has its own brake)

Have never been spoken. Did I hear correctly today that unions got an exemption from the "CADILLAC TAX"? Have fun getting Bus Ass. Remember, the Howard Johnsons on I-95 allows buses. The law is all about convenience. Keep blaming the commercial guys the joke is on the recreational guys.
Remember, let em vote, and let them believe in god......the rest they will willingly give away. Your wasting your time. And all you do when you complain about the quota's and the commercial guys is convince a bunch of gov,t workers that the problem is real and Your part of the problem. Soooooooo the way to fix it is to stop the guy that brought the problem to our attention. Doesnt anyone think critically anymore?
I say russell spills his coffee on pritchard on the way down, on the way home everyone's asleep. Good job.

[F.stop]

just wondering if anyone else is in going to dc rally on feb 24th.

[fountain17]

7 days left ...u either get involved now and make a difference......or u dont.

Ill be in DC on 2/24 fighting for my right to fish...where will u be?



don

[Fishfinder]

So far there are 2 buses leaving for the Morehead City and New Bern area. Hopefully there will be more! SEE YA THERE!

Capt. Joe Shute

[Dudesycal]

Does any one have a great artical I can send to the news media

[jackdaniels]

February Fishermen's March on Washington planned
February Fishermen's March on Washington planned
The following press release was issued by the Conservation Cooperative of Gulf Fishermen.
.
Recreational and commercial fishermen, support business owners, families, and community leaders will gather at the steps of our Nation’s Capitol on February 17, 2010 from noon to 3 PM to show congress a united front of the impacts caused by the unintended impacts of the Magnuson Stevens Conservation and Management Act as revised effective January, 2007 (RMSA). The overly restrictive management requirements created by the RMSA based on non scientific arbitrary deadlines are forcing anglers off the water, eliminating commercial fishing, preventing consumers from purchasing locally caught fresh seafood, destroying small family businesses, increasing unemployment, and adversely affecting coastal communities.

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. Please stay tuned as the details are being developed and will be provided. Make your plans to join us for this historic event and work with us in a United effort from coast to coast.

CCGF urges all elected officials to work together and to join the efforts by the leaders of other coastal states for the best interests of our coastal communities and the Nation.

This effort is being coordinated by many organizations and individuals including but not limited to CCGF, RFA, FRA, United Boatmen of New York, United Boatmen of New Jersey, MSSA and more to be announced.

[jackdaniels]

united we fish rally wash. dc feb 24th

united we fish rally wash. dc feb 24th

ROFFS�
ROFFER'S OCEAN FISHING FORECASTING SERVICE, INC.
60 Westover Drive, West Melbourne, Fl 32904-5126
321.723.5759//www.roffs.com

FIX THE MAGNUSON ACT NOW!!!!

The fishing public (commercial, recreational and associated industries) will gather in Washington D.C. on February 24, 2010, for the SAVE OUR JOBS - Fix Magnuson NOW rally. Speeches by Senators and Congressmen begin at 12:00 Noon. This rally is for supporting the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act (HR 1584 & S.1255). This bipartisan federal legislation is designed to keep fishing communities and local fisheries healthy and sustainable for future generations, and it's the primary reason for the DC rally on February 24. But you can do more to improve fisheries management while in DC.

This is the first time recreational and commercial fishermen and fish related businesses have joined ranks on a national issue. The goal is to improve the direction of fish management by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Fisheries Management Councils. A Master of Ceremonies has been selected and commitments from the sponsors of the bill, Congressman Pallone of New Jersey, Senator Schumer of New York, and Senator LeMieux of Florida have been given. Remember to give these people your support as they are supporting you now.

Fishermen, anglers, and all the rest from all coastal states and the Great Lakes are invited to gather at the reserved space near the steps of the Capitol by 11:00 AM on February 24th. See http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/ for more details on travel and parking.

There will be at many fishing representatives from all across the country who are currently making appointments with their Congressional delegations. You should do the same. Simply look up their names on the internet (try http://www.senate.gov/ and http://www.house.gov/) to get their names, phone numbers and address information. Just call them and tell them you will be in Washington DC and would like to meet with them to discuss some fishing issues. This is how it is done. Don't be shy as they are supposed to be working for you and your interests.
It is time that we all march on Washington to improve fisheries management (flexibility in re-building, better collection of fishery dependent and fishery independent data, science based fisheries management, not agenda based fisheries management, greater input into the science - assessment process by fishermen and industry scientists). Ecosystem based fisheries management should have been in place universally 40 years ago. Pew Foundation "science" is often agenda driven, mostly not truly peer reviewed since it is frequently reviewed by Pew funded scientists, and their "science" has many untested assumptions with unquantified errors.

Jim Donofrio of the Recreational Fishing Alliance and Bob Jones of the Southeastern Fisheries Association have been working diligently for several months to make the rally a success. Donofrio has been the point man and has made all the physical arrangements for the event. These and other groups, as well as, individuals have already scheduled dozens of appointments to see their Congressional representatives. We think you should do the same.

Nils Stolpe (New Jersey Fishing - Garden State Seafood Association) has done great work in setting up communications with everyone and is one of the drivers behind the birth of the rally. Bob Zales (Zodiac Charter Fishing Fleet) has several of his groups on board and Dennis O'Hern (Fishing Rights Alliance) is also actively involved. There are too many other groups involved to mention them all. Check all of their websites for more details. There are many blogs with discussions on this setting up buses travel and car pool. See you favorite fishing blog, but be sure to check out: http://blog.seafoodsustainability.us...ish-rally.aspx and http://www.joinrfa.org/ .

I strongly urge your participation in this event either in person (preferred), or contributing to the costs. The RFA has been footing the bill for the permits, staging, flags, banners, and security, etc. Now is the chance to strongly support honest science based fisheries management and supporting the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act (HR 1584 & S.1255). If you can not attend, then you should call and send emails to your representatives. Do not delay your support.

Go tell Congress that you fish, you want to continue to fish sustainably, and that you vote!

Safe and Successful Fishing,

got this email from roff's about united we fish rally feb 24th in dc


Mitchell A. Roffer, Ph.D.

--
Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service, Inc. (ROFFS�)
60 Westover Drive, West Melbourne, Florida 32904
U.S. Toll Free 800 677-7633 and 321.723.5759 / /WWW.ROFFS.COM
Email: fish7@roffs.com
Every Fishing Trip Is Important!

[jackdaniels]

RFA Plans march on Washington

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RFA Plans march on Washington

For Immediate Release December 16, 2009
Contact: Jim Hutchinson, Jr. 888 564-6732
FISHERMEN TO MARCH ON WASHINGTON
“UNITED WE FISH” TO ASK FOR CONGRESSIONAL RESPONSE ON FEB. 24
12/16/09 - 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 timespecific
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 provide "limited flexibility" for 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.
PRESS RELEASE
Recreational Fishing Alliance
176 B South New York Road, Galloway, NJ 082054
P: 1-888-564-6732 F: 609-404-1968
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 co-sponsors have since pledged support including Rob Andrews (D-NJ),
Timothy Bishop (D-NY), Allen Boyd (D-FL), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Peter King (R-NY), Rob Wittman (RVA),
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 cosponsors,
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 United We Fish rally is set for 2/24/10 at noon at the Capitol. For details as they become
available, sign up for the RFA’s email newsletter on the homepage at www.joinrfa.org.
######
The Recreational Fishing Alliance is a national, grassroots political action organization representing
recreational fishermen and the recreational fishing industry on marine fisheries issues.
RFA’s Mission is to safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers, protect marine, boat and tackle industry
jobs, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our Nation’s saltwater fisheries.
For more information, call 888-JOIN-RFA.