RFA: More awareness needed

[Tin Squid]

When I sent in my donation to the RFA last night, I asked for an apparel list as I believe we should be wearing their shirts etc. to advertise the RFA more and provide more awareness of the existence of the RFA and what they do for rod-n-reel folks. I hope they send me the list so I can share with anyone interested in helping to up the ante against the *&#*^ fisheries councils.

Below is a picture of the required supplement that all fisheries council members are taking on a daily basis. Unfortunately, since it seems to have zero effect, they are going to need to go to a heavier supplement such as Mellaril or Haldol.

[PocketFisherman]

Are the board and staff of the RFA paid or volunteer and if they are paid is there a financial reporting available for review?

What percentage of the contributions go towards administrative overhead?

[Detour66]

Yes Pocket Fisherman these are good questions!

[shrimpman steve]

JOIN THE RFA OR i WILL WEAR A THONG TO THE CHRISMASS PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Life's A Beach]

why don't you go to their site and read about them before coming here and asking someone to explain the organization to you?????? omg

http://www.joinrfa.org/

[hammer4reel]

why don't you go to their site and read about them before coming here and asking someone to explain the organization to you?????? omg

http://www.joinrfa.org/

DITTO,
And while they are at they should also take the 5 minutes to see how bad others want to take away all our rights to fish.
LEARN both sides,
its time fisherman see the real picture and that's the people who dont want you to hunt or fish in this country will spend EVERY dime they have to make it happen.
They have seen our trend of NOT putting any effort against them till its too Late

[CaptTB]

Are the board and staff of the RFA paid or volunteer and if they are paid is there a financial reporting available for review?

What percentage of the contributions go towards administrative overhead?

I know the staff is paid, that is their full time job. Chapters are volunteers.

They are a 501c3 so their financial information is public information by request.

Lastly, why not just ask them? The time it took to log on to njfishing.com, read the thread and type a post you could have already had your answer by phone (if a weekday) or had sent a request for info from their website.

Go to the source! It's the best way to get informed!

[MVP]

After reading many off the posts and explanation from Capt Tony about what is really happening with our fishery management, I am more educated about the subject and have a better understanding of what we can do as individuals to help the cause. Yesterday I recieved and email from Capt Jeff
about the RFA letter that was sent out in regards to trying to save our Seabass season this year and our fishery for all species for the future. By keeping the issues fresh in our minds and getting the word out I decided to send out email to my distribution list of fishing buddies that totals close to a hundred people. Withen minutes I recieved feedback from many that they will be sending in a check. Some of the more casual fisherman that do not get out as much, were not even aware of the situation and said they will also be sending in checks. By getting the word out we can educate ourselves on the gravity of the situation and then can make the choice to whether contribute or not.

It may not seem like we can make that much of a difference idividually but that is not the case. I no that at least 20% of the people that I sent this email to will or have made a contribution. If we can now dublicate this by a few thousand people doing the same thing the amount that the RFA can raise from each of us idividually can really make a difference.

MVP
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Enclosed is email I sent out:

As most of you already know, the Federal Government has closed down sea bass fishing in federal waters for the next 6 months despite the fact that the stocks are healthy. This closure is just the first step in an effort by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to arbitrarily regulate all of our fisheries and prevent YOU from fishing. Today it is sea bass, tomorrow fluke, blackfish, stripers etc. Below is a copy of a letter from the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) which you should read carefully and hopefully donate to. Many party boat captains have already donated thousands of dollars. We as fisherman should also band together and make a contribution in order to have someone watching our interest as recreational fisherman just as the commercial guys have organization watching their backs. If we do not ban together and make a contribution we will having nothing left to fish for and our future generations will not be able to share in our passion of FISHING. I'll let the RFA letter explain the rest.

ALEX

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RFA & ALLIES WILL SUE TO REOPEN SEA BASS FISHERY

"Unprecedented" Federal Closure Forces Recreational Fishermen Into Legal Action

October 9, 2009 - In the midst of the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, our federal government has chosen to shut down the recreational fishery for black sea bass for the next six months (effective Monday, October 5, 2009) based on survey data that's been described as "fatally flawed" by the National Academy of Sciences (read "Fatally Flawed" Science is Killing America's Number One Outdoor Pastime special report at www. joinrfa.org.)

The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) and our local industry allies from New York to the Carolinas are fighting back against this unprecedented and unwarranted shutdown of the black sea bass fishery by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). RFA members throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic believe this is a battle that must be fought, regardless of the outcome and have demanded that we take action. What is at stake is nothing less than our very future as recreational fishermen, and the future of our recreational fishing industry.

During the first days of the closure, a grassroots effort within the recreational fishing community resulted in a successful pledge drive of support for legal action. At the same time, a team of qualified fisheries attorneys and industry professionals was reviewing NMFS' federal ruling and poring through pages of legal documentation to develop a proper legal strategy. Tackle shop owners and party/charter captains up and down the East Coast, along with scores of individual anglers and RFA members who've had enough of these arbitrary federal decisions, have been making donations to the RFA Legal Defense Fund, established specifically for issues like this.

Our legal team is currently working on our plan of attack; now it's time that we ask individual anglers to come together and support this effort!

According to the scientists' own data, black sea bass is a healthy stock - they are not overfished, no overfishing is occurring, and the most recent stock assessment places the spawning stock biomass (SSB) at 103% of their target. In fact, the SSB has been at or above this level for the past decade. Yet, despite this scientific information, the recreational angling community is being denied access to this vitally important fishery due to "fatally flawed" information coming from the Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey, or MRFSS.

What's worse is that there seems to be no end in sight to the MRFSS assault. Today it's the complete shutdown of a healthy sea bass fishery. Next, we can expect an impact on the summer flounder limits for 2010, and scup soon after that. Could striped bass be next? How about tog? If "fatally flawed" data has not impacted your favorite fishery, rest assured it will happen soon enough if we don't take a stand today. Where does it end if we allow the federal government to continue to use a broken system to deny recreational anglers access to healthy fisheries?

The RFA has assembled an experienced legal team to take on the case to overturn the federal shutdown of the recreational black sea bass fishery. The attorneys involved are fishermen themselves who have fought these battles before so they know this specialized area of the law and there's no learning curve to be climbed. They've already begun working on the case and have formulated a preliminary strategy to challenge this closure under existing federal law.

Litigation is inherently uncertain, and there's no way to guarantee a successful outcome. However, you can guarantee that if NMFS gets away with this closure, there will be more recreational closures to come. In the coming days, we will be drafting an official complaint which demands that the improper closure of sea bass be set aside.

Now it's time we unite and show the federal government that recreational anglers will not tolerate arbitrary and capricious regulatory actions that inhibit our ability to utilize a healthy resource, thus violating the very laws set forth by the Magnuson Stevens Act.

If you're a member of the recreational fishing industry who has already committed to the fight with a pledge, you can support this effort by sending a check today made payable to the "RFA Legal Defense Fund" as follows:

RFA Legal Defense Fund
PO Box 3080
New Gretna, NJ 08224

Please be sure to write "Sea Bass" in the memo of the check and make a notation on the outside of the envelope to the same effect. Your timely response is to the benefit of us all. The Recreational Fishing Alliance will be dedicating all checks made payable to the RFA Legal Defense Fund directly towards these legal efforts outlined above. All donations will be tracked individually, from all groups and individual anglers.

The RFA has also set up a special online account through PayPal in which individual anglers can also make a donation. Many of the tackle shops and captains who rely on your valued service have pledged up to $500 apiece towards the fight. As an individual angler trying to make an honest stand in a tough economy, whatever donation you can offer towards the RFA Legal Defense Fund will be much appreciated.

Visit www.joinrfa.org and look for the DONATE button on the homepage to support the RFA Legal Defense Fund.

About Recreational Fishing Alliance
The RFA 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. To protect your right to fish tomorrow, join RFA today at www.joinrfa.org or call 888-JOIN-RFA.

[PocketFisherman]

I've been on the site and see no year-end report for '08. In the past. I've sent email requests to NY and NJ Chapter representatives that have gone unanswered.

[Striperswiper]

CaptTB

According to their website the RFA is a 501c4 not a 501c3.

The difference is a c4 can litigate and lobby whereas a c3 can but only in limited circumstance and as a minor percentage of their overall activites.

C4 contributions/memberships are not tax deductable where a c3 is.

I don't know if they have to disclose their financials as a c4 , I do know a c3 has to.

Nothing against them just wanted to make a clarification to your post.

Capt Brian

[CaptTB]

CaptTB

According to their website the RFA is a 501c4 not a 501c3.

The difference is a c4 can litigate and lobby whereas a c3 can but only in limited circumstance and as a minor percentage of their overall activites.

C4 contributions/memberships are not tax deductable where a c3 is.

I don't know if they have to disclose their financials as a c4 , I do know a c3 has to.

Nothing against them just wanted to make a clarification to your post.

Capt Brian

My mistake, I hit the 3 instead of 4 (I should have noticed since SSFFF is the same thing!

And yes, info must be provided when a valid request is made. Same is true for SSFFF.