Gerry Zagorski
09-20-2017, 09:07 AM
Just wanted to make you all aware that there are groups who oppose the Modern Fishing Act... To ignore them would be foolish. Here is one example in particular
http://conservefish.org/2017/09/18/fish-losing-voice/
Take a read through the article and you will see that their major point is the stocks are in decline and need to be protected.
You are never going to be able to convince an environmental extremist of anything else because they'd prefer we don't fish at all....
There are however some people in our very own recreational fishing ranks who are lead to believe some of the information here...
Here are some talking points I have for them and why they should support the Modern Fishing act.
- We do care deeply about the fishing stocks but Sea Bass is a prefect example of fisheries management gone wrong.... The stocks are reported to be rebuilt yet we still have punitive measures in place to rebuild them??
- Ours is not a fight for more liberal regulations at the expense of the fish stocks. We want the science improved for the health of the stocks. We don't want more liberal regulations, we want the right regulations.
- Our fight is about access.... Access to a resource that has been slowly taken away from us... Shortened seasons, closures, being forced to target larger fish which are the very fish responsible for reproduction. We all like to fish and many of us practice catch and release and that's a personal decision. If the season is closed that decision is made for you.
- Fisheries management is needed and no one would argue with that. The intent of Magnuson which you can read by googling it " Providing fishing opportunities and economic benefits for both commercial and recreational fishermen as well as fishing communities and shoreside businesses that support fishing and use fish products" However even with the best of intentions, this is a typical example of government over site gone wrong. The very laws intended to help us are hurting us. It's kind of like Affordable Health Care....
Things are certainly coming to a head here and we need to continue to fight for Magnuson reform. We need to educate those willing to listen that this not about exploiting a fishery, it's about changing the methods and science to protect the fishery and give reasonable access to people who enjoy our sport.
http://conservefish.org/2017/09/18/fish-losing-voice/
Take a read through the article and you will see that their major point is the stocks are in decline and need to be protected.
You are never going to be able to convince an environmental extremist of anything else because they'd prefer we don't fish at all....
There are however some people in our very own recreational fishing ranks who are lead to believe some of the information here...
Here are some talking points I have for them and why they should support the Modern Fishing act.
- We do care deeply about the fishing stocks but Sea Bass is a prefect example of fisheries management gone wrong.... The stocks are reported to be rebuilt yet we still have punitive measures in place to rebuild them??
- Ours is not a fight for more liberal regulations at the expense of the fish stocks. We want the science improved for the health of the stocks. We don't want more liberal regulations, we want the right regulations.
- Our fight is about access.... Access to a resource that has been slowly taken away from us... Shortened seasons, closures, being forced to target larger fish which are the very fish responsible for reproduction. We all like to fish and many of us practice catch and release and that's a personal decision. If the season is closed that decision is made for you.
- Fisheries management is needed and no one would argue with that. The intent of Magnuson which you can read by googling it " Providing fishing opportunities and economic benefits for both commercial and recreational fishermen as well as fishing communities and shoreside businesses that support fishing and use fish products" However even with the best of intentions, this is a typical example of government over site gone wrong. The very laws intended to help us are hurting us. It's kind of like Affordable Health Care....
Things are certainly coming to a head here and we need to continue to fight for Magnuson reform. We need to educate those willing to listen that this not about exploiting a fishery, it's about changing the methods and science to protect the fishery and give reasonable access to people who enjoy our sport.