MAFMC webinar 27-Feb: Fluke/SeaBass assessments + 2019 recreational recommendations

[Gerry Zagorski]

Like many people involved in this fight, Tom is a tireless voice for the interests of recreational fishing... Not just the fishermen but for the overall health of the fishery. There are those outside our recreational fishing community that think we're just a bunch of neanderthals who want to kill everything that swims. Nothing could be further then the truth... I think I speak for most that our first concern is not about how many fish we can take, it's about our responsibility to protect and sustain the fishery so that we and future generations can enjoy this great sport of ours.

Just thinking back a few years ago when he attended one of the Galloway meetings... I watched as Tom's head practically exploded when he saw the data presented. The Fluke fishery was on a downward spiral and there was a direct correlation with the regulations... Each year the size of fish we could keep was increased forcing us to target the larger fish we needed for reproduction and the stocks decreased. Tom was on to something here and after many late night discussions on how best to boil down and present this information, we got him plugged into others who were involved...

I've always contended you're either part of the problem or part of the solution... Apathy is the enemy here as many feel helpless and wonder to themselves what can I do about it so they do nothing.

Point here is I don't care who you are, you can get involved... Not everyone has the analytical skills like Tom, I sure don't but there are other ways to use what you do have.... It could be volunteering your time, writing a letter, attending a meeting or a march or you can financially support the groups that support your interests.... What you shouldn't do is roll over because if you do, they've won.

There's 2 ways to fight, politically and scientifically... We need to change the laws which govern our fisheries and the science used to manage them and we've made some great strides in each area... On the political side the recent passage of the The Modern Fishing Act. On the Science side the Size/Sex study which gives us the information needed to manage the resource with better science.

We still have a long way to go but none of this would have been possible without the individual and collective efforts of every day people like you and me who got involved and refused to roll over.

If you're interested in helping the fight on political side stop by the RFA booth 3/15 - 3/17 at the Saltwater Fishing show in Edison or visit https://www.joinrfa.org/

On the Science side please visit http://www.ssfff.org/

Or get plugged into a fishing group like http://www.jcaa.org/ who will also be at the Edison show.

Thanks for listening to my rant and hope you consider getting involved.