We're not the only ones...sound familiar??

[Sharkyispy]

RFA URGES OPPOSITION TO SECTOR SEPARATION
Gulf Comments Against Divide & Conquer Campaign Due Wednesday

January 21, 2014 - During the summer of 2012, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) heard from thousands of recreational fishermen in opposition sector separation mechanisms proposed under Reef Fish Amendment 39. Because of the sheer volume of public comments opposing this proposal to divide and conquer the recreational fishing community into smaller portions, the Gulf Council took no action to advance this ill-advised plan.

On December 24th, 2013, the Gulf Council sneaked a new proposal through during the busy holiday season, once again pushing forward mechanisms that would ultimately divide and conquer the recreational fishing sector in the Gulf.

The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) is once again asking anglers to unite in opposition to this effort to once again divide our recreational fishing community.

Reef Fish Amendment 40 will consider the formal partition of the recreational sector into two distinct components, one being the private angling component made up of individual saltwater anglers, a second component being a federal for-hire component. Red snapper resources would then be allocated between these components.

RFA executive director Jim Donofrio said such action to divide the recreational sector into components would then rely on government data to reallocate recreational harvest limits based on best available data, data which he called "fatally flawed."

"Once again, the federal government is using the regional council process to divide our angling community into have's and have not's, without any reasonable harvest data to guide their decision," Donofrio said. "The Commerce Department and its National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is allowing the recreational fishing sector to be ripped apart piece by piece, without ever meeting their congressional mandate to provide better data."

Despite the thousands of anti-sector separation comments received by the Gulf Council and Commerce Department over the past year and a half, activists who would like to see individual fish tags implemented across the recreational fishing spectrum are continuing to push their agenda through the council process.

"The key thing to remember on this sector separation scam is this; the Gulf Council tabled sector separation after I laid on the podium, as part of the public record, copies of over 400 pages of comments against sector separation," said RFA member Capt. Tom Hilton of Texas. "By giving them 1-1/2 years to gather signatures from customers going fishing on charter boats each morning, we can expect the EDF-funded captains to come out in full force with reams of paper supporting sector separation, count on it."

Just recently, a new exempted fishing permit study was implemented by the Gulf Council, with support from Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and their organizational advocates, whereby a small group of headboats get to fish for red snapper whenever they want. Donofrio calls the sector separation and fish tag plan the environmental industry's final solution to capping fishing participation in the United States.

"Once the recreational sector is divided, the fish tag mechanisms can move forward on a grander scale until ultimately the only way anyone can fish for red snapper, grouper or sea bass is by purchasing a harvest tag for each fish you plan to take," Donofrio said. "Anglers really need to stand up in unison to oppose these divisionary tactics."

"Radical fleet reduction is the goal," said Capt. Chip Blackburn of Mexico Beach, FL. "First headboats, next will be charter for-hire, next will be the rest of recreational fishermen."

RFA and its representatives in the Gulf chapters are asking anglers to visit the Gulf Council public comment page this week to respond in opposition to the Amendment 40.

"We believe maintaining an open fishery with fair and equitable regulations that sustain the fish and the fishermen is a better method of fisheries management," said Capt. Tom Adams of the RFA's Forgotten Coast chapter, adding "we believe management needs to abandon their efforts to promote catch shares and sector separation and focus their efforts and funding on improved stock assessments with more appropriate modeling that will account for the substantial growth of a fishery like red snapper."

As Blackburn noted in his 2012 comments in opposition to the plan, "As a charter fisherman with federal permits and almost 30 years in the business this blatant attempt at divide and conquer is disgusting. I, as are all my customers, totally opposed to sector separation and catch shares."

Capt. Blackburn and others are particularly incensed at the Gulf Council's new pilot program which has given 17 hand-selected Gulf party boats 5% of the overall recreational quota for 2014 red snapper. One recent promotional sign on a participating headboat boasts Yes, You Can Keep Your Red Snapper Today, which Blackburn said is "right down the road from me in Port St. Joe while I am tied to the dock by federal regulations. Is it time for civil disobedience yet?"

[Captain Rich]

This is so disappointing,... now you know why people take up golf.

[Gerry Zagorski]

This and what is happening in California with Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) where no one is allowed to fish is a threat to us. Seems to me like people who have never fished and enjoyed our sport are the ones making laws or lobbying others to make the laws to take it away from us.

Can you imagine a time where our area is like this??? Gramps... You wanna go fising. No, we cant because we aren't allowed. Too far fethched? I think not.

Wake up people. If you think the sport we all love is not under attack, think again.

[Fish Stix]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

This and what is happening in California with Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) where no one is allowed to fish is a threat to us. Seems to me like people who have never fished and enjoyed our sport are the ones making laws or lobbying others to make the laws to take it away from us.

Can you imagine a time where our area is like this??? Gramps... You wanna go fising. No, we cant because we aren't allowed. Too far fethched? I think not.

Wake up people. If you think the sport we all love is not under attack, think again.

Your 100% correct Gerry. Guys listen up! We have to work as a team on all of this reg shit. This is BS.

[Capt Joe]

Capt Blackburn: " Is it time for civil disobedience yet?"

Its way past time.

Everytime I think of one of those sniveling little shits on our boat calling the Fish and Game cause he sees some guy keep a short Fluke or Seabass #26 I would personally like to smash his face in!
You turds know who you are and you are not welcome here!