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Public
Access Advocates, Thursday's 6/2 hearing was awesome.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I thought we'd see
more people in favor of the rule being that we were in
Long Beach Township. There were a few, and a few marina
owners, but we really outnumbered them. There were
literally hundreds of us. Some press links are below.
Now that the hearings are over, I must say we
kicked butt over the last two months. In the
court of public opinion, we are winning. DEP is
getting somewhat desperate by calling in
reporters for special closed door meetings and
tours. Last August I thought stopping this rule
would be a very uphill battle that we would
possibly lose. But so many of you have joined
us and helped and made this campaign great - we
could not have done it without you.
As Tim said in an earlier email, DEP wants to
talk. They met with some fishermen Wednesday,
and I've suggested to DEP that a cross section
of groups sits down and talks about a serious
rule overhaul. I believe we are going into
those talks in a position of strength. I
believe we can talk without giving up principles
and we can compromise on small stuff if we get
real improvements in a newly formulated rule.
A coalition of groups this large and this diverse
has not been together on a single issue in NJ in a
long time. We are going to use that unity to win
something good for the people of NJ.
Thanks again!
John Weber
Surfrider Foundation
Watch this news clip on beach access and see how the
municipalities and residents feel about people
coming to ACCESS THEIR BEACHED. Their
beaches not our beaches.
http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/2011/05/ledger_live_brushes_the_sand_o.html
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Public Access News Conference
at the Trenton State House
5/25/2011 |

Public Access News Conference
at the Trenton State House
5/25/2011 |
 |
Read more on this
issue.
CLICK HERE or go to
http://www.littoralsociety.org/protecting_access_shore.aspx
Protect Public Access
to the Shore
Public access to
beaches and waterways is a fundamental right of NJ
residents
protected by the Public
Trust Doctrine. In April, the Christie Administration
announced
new rules that would
dramatically reduce New Jerseyan's their rights to
access the shore line
to fish, swim or just
walk along the beach.
Help by making calls, write letters , attend the
meetings below and email this information to others. |
January 2, 2012
We all recognize the
quote by Yogi Berra.
When it comes to the
matter of getting
Traps Off the Reefs
it is a quote that
reflects the
sentiments of
hundreds-of-thousands
of recreational
anglers. Below is an
article published in
the Asbury Park
Press, and profiles
Captain Pete
Grimbilas, as to the
status of
legislation
currently awaiting
New Jersey
legislators. Getting
commercial fixed
gear off of
artificial reefs
will remain a
priority of Reef
Rescue and the New
Jersey Outdoor
Alliance.
Reef bills may need
renewal
'Lame duck'
legislation session
ends Jan. 9
2011
was
not
a
good
year
for
New
Jersey's
artificial
reef
program.
The
program,
which
was
started
in
1984,
took
a
big
hit
when
Dr.
John
Organ
of
the
U.S.
Department
of
Fish
and
Wildlife
cut
New
Jersey
off
from
matching
federal
funding
due
to
violations
of
the
Sportfish
Restoration
Fund
in
April.
We've
covered
this
several
times
in
2011
and
it
is
unnecessary
to
rehash
the
history.
"The
reef
building
project
was
a
project
that
every
saltwater
angler
knew
about
and
could
get
behind
because
it
was
benefit
to
them.
It
brought
in
more
fish,"
Capt.
Pete
Grimbilas
Chair
of
Reef
Rescue
said.
Indeed,
many
saltwater
fishing
clubs
in
New
Jersey
have
small
plaques
in
their
clubhouses
from
reef
donations
and
habitat
created
that
they
participated
in
with
funding
they
raised.
The
question
is
are
these
plaques
and
the
program
going
to
be
part
of
history
or
be
reborn?
About
the
only
reef
addition
on
the
horizon
in
New
Jersey
for
2012
is
the
Art
of
Reef's
horseshoe
crab
sculpture
that
is
planned
to
be
sunk
on
the
Axel
Carlson
reef.
And
that
is a
project
that
has
been
privately
funded
without
matching
dollars
from
the
feds.
The
conflict
on
the
reef
has
to
do
with
gear
usage,
primarily
fixed
traps
used
by
commercial
lobster
fishermen.
"We
will
not
get
the
funding
back
until
we
get
the
commercial
traps
off
the
reef.
It's
a
huge
problem
--
the
reef
building
project
has
pretty
much
stopped,"
Grimbilas
said.
Legislation
has
been
adopted
in
the
senate
already.
Senate
bill
221,
commonly
called
the
Traps
off
the
Reef
bill,
has
passed
the
senate
three
times,
but
its
companion
bill
A-1152
has
stalled
in
the
Assembly
unable
to
get
through
the
Agriculture
and
Natural
Resources
Committee
headed
by
Assemblyman
Nelson
Albano.
The
legislature
is
currently
in
its
lame
duck
session
and
will
end
on
January
9.
If
A-1152
does
not
get
through
the
assembly
by
then,
it,
along
with
S-221,
will
have
to
be
reintroduced.
Grimbilas
said
the
best
opportunity
to
get
the
bills
passed
before
the
session
ends
is
to
get
Assembly
Speaker
Sheila
Oliver
to
act.
"The
entire
legislative
process
has
to
be
repeated.
We
don't
want
to
do
this
again,"
Grimbilas
said.
"She
is
the
only
legislator
that
has
the
power
to
override
Albano.
Sportsmen
have
spoken
to
her
and
she
is
aware
of
the
dynamics.
The
Speaker
has
the
ability
to
help.
She
can
solve
this
deadlock."
Now
is
the
time
to
write
letters,
emails
or
call
Oliver
and
ask
her
to
vote
on
A-1152.
Oliver
can
be
reached
at:
15-33
Halsted
St.,
Suite
202,
East
Orange,
N.J.
07018,
973-395-1166,
Aswoliver@njleg.org
The list that follows includes the Assembly members who are Primary Sponsors and Co-Sponsors of Bill A1152.
Assembly Sponsors and Co-Sponsors:
Rible, David P. as Primary Sponsor (R)
Angelini, Mary Pat as Primary Sponsor (R)
Albano, Nelson T. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Wolfe, David W. as Co-Sponsor (R)
Holzapfel, James W. as Co-Sponsor (R)
Diegnan, Patrick J., Jr. as Co-Sponsor (D)
McHose, Alison Littell as Co-Sponsor (R)
Greenwald, Louis D. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Rumana, Scott T. as Co-Sponsor (R)
Amodeo, John F. as Co-Sponsor (R)
Voss, Joan M. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Wagner, Connie Co-Sponsor (D)
DeAngelo, Wayne P. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Casagrande, Caroline as Co-Sponsor (R)
DiCicco, Domenick Jr as Co-Sponsor (R)
O'Donnell, Jason as Co-Sponsor (D)
Chiusano, Gary R. as Co-Sponsor (R)
Handlin, Amy H. as Co-Sponsor (R)
Giblin, Thomas P. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Peterson, Erik as Co-Sponsor (R)
Jasey, Mila M. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Biondi, Peter J. as Co-Sponsor (R)
Lampitt, Pamela R. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Vandervalk, Charlotte as Co-Sponsor (R)
Conners, Jack as Co-Sponsor (D)
McKeon, John F. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Delany, Patrick as Co-Sponsor (R)
Rudder, Scott as Co-Sponsor (R)
Benson, Daniel R. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Huttle, Valerie as Co-Sponsor (D)
Russo, David C. as Co-Sponsor (R)
Quijano, Annette as Co-Sponsor (D)
Quigley, Joan M. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Prieto, Vincent as Co-Sponsor (D)
Cryan, Joseph as Co-Sponsor (D)
Coughlin, Craig J. as Co-Sponsor (D)
DeCroce, Alex as Co-Sponsor (R)
Schroeder, Robert as Co-Sponsor (R)
Thompson, Samuel D. as Co-Sponsor (R))
Malone, Joseph R., III as Co-Sponsor (R)
Bramnick, Jon M. as Co-Sponsor (R)
O'Scanlon, Declan J., Jr. as Co-Sponsor (R)
Carroll, Michael Patrick as Co-Sponsor (R)
Bucco, Anthony M. as Co-Sponsor (R)
Fuentes, Angel as Co-Sponsor (D)
Burzichelli, John J. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Coutinho, Albert as Co-Sponsor (D)
Ramos, Ruben J., Jr. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Chivukula, Upendra J. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Spencer, L. Grace as Co-Sponsor (D)
Conaway, Herb, Jr. as Co-Sponsor (D)
Munoz, Nancy F. as Co-Sponsor (R)
Dancer, Ronald S. as Co-Sponsor (R)
Webber, Jay as Co-Sponsor (R)
You can contact your Assemblyperson and ask that they become a Co-Sponsor too - or thank them if they are already a Primary Sponsor or Co-Sponsor by taking the following steps:
1. Go to the following link and click on the town where you live.
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/municipalities.asp
2. Click on the District where you live.
3. Call the phone number next to your Assembly representatives (there are two).
4. Ask them to be a Co-Sponsor of Bill A1152 (Prohibits the use of certain fishing gear on artificial reefs). Let them know that you support Bill A1152.
It's that easy.
NJOA
(CF)
Council
members
supporting
"Traps
Off the
Reefs"
are:
- New
Jersey
Outdoor
Alliance
- Reef
Rescue
- NJ
Council
Diving
Clubs
- Jersey
Coast
Anglers
Association
- NJ
Trout
Unlimited
- NJ
Beach
Buggy
Association
- Hudson
River
Fishermen's
Association
-
Greater
Point
Pleasant
Charter
Boat
Association
- Jersey
Coast
Shark
Anglers
- Cape
May
County
Party &
Charter
Boat
Association
- NJ
State
Federation
of
Sportsmen's
Clubs
- Hi-Mar
Striper
Club
Non
Council
Members
supporting
"Traps
Off the
Reefs":
- Saltwater
Anglers
of
Bergen
County
-
The
Regency
Fishing
Club
-
Manasquan
Fishing
Club
-
Sunrise
Bay
Anglers
Fishing
Club
- Village Harbour Fishing Club
- Penn-Jersey Saltwater Anglers
- Absecon Saltwater Sportsmen
- South Jersey Saltwater Anglers
- Forked River Tuna Club
- Newark Bait and Flycasting Club
- Beach Haven Marlin & Tuna Club
- There are
additional
saltwater
fishing,
freshwater
fishing, hunting
and conservation
groups that
support "Traps
Off the Reefs."
The list will be
updated on an
ongoing basis.
Anthony
P. Mauro, Sr
Chair
New Jersey Outdoor
Alliance
New Jersey Outdoor
Alliance Conservation
Foundation
New Jersey Outdoor
Alliance Environmental
Projects
"Preservation through
conservation"
Officers: Ed
Markowski, Captain Pete
Grimbilas, Jerry Natale, Len
Wolgast, PhD., Anthony
Mauro
**********
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Recreational Fishing Alliance
Contact: Jim Hutchinson, Jr. /
888-564-6732
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For Immediate Release
December 13, 2011
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|
CONGRESS
EYES MAGNUSON REFORM IN 2012
RFA Blasts "Beltway Insiders" For Promoting
Toothless Fisheries Bill
Tackle and boating industry professionals
around the country are being led to believe
that a new bill in the House and Senate
called the Fishery Science Improvement
Act of 2011 (HR2309/S1916) would
actually improve science and help keep
anglers on the water in 2012.
However, Atlantic coastal fishermen
specifically who've read the legislation
agree the bills promoted by the national
sporting media and their industry lobbyists
do nothing to actually fix the science, nor
will they truly keep important recreational
fisheries open to coastal anglers.
"It doesn't do anything to improve the
science," said Capt. Mark Brown of South
Carolina. "It seems to lack any real
direction and is very confusing to people
who think there's some type of scientific
requirement written in."
"These are very short bills to read, but
they don't appear to have enough information
in there to make a difference in terms of
the actual assessments that have been
compiled by NOAA," Brown added.
The two-page HR2304 is structured primarily
to delay deadlines for annual catch limits
(ACL) and accountability measures in those
fisheries in which a peer-reviewed stock
survey and stock assessment has not been
performed within the past 5 years, and only
if the Commerce Secretary determines that
overfishing is not occurring, severely
restricting the number of fisheries in which
fishermen could apply for management relief.
"Species like haddock, cod, summer flounder,
black sea bass, porgies, amberjack and even
king mackerel, these have all been assessed
within the past few years so none of them
would qualify for statutory assistance under
this particular legislation," said Jim
Hutchinson, managing director of the
Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA). "East
Coast fishermen especially who've
spearheaded efforts to reform Magnuson,
making national headlines through rallies
and organized protests, they've suddenly
found themselves boxed out of the process by
Beltway insiders masquerading as reformers."
RFA believes if the House version of the
bill were to pass as written, any stock not
surveyed or accessed during the past 5 years
could qualify for relief from ACL
restrictions until 2014, but only if a
regional council was able to push through an
amendment in time to meet the December 31,
2013 deadline. Furthermore, any species
which has been assessed in the past few
years, even through use of questionable
scientific models and methodologies, would
not qualify for statutory assistance.
"Because it has science in its title and is
being promoted by lobbyists at the boating
and fishing trade groups, many industry
members and sportswriters believe it can
actually help anglers," Hutchinson said.
"Sadly, fishermen on the water who would be
directly impacted by the legislation who've
actually read the bill seem to agree that it
doesn't do anything to improve science nor
will it have much positive impact on their
ability to keep on fishing."
Hutchinson said a more comprehensive House
bill sponsored by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ),
the Flexibility and Access in Rebuilding
American Fisheries Act of 2011, would
address ACL's and accountability measures in
all coastal fisheries while also requiring
the National Academy of Sciences to perform
a detailed analysis of the data collection
used by NOAA to enforce fisheries limits and
restrictions. Regrettably, this
all-inclusive piece of legislation
introduced partly as response to the
national fishermen's rally in Washington DC
in February of 2010 has been openly opposed
by the very same members of the recreational
fishing community the bill is actually
designed to protect.
In testifying on behalf of the Center for
Coastal Conservation (CCC), American
Sportfishing Association, National Marine
Manufacturers Association, International
Gamefish Association, and the Billfish
Foundation before Congress on December 1,
lobbyist and general counsel for the Coastal
Conservation Association Bob Hayes publicly
stated "With respect to the Flexibility Bill
that Mr. Pallone has put in, I think our
position has been pretty clear on that,
we've been opposed to it from the
beginning," while adding specifically that
the organizations on behalf of whom he was
speaking "all endorse my testimony today."
"It's finally out in the open, the same
groups out there hyping the Fishery
Science Improvement Act have been
actively fighting against any real Magnuson
reform since 2007, spending industry dollars
to keep our broken federal fisheries law in
place while distracting anglers and business
owners from the real problems affecting
coastal access," said Hutchinson .
Although known as the Fishery Science
Improvement Act, language in the bill
supported by CCC lobbyists does not actually
address the science used for assessments and
data collection, but instead pushes
deadlines back 2 years for implementing ACL
restrictions. Hardline conservation groups
hope the stall tactic will give NOAA enough
time to improve their scientific efforts,
particularly in the recreational sector, to
avoid any substantial fisheries reform.
During the House Resource Committee hearing
on December 1 however, NOAA's Eric Schwaab
admitted that his agency has already failed
to meet their congressional mandate to
replace the "fatally flawed" Marine
Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS)
as of 2009 as required by law, acknowledging
that any new processes for scientific
improvement won't be incorporated into the
recreational sector until perhaps 2012 or
2013 at the earliest.
Pressed by Rep. Pallone about how ACLs and
accountability measures could be mandated by
NOAA Fisheries before meeting their own
scientific improvement requirements under
the law, Schwaab replied by saying
"certainly it's suboptimal," while calling
recreational data "a small portion of the
assessment process."
"There are two different ways in which
recreational data factor into the management
process, one is as a component of the
assessment process, and certainly
recreational effort and landings are
considered by the scientific teams that make
assessment decisions," Schwaab said, adding
"secondly is managing, once a quota is set,
the recreational component of the fishery."
RFA's executive director, Jim Donofrio,
called Schwaab's testimony "damning of the
federal fisheries service" and the NOAA
administration as a whole, while calling it
a perfect example of where the Fishery
Science Improvement Act doesn't do
enough to protect anglers or facilitate
improved science on behalf of commerce and
conservation.
"Mr. Schwaab testified under oath that
scientists are using fatally flawed angler
data to develop stock assessments and decide
whether or not anglers are going over or
under an ACL, that's not suboptimal it's
borderline criminal," Donofrio said. "We
keep hearing that this is the best we can
do, it's the best legislation we can pass
right now, or that it's the best available
science we've got given work schedules, but
this is pure nonsense to working class
Americans," Donofrio said.
For recreational fishermen, particularly
those in the business of bussing anglers to
to the fishing grounds, seeing Congress push
through another feel-good piece of
legislation without any sensible statutory
reform equates to yet another free pass for
bureaucratic neglect.
"The two fishery science improvement bills
look like a joke to me," noted Capt. Steve
Byrne of First Cast Charters out of Staten
Island, NY. "I can only guess that the bills
were written with the hope that no one would
ever read any further than the title. I
don't see anything in there that would
improve the science."
Capt. Brown agreed noting that NOAA has
essentially disregarded substantial
statistical analysis gathered by Southeast
fishermen over the years, essentially
ignoring fisherman's input related to the
overall status of many fisheries. "They end
up taking the fishing information and
throwing it out the door in place of their
own incomplete models and assessments,"
Brown said.
Even more alarming to those who have read
the legislation is the clear disconnect
between the House bill and the new Senate
companion piece sponsored by Sen. Bill
Nelson of Florida, S1916. A list of species
characterized by NOAA as not experiencing
overfishing and not assessed within the past
6 years, which proponents of S1916 believe
are those stocks that would qualify for
relief should Congress pass this
legislation, are defined as follows:
|
NEW ENGLAND
Atlantic Salmon
MID-ATLANTIC
Shortfin squid
SOUTH ATLANTIC
Scamp
Mahi Mahi
Wreckfish
Yellowtail snapper
Gray Snapper
Lane Snapper
Nassau Grouper
Yellowedge Grouper |
GULF OF MEXICO
Mahi Mahi
Red Drum
Black Grouper
Gray Triggerfish
White Grunt
Cobia
Little Tunny
Spanish Mackerel
Yellowtail Snapper
Brown Rock Shrimp |
PACIFIC & ALASKA
Jack Mackerel
Northern Anchovy (PFMC)
Indo-Pacific Blue Marlin
CA
Scorpion Fish
Longspine Thornyhead
Shortspine Thornyhead
Starry Flounder
Yellowtail Rockfish
Albacore (WPFMC)
Pacific cod (PFMC)
Silver Gray Rockfish
Northwestern HI Islands Crustacean
Complex
Big Skate (Gulf of Alaska)
Longnose Skate (Gulf of Alaska) |
"Congress has just been told by a
high-ranking NOAA staffer that their entire
assessment process is fatally flawed and that
the agency itself has failed to meet their
congressionally mandated deadline, yet fishermen
who target species not included in the list
above may not be going fishing in the next
couple of years because no one wants to tick off
the environmental zealots or demand too much of
Congress," Donofrio said. "This is why Americans
are losing faith in the system and why our
anglers have grown tired of the regional council
process."
"Magnuson was bad in 2006 because Senate passed
it by unanimous consent, and now a few Beltway
insiders are asking for more unanimous consent
by the industry. We've been set-up, pure and
simple, the industry and the anglers themselves
are being asked to promote another bad bill in
Congress, it's pretty tragic really," Donofrio
said.
The Flexibility and Access in Rebuilding
American Fisheries Act of 2011 introduced
by Rep. Pallone is co-sponsored in the House by
Rep. Rob Andrews
(D-NJ), Rep. Barney Frank
(D-MA),
Rep. Walter Jones
(R-NC), Rep. Ander Crenshaw
(R-FL),
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa
(D-HI),
Rep. Peter King
(R-NY), Rep. Frank LoBiondo
(R-NJ), ,
Rep. John Tierney
(D-MA), and Rep. Bob Turner
(R-NY).
In addition to addressing ACL's and
accountability measures in all coastal fisheries
while calling upon the National Research Council
to review NOAA's recreational data collection
methods, HR3061 would also extend timelines for
rebuilding certain fisheries, something which
would also help address the dire consequences
coming down the road for cod, haddock, summer
flounder and even black sea bass in the South
Atlantic.
"Congressman Wittman is a dedicated sportsman
who has supported the Flexibility Bill in the
past, but he's been handed a phony bill of no
good by some hired lobbyists who don't know
enough about the complexities of saltwater
fisheries, or perhaps just don't care," Donofrio
said. "It's a bad spot for Mr. Wittman, unless
he can help change the bill in Committee which
is imperative if Congress plans to move forward
with any meaningful fisheries reform."
Rep. Pallone's efforts to incorporate additional
management flexibility in the federal fisheries
law boasted support of 33 additional members of
the 111th Congress, including Rep. Wittman.
Similar legislation was also introduced in both
the 111th and 112th Congress by Sen. Charles
Schumer of New York, though most troubling to
RFA members is the recent admission by the
tackle and boating trades associations before
the House Resource Committee that they had in
fact opposed all efforts to fix the fisheries
law during the past five years.
"The tackle and boating manufacturers of this
country have been hoodwinked by their own
well-paid lobbyists once again," Hutchinson
said, adding "the industry's political
contributions have been spent primarily on
fighting RFA and in turn on supporting
legislation that gives NOAA more time to do
nothing all while allowing Congress the ability
to kick the can down the road a few more years."
"I know our local anglers are looking forward to
the 2012 elections, it's just a shame that the
tackle and boating trade professionals aren't
going to the polls in November to shake up their
own administration, because there's clearly a
need for reform across the board," he added.
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About
Recreational Fishing Alliance
The Recreational Fishing
Alliance is a national, grassroots political action
organization representing recreational fishermen and the
recreational fishing industry on marine fisheries
issues. 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. For more information, call 888-JOIN-RFA
or visit
www.joinrfa.org.
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Recreational Fishing Alliance
Contact: Jim Hutchinson, Jr. /
888-564-6732
|
For Immediate Release
December 20, 2011
|
CONGRESS SET TO GO ON
CHRISTMAS BREAK
RFA Hopes For Responsible
Magnuson Reform Early In 2012
(12/20/2011) This
week, members of Congress hope
to avert a federal shutdown
before going on a holiday break.
After meeting with key members
of the House of Representatives,
the Recreational Fishing
Alliance (RFA) says one thing
that shouldn't be expected
before 2011 ends is
congressional reform of the
Magnuson Stevens Act.
RFA said that's not necessarily
a bad thing either.
While the end of 2011 marks an
important deadline for full
implementation of annual catch
limits (ACLs) and the associated
recreational paybacks which may
result, RFA said the most
draconian restrictions have
already been put in place by
regional management councils
since the 2006 reauthorization
of Magnuson.
Since early in 2007, RFA has
spearheaded legislative reform
efforts in Congress to
incorporate much needed
management flexibility into the
federal fisheries law in hopes
of keeping anglers on the water
through a better balance of
commerce and conservation. One
particular bill of importance
has been the Flexibility in
Rebuilding American Fisheries
Act, which by 2009 had the
support of
hundreds of fishing and boating
organizations including the
National Association of
Charterboat Operators, Marine
Retailers Association of
America, and even the
National Marine Manufacturers
Association (NMMA).
Calls for Magnuson reform
culminated in a national protest
near the steps of the U.S.
Capitol on February 24, 2010,
during which
more than 20 federal lawmakers
joined an estimated 5,000
fishermen from around the
country for a three-hour rally
supporting national fisheries
reform. While the grassroots
effort was secured through this
historic event, behind the
scenes on Capitol Hill other
lawmakers were being influenced
by opposing political interests
who were
ardent supporters of the
restrictive changes
made to Magnuson back in
2006 and who have themselves
lobbied against all efforts to
reform the federal fisheries
law.
According to RFA executive
director Jim Donofrio, it was
the immediate closure of the
recreational amberjack fishery
in the fall of 2009 which became
the final straw in calling for a
national rally. "Whether or not
the national trades groups
wanted individual
owner-operators speaking up for
their rights in DC didn't really
matter to us, nor does it matter
to us today. Our local fishermen
have grown incensed at the
ongoing closures and are willing
to fight for legislative reform,
with the national trades support
or without."
"RFA members in the Mid-Atlantic
and New England regions would
not be fishing on summer
flounder today if it weren't for
the actions of a few key
lawmakers in building extended
rebuilding deadline into the
2006 reauthorization, but now we
have rebuilt stocks like black
sea bass and scup being taken
away from those same
Mid-Atlantic anglers, cod and
haddock in New England, red
snapper, grouper and kingfish
down south, rockfish off the
coast of California. These are
the fish species generating
support for Magnuson reform in
Congress."
Donofrio said as these vitally
important recreational fisheries
were deemed off-limits to
anglers, the local fishermen
have gotten more active in the
process. "As representatives of
the individual marine anglers,
the local tackle shops which
service those customers and the
for-hire captains that bus folks
out to the fishing grounds, RFA
has always been committed to the
belief that all politics is
local, and we remain dedicated,
both publicly and privately, to
promoting legislation that
protects coastal access to these
stocks. Members expect us to
stick to our guns on this."
In response to the specific
issues with species like black
sea bass, porgies, summer
flounder, cod, haddock, summer
flounder, amberjack, gag
grouper, kingfish, as well as
red snapper and vermillion,
among others, Rep. Frank Pallone
(D-NJ), Rep. Rob Andrews
(D-NJ), Rep. Barney Frank
(D-MA), and Rep. Walter
Jones
(R-NC) re-introduced the
Flexibility and Access in
Rebuilding American Fisheries
Act of 2011, with
additional support from Rep.
Ander Crenshaw
(R-FL), Rep. Michael
Grimm
(R-NY), Rep. Colleen
Hanabusa
(D-HI), Rep. Peter King
(R-NY), Rep. Frank
LoBiondo
(R-NJ), Rep. Tim Scott
(R-SC), Rep. John Tierney
(D-MA) and Rep. Bob
Turner
(R-NY).
Similar to previous legislation
introduced just after the
Magnuson reauthorization in
2007, the "Flexibility Bill"
(HR3061) calls for extending the
authorized time period for
rebuilding certain overfished
fisheries, while also providing
the Secretary of Commerce with
authority to suspend annual
catch limits (ACLs) if a stock
is either rebuilt or deemed not
overfished, or when the level of
uncertainty in the data is not
consistent with National
Standard 8 (best available
science).
While there are eight pieces of
Magnuson reform legislation
being reviewed in the House
Resource Committee, HR3061 is
the only bill that specifically
addresses those coastal
fisheries which have led to
angler unrest across the
country. RFA's Donofrio called
it "critical" that language
contained in the Flexibility
Bill is incorporated into
whatever legislation is
ultimately passed out of the
Committee for congressional
response in 2012.
"There's another bill in
Committee popular with the
national trade associations and
the Coastal Conservation
Association (CCA) that will help
suspend ACLs and accountability
measures only on those stocks
not assessed in the past 5 years
like mahi and cobia which is
certainly fine, but these aren't
the fish stocks creating access
problems for our local fishermen
right now," Donofrio said. "Some
folks can't deal with honest
criticism, but trying to
steamroll a bill through
Congress that doesn't address
any real problems is not
something that RFA is going to
allow happen without criticism."
The Flexibility and Access
in Rebuilding American Fisheries
Act of 2011 contains
language which would require
NOAA Fisheries' Science and
Statistical Committees to
provide detailed reports to
justify any of their management
recommendations while
identifying areas where
precautionary management
approach was applied. HR3061
also calls on regional councils
to calculate the socioeconomic
impact of their management
decisions on an annual basis and
report upon what impact
management decisions will have
on the future socioeconomic
value.
"This is a jobs bill for our
recreational fishing community,
which is why RFA has been
working so hard with key members
of Congress to ensure that this
language is included in the
final bill," Donofrio said. "We
don't need some 'pass this bill
now, we'll see what happens
later' effort, we need
common-sense fisheries reform so
that anglers can keep on fishing
while local businesses remain
solvent."
Donofrio said groups who are
pushing for one legislative fix
over all others are taking dire
risks with the future of the
recreational fishing community
by threatening to disregard any
real improvements in the
scientific side of fisheries
management. "There is clear
understanding within our fishing
communities that the House and
Senate version of the so-called
Fisheries Science and
Improvement Act pushed by
the national trade groups won't
apply to the most sought after
recreational fisheries nor will
they have any direct impact on
science, but just because the
bills don't do much doesn't mean
they're not dangerous."
Donofrio called scientific
improvement a "top priority of
the RFA and the fishing
industry," explaining how better
science tends to foster better
management decisions. "However,
if a science bill with no real
science is moved through
Congress, it makes our already
difficult job of lobbying
Congress for additional research
funds even harder given that
legislators may be under the
mistaken impression that they've
already addressed the science
issue with this bill."
From a practical standpoint, RFA
sees passage of these bills
without amendment as potentially
stifling of future involvement
of the fishing industries in
working to improve fisheries
science. "Many species such as
king mackerel and summer
flounder experienced great
improvements to their assessment
approach due to efforts by the
fishing industry, but if
Congress were to pass a law that
only protects fish stocks not
scientifically assessed,
fishermen may see the only way
to avoid the damage of ACLs is
by stopping stock assessments
altogether or simply allowing
them to run with such poor data
that they actually fail peer
review."
Recreational fishing industry
leaders have made frequent
requests to NOAA over the years
for additional social and
economic impact studies,
enhanced stock assessments, and
significant improvements in the
recreational angler
participation data. In response
to angler requests and concerns,
congressional representatives
put forth the Flexibility
and Access in Rebuilding
American Fisheries Act of 2011
to specifically address
these science and statistical
issues.
"HR3061 would charge the
National Research Council with
performing a comprehensive
review of the current
recreational data collection
systems to determine what
changes, if any, were made since
their last report in 2006,"
Donofrio said. "Other bills on
the docket don't specifically
address NOAA's disregard for
their scientific requirements so
I really can't fathom why the
national trade groups under the
direction of CCA lobbyists would
oppose these local efforts."
In 2008, the American
Sportfishing Association (ASA)
was asked by coastal
organizations to support
Congressman Pallone's efforts to
amend Magnuson via the original
flexibility bill (HR5425). In a
letter to industry
representatives dated April 30,
2008, ASA vice president Gordon
Robertson said "After extensive
deliberation by the Government
Affairs Committee, ASA neither
supports nor opposes HR5425."
RFA managing director Jim
Hutchinson points out that just
three months after ASA voted to
take no position on allowing
limited deadline flexibility,
the tackle and boating trade
associations (ASA and NMMA)
together introduced former CCA
Louisiana staffer Jefferson
Anglers as their federal
fisheries lobbyist of record at
their newly created Center for
Coastal Conservation, a
political group launched with
the expressed support of "ending
overfishing by a time certain"
and "rebuilding plans for
fisheries with time
constraints."
"I think many manufacturers
thought in 2008 that they were
getting a political bulldog that
would fight for their customers'
access rights, but based on the
CCC tenants and mission and
Mr. Angers' own lobbying
efforts, it seems as if all of
the industry's political funding
has been used to confuse
legislators, local anglers and
the owners of fishing related
businesses," Hutchinson said. "RFA
didn't create the conflict
between the industry and their
own political mouthpiece, we're
simply shining a light on an
obvious leadership issue."
"How does one group without a
public position and another
group with a public position of
support, suddenly create an
umbrella organization with an
opposing point of view, then
expect to be taken seriously,"
Hutchinson asked. "As an overall
policy, we don't criticize
organizations that are
effective, only those which are
clearly being dishonest."
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