I'm sure many of you received this letter, too. I hadn't realized there was factory fishing in the Gulf until a few days ago when there was an article in the Galveston paper, but I am pretty naive about many things. If this is true, we all need to do as much as possible to stop this being done. I have read that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission opposes this also. So should we.

I did sign the petition the other day, so I'm sure all of us who did also received this message:

Hi Harold Ray,

When the Omega Protein corporation goes fishing for menhaden, they don't bring just a rod and bait. Their highly industrialized operation involves planes to spot schools of menhaden and giant vacuum ships to suck them out of the Gulf. And too often wildlife like turtles, dolphins and sharks get sucked up right with them. In fact, an estimated one million pounds of ocean wildlife "bycatch" get crushed and killed in this process.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission has rightly proposed new standards to protect the Gulf from the dangers of factory fishing of menhaden, and more than x of you sent comments to them in support. But Omega Protein (the largest menhaden company) has hired high-powered lobbyists to try to get Governor Perry to intervene and stop the new protections.

Please call Governor Perry at 1-800-252-9600 and tell him you support the Parks and Wildlife proposal and want it strengthened, not weakened.

Here's a sample message you can leave:

"Hello, my name is ____ and I live in _____, Texas. I support the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission proposal to cap the amount of menhaden note - pronounced MEN-HAY-DEN) that can be taken from Texas waters. Please make sure the proposal also includes adding marine scientists to the fleet to count and limit the amount of bycatch that is caught."

Then let us know you called by filling out the form at:

http://environmenttexas.org/action/oceans/protect-menhaden/call2?id4=ES

For more information, see this great Mother Jones magazine article on menhaden:
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2006/03/net_losses.html

Sincerely,

Luke Metzger
Environment Texas Director
LukeM@environmenttexas.org
http://www.environmenttexas.org

P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.