Feds to 60 Million American Anglers: We don't need you
IRVINE, Calif. USA – October 5, 2009 – A recently published administration document outlines a structure that could result in closures of sport fishing in salt and freshwater areas across America. The White House created an Interagency Oceans Policy Task Force in June and gave them only 90 days to develop a comprehensive federal policy for all U.S. coastal, ocean and Great Lakes waters. Under the guise of ‘protecting’ these areas, the current second phase of the Task Force direction is to develop zoning which may permanently close vast areas of fishing waters nationwide. This is to be completed by December 9, 2009.

Dave Pfeiffer, President of Shimano American Corporation explained, “In spite of extensive submissions from the recreational fishing community to the Task Force in person and in writing, they failed to include any mention of the over one million jobs or the 6o million anglers which may be affected by the new policies coast to coast. Input from the environmental groups who want to put us off the water was adopted into the report verbatim – the key points we submitted as an industry were ignored.”

Recreational fishing generates a $125 billion annual economy in the United States and supports jobs in every state according to government figures. Through the Sport Fish Restoration program, anglers have provided more than $5 billion through excise taxes on fishing tackle to fishery conservation and education for decades.

In addition to the economic aspects, anglers lead the nation in volunteer conservation efforts on behalf of improving fish habitat, water quality and related environmental areas. “There was no mention of the fishery conservation efforts which anglers have led for over 50 years in every state – an environmental success story that has no equal in the world”, said Phil Morlock, Director, Environmental Affairs for Shimano. “The Task Force did not make any distinction between the dramatic differences between harmful commercial fishing harvest methods and recreational fishing, even though we spelled it out for them in detail,” added Morlock.

Claiming to be the result of a public consultation process the report states, “Having considered a broad range of public comments, this report reflects the requests and concerns of all interested parties.”

The original White House memo and not surprisingly the Task Force report contains multiple references to developing a national policy where Great Lakes and coastal regions are managed, “consistent with international law, including customary international law as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea” - a 300-page treaty the U.S. has never ratified.

“We question what implications there will be for state authority and jurisdiction in the Great Lakes and coastal regions if the U.S. adopts the U.N. Treaty,” said Pfeiffer.

The report makes it clear that future authority for implementing the policy for coastal and inland waters will fall under White House jurisdiction with a new National Ocean Council comprised of over 20 federal agencies at Cabinet Secretary or Deputy Secretary level. No reference to Congressional jurisdiction is indicated.

“This significant change in U.S. policy direction is the result of a 90-day fire drill process as ordered by the President that, not surprisingly, lacks balance, clarity and quality in the end product,” said Morlock. “People who simply want to take their kids fishing on public waters deserve better from their government,” he added.

Shimano is joining with other members of the recreational fishing industry to urge anglers to contact their members of Congress and the administration to request this process be required to adopt the economic, conservation and social contributions of recreational fishing as key elements of the policy. It is critical that we ensure Congressional oversight and state jurisdiction and management continues.

E-letters can be sent to the administration and members of Congress by visiting KeepAmericaFishing.org. The future of fishing is in your hands.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/



Don't think the Government wont f**k ya in a minute either.



Rob

IMO, the only thing that can be said for the present Administration is that they are consistent.

I say round em up and take them all on a one way deep sea fishing trip before the next 90 days is up.

I concure with yaknyota!

Now they are try to mess with fishing? When will this madness stop?

Thanks for bringing this up over here. saw it on another site and went over & signed
please visit this link, read everything, & do what's right
thanks
-Brian

Good ole Obama doing his best...

Sure glad I wasnt one of the many people that voted for him and regret it now!

Boy some people really made a mistake with this guy

BTHO Obama!

I'm in ! Give me the coordinates and leave them in a boat you no longer want. I'll do the rest.

Remember the further they go to the Lunatic Left, the easier it is to get rid of them entirely.

can you say revolution they are trying to screw with every thing else they mite just want to leave our fishing and hunting alone, they are asking for it

Hey can you e-mail this to me where I can spread it around.This is unreal there is no end to this [censored].Signed:a right wing sign carring radical

if you dont like it here is your guy for Governor 2010 Larry Kilgore

http://www.myspace.com/LarryKilgore

hey guys, new to the forum. yea i just read that report and it disgusts me. first time i've seen it. i just responded to the link and everybody should to tell the President how you feel. it really works. i understand him trying to cleanup and preserve what we got. but yea, don't screw with me pulling up to a spot to fish about anywhere i want.(well except private property)

other than that, the President is doing a great job and the economy is turning around! now we need for more companies to do better so we can get folks hired....

Doing a GRATE JOB...WHAT!!! Are you kidding me. If I didn't have to leave for work rite now I could write 10 pages on how he is trying to turn the U.S.A. into a left wing socialist nation. Dude if you wanna be a socialist than go to Canada.

I guess fishing equip. will go up, just like ammo did. But I cannot see them getting away with this. Everybody would break the law.

isn't this a message board for fishing? When did it get to political? I am for preservation, but I am not going to comment on anything until I know all the facts...and since the initial post was not referenced, how are we to just swallow it? It just doesn't sound valid to me.

THESKYISFALLING!THESKYISFALLING!!!

Support and vote for RICK PERRY!

Hate to break it to you, but the Texas governor has very little actual power relating to legislation outside of the power of veto. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/GG/mbg3.html

C'mon, now Bill Fisher. there's plenty of that on "the other place"

funny, though, quite funny. almost as funny as Obama leading us into the promised land!

60 million anglers to Feds, just try and implement something like this and better yet try to enforce it.

I respectfully disagree with the statement that Mr. Obama is doing a "great job." Every move he has made has been in the name of turning private industry into a government enterprise (that's called "communism"). The only things the gov't need to control are road/bridge maintenance and construction, protection of the public from criminals, a world-class-butt-kicking military, and collecting just enough taxes to fund those orginizations. Other than that, they have proven time and time again that they will make a hash of whatever they get their hands on. As for the economy improving, how's that stimulus bill working out for everyone? Anyone tried to get a bank to fund a project lately? The only reason that there's economic improvement at all is the cojones of and the entreprenurial fortitude of the same small business owners that this administration would tax into bankruptcy given the opportunity. I'm hoping all of that nonsense gets headed off as well.
Should this new commission on the administration of all public waters do what they want to do, it will be another attempt at gov't control of private enterprise. Not a good move IMO. Wake up boys, the boogie man is here and he's a hungry beast.

The last time I voted Rep. was for Bush...never again. At least Obama is trying to get health care for all citizens as long as those who have health care already can keep what they have and not have to go to another source. Not only that, but not give any illegals anything (health care, welfare, food stamps, etc., etc.,)...there here illegally and should be treated as such.

My .02

+1 PHILPOT. It amazes me that anyone think it is getting any better. Or that the health plan is going to help anyone.

I just want to add to a lil of Philpot's post...


A.k.a. GM= Government Motors Company, I've never been decisively Ford .vs Chevy, I go with the best product available for the money I can afford when I need a vehicle, after seeing the fail decisions that led to GM's problems and FORD getting up and walking away stating "We don't need a Gov't Bailout, we can fix our own problems" I'm more of a FORD fan than ever before. "Bank Bailout"= Since when did US Gov't get in the business of being lenders to bail out banks that turn around and raise lending interest rates and cut interest earned rates to their customers and screw us right back? If a Bank fails, there is obviously some stupid decisions going on that caused their failure in the 1st place! Sooo... Let me get this straight... My Tax dollars (involuntary) are Loaned to a Bank that I don't conduct business with to fix their stupid decisions and when it's paid back I don't get a return on my $$ ?



Too silently the Obama administration is hacking and slashing our military, I work for the Military and our budget was cut 39%. Sign on incentives and re-enlistment bonuses that help maintain our "world-class-butt-kicking military" are gone, our High-quality tough military men & women are not re-enlisting or staying in the service. Yeah, he promised to get our troops out of Iraq... and the equal number he is pulling out of Iraq he is sending straight into Afghanistan... That's like shifting a handful of stinkbait from 1 hand to the other, you still have a handful of stinkbait... and now both hands stink...


Which brings me to another topic... being an employee of the government, my salary comes from taxes, then I turn around and pay taxes on my salary, which is paid my taxes that are re-taxed, and then I pay additional taxes any time I try to spend my money that I earned from tax money... You have a headache yet too?

anybody else notice the 1.6 Trillion.... TRILLION deficit? sure, our taxes won't go up now... not with election years coming upon us, wait until after the next presidential election for more "creative" taxes... you think luxury taxes on our boats, fuel excise taxes on maritime fuel and new taxes on Ammo were bad??.... time to find a 2nd Job, Oh wait... there aren't any.

Can I file for Unemployment for losing my 2nd job while still keeping my 1st job that pays the necessary bills?

Dangit, now you got my bloodpressure pumping!

/off rant

Ya dang Skippy!!!!! I've lost more income in the last year and a half then I ever have in that time span. Things aint getting ANY BETTER and they wont either for the common man in the next 5-8 years. Better HOLD ON folks cause this is gona be the roughest ride most our age have experienced in our life times.


Rob