Recreational Fishing Alliance
Contact: Jim Hutchinson, Jr. / 888-564-6732
For Immediate Release
December 16, 2009
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FISHERMEN TO MARCH ON WASHINGTON
"United We Fish" To Seek Congressional Support On February 24
December 16, 2009 - In a historic show of solidarity, recreational and commercial
fishermen will gather together on the steps of the Capitol on February 24, 2010
from noon until 3 p.m. in an organized demonstration against the unintended negative
impacts of the Magnuson Stevens Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the federal
fisheries law which was revised in January of 2007. Coordinating the march under
the flag of United We Fish, rally organizers are hoping to see a large show of
force in defense of coastal communities.
"The closures keep coming and it's good to see the collective fishing communities
and industries, both recreational and commercial, calling for scientific based Magnuson
reform," said Jim Donofrio, Executive Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance
(RFA). "We are all in this together." Donofrio cited recent closures of amberjack,
black sea bass and red snapper fisheries as examples of what he calls a "broken"
federal fisheries law.
The groups organized through United We Fish are hoping to prove to legislators just
how many American anglers and business owners are truly being impacted by the overly
restrictive management requirements created by MSA based on non scientific arbitrary
deadlines. According to Bob Zales of the Conservation Cooperative of Gulf Fishermen
(CCGF), the time-specific deadlines mandated by MSA coupled with flawed data collection
methods are forcing anglers off the water. "We fully support real science based
management and the conservation of our marine resources while also being able to
sustain recreational and commercial fishing activities, providing locally caught
seafood, sustaining small family businesses, and supporting our coastal communities."
This effort is being coordinated by many organizations and individuals including
but not limited to the RFA, CCGF, United Boatmen of New York, United Boatmen of
New Jersey, New York Sportfishing Federation, Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's
Association and the Fishing Rights Alliance. "Some people have asked 'why, it's
winter'," said Donofrio who said he's gotten the required permits and expects a
large crowd in DC on February 24th, regardless of weather. "We can't let seasons
stop the momentum, and if we wait any longer none of us will be fishing. Many members
of Congress will be standing shoulder to shoulder with us," Donofrio said.
Nils Stolpe, a consultant to the commercial fishing industry and columnist for SavingSeafood.org
said that over the past three decades since the original Magnuson Act was established,
fishermen have been gradually phased out of the fisheries management process, regardless
of sector. "The scientists have been put in charge, and as the list of closures
and restrictions up above painfully demonstrates, the Act has been turned into a
weapon that is now being used against fishermen and fishing communities."
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) first introduced the Flexibility in Rebuilding
American Fisheries Act of 2008 in the 110th Congress to incorporate "limited flexibility"
into federal fisheries management. More than 100 fishing groups and industry members
from around the country pledged their support for the legislation and the bill's
19 bipartisan coastal cosponsors, but the bill languished during the volatile economic
climate in advance of the presidential elections in November of 2008.
Realizing that fisheries closures would continue without congressional intervention,
in March of this year, Rep. Pallone and fellow Representatives John Adler (D-NJ),
Henry Brown, Jr. (R-SC), Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL), Barney Frank (D-MA), Walter B.
Jones, Jr. (R-NC), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Frank LoBiondo (D-NJ), Mike McIntyre
(D-NC), Michael Michaud (D-ME), Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) and John Tierney (D-MA), reintroduced
the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009 (HR 1584). Twenty-five
total co-sponsors have since pledged support to date including Rob Andrews (D-NJ),
Timothy Bishop (D-NY), Allen Boyd (D-FL), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Peter King (R-NY),
Rob Wittman (R-VA), Jo Bonner (R-AL), John Mica (R-FL), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL),
Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH), Clifford Stearns (R-FL), Donna Christensen (D-VI), Gus
Bilirakis (R-FL), and Ander Crenshaw (R-FL).
Following a letter-writing campaign by the RFA-NY and members of the New York Sportfishing
Federation, senior Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York announced his
Senate version of the bill (S.1255). Currently, the Senate bill to correct the flaws
in MSA has no co-sponsors, which is something United We Fish organizers are hoping
will change in February.
"New York's Senator Schumer is as concerned about his fishing constituents as he
is about the fish, just as Congressmen Pallone, Frank, Jones, LoBiondo, Kennedy,
Adler and others in the House of Representatives are," said Stolpe. "Hence they
have formed the nucleus of a growing movement in Congress that, in spite of the
editorial opinion of the New York Times and the expenditure of many millions of
dollars by the Pew Charitable Trusts, is aimed at preserving recreational and commercial
fishing, the lifestyles of millions of fishermen, and the tens of thousands of businesses
and hundreds of fishing communities that they support," Stolpe added.
Organizers from within the recreational fishing sector are hoping to get commitment
from all user groups and across varied state and regional boundaries. "This is much
bigger than any one state issue or individual grievance," said RFA's Managing Director
Jim Hutchinson, Jr. "Whether it's our restrictive fluke fishery in New York, the
arbitrary closure of state waters for our anglers in California, or the shutdown
of red snapper and amberjack down south, our community has been divided by preservationist
tactics for too long. It's time to unite the clans in defense of our coastal heritage
and traditions," Hutchinson said.
"We need to let Congress and NOAA know that we are the collective voice of the recreational
fishing community and the collective voice does not accept the current broken management
system which wreaks such havoc on all of us and our businesses," said Donofrio,
adding "The goal on February 24th will be to get all of our congressional friends
to attend."
"At this point Senator Schumer and his Congressional colleagues in the House deserve
the thanks and the support of every one of us who fishes, whether for fun or profit,"
said Stolpe.
The United We Fish rally is set for 2/24/10 at noon at the Capitol. For details
as they become available, sign up for the RFA's email newsletter on the homepage
at
www.joinrfa.org. [
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=11028905311...I6-TjMPDWog==]
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