Meeting with Tony Bogan

[shrimpman steve]

First off I would like to thank Tony for taking three hours of his time and meeting with us. Also a shout out to Dales for setting this all up!

As most of you know, the purpose of this meeting was to get educated about the problems we are facing and come up with ways that we can help. I am not going to go into all the rules, regs, and how the many agency's come up with these rules (there are more acronyms for these groups than letters in a Campbell's can of alphabet soup).

I will tell you what I personally came out of the meeting with. WE NEED MONEY AND REPRESENTATION! I will be the first to admit that I have never joined the RFA, but that will change tomorrow! They are the only group with a full time Washington lobbyist and that is what we need! We also need donations to the SSFFF. I know this has been discussed in the past and people want to know where the money is going. The money is being VERY well spent, we all agreed that the fund must start letting people know, in detail, what the money is being spent on. I think in the near future you will be able to see just how well the money is spent. we have some volunteers who will be working to update the funds website on a regular basis to keep everyone in the loop as to how the money is spent. Trust me WE NEED MORE! last year when figuring out how much to donate to the SSFFF, I figured it was well worth a day of fishing to try and insure future fishing for my kids. So I donated $75.00 which is my average cost to fish for a day on a party boat. If everyone would donate one day of fishing the fund would benefit greatly and continue to do the work that NEEDS to be done.

As far as protests, petitions, and local politicians I think I have been barking up the wrong tree. It was explained to me that most of the local politicians usually side with the fishermen, so why preach to the choir with a local protest. The problem is in the nations capital (shocker)! The RFA, as mentioned earlier, is the only recreational fishing lobbyist in Washington. WE MUST support them. You may not agree with everything they do, but you must look at the big picture, they are trying to help us. I say let us help them, help us. That means money by any means necessary! Benefit trips, donations, membership drives, bake sales and whatever else we can think of! That includes donating as much as you can to the SSFFF!

We had eight very dedicated people at this meeting and plan to do it again with a much larger group of people, more on that later. In the meantime thanks to the guys who took the time today to try and help all of us. The above was my take of the meeting, I look forward to what the others thought.

Once again thanks to T.B. and the others who were there.

P.S. I don't know how Tony sleeps at night with all those acronyms running around in his head

[hammer4reel]

Out of everything that was discussed last night, the clear message was the difference in how much more unity the commercial sector has when trying to sustain the fishery WE all need.
because its their livelyhood, the REACH INTO THEIR POCKETS IMMEDIATLY hire a lawyer and FIGHT for what they feel they should be entitled to.
That us recreational fisherman DONT, yet could be doing it at a MUCH bigger level.
Capt Jimmy Elliot explained how QUICKLY they raise 30 Grand to hire a lawyer.
Thirty boats writing out a check for a grand a piece,allowing their voice to be heard !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No one expects us to do that,
But we do have a voice in Washington in the RFA, they are willing to fight for us while we SLEEP.
All they need is MEMBERS to allow their voice (OUR VOICE) to be heard LOUDER.
All this CONSTANT fight to save our fisheries for us to enjoy costs MONEY.

with the amount of us that enjoy the Salt, whether for one day a year of MANY days it comes down to one thing.
Most guys dont have the time,, or energy to help so Join the RFA and allow those that CAN carry the ball the STABILITY to do so for YOU.

MANY of us already belong to other groups here in NJ that we feel fight for us, and they also need members to fight for us on LOCAL levels.
But the RFA is the ONLY one fighting for the WHOLE fisheries in Washington where it is needed the most, because thats where the decisions being made against us happen.

I saw ALOT more people came forward the last few days who want to know how to HELP.
Start be throwing the couple bucks to fund the orginazations trying to use REAL science to show where our fisheries are REALLY at.
Change WONT be overnight, but it iS happening, the Announcement that the NMFS data is FATALLY FLAWED is HUGE.
Without the guys that have been fighting hard, this never would have happened.
WE need to back one solid voice YOUR VOICE

IM sure evryone does not agree with everything the RFA does,( I know I havent) but we MUST look at the bigger picture, we can all just bitch on message boards around the country or we can back those that are REALLY fighting for US





.

[Life's A Beach]

Dave - thanks for setting the meeting up

Thanks to all for coming

Tony (and Jimmy) - thanks for passing on the info on and answering our questions. Some good questions posed and answered. An uninformed fisherman can do more harm than good.

I told Dave I'd help him set up a meeting to invite as many njfishing members/readers to disseminate this information to more people.

Bottom Line - OUR interests are best served by RFA and Save The Summer Flounder Fund; please donate AND please contact both/either organization and volunteer your time. You'll get further informed and they need bodies to man shows.

Bad Science Sucks but it's what is being used unless WE provide Good Science.

One final point; the environmental groups HAVE money and volunteers. We need the same to fight them. And yes, it's a fight if we want to continue to fish.

[CaptTB]

Thanks for coming last night guys, hope I didn't make your heads explode from all the acronyms I tossed around

Anyone that knows me knows I have worked hand in hand with many groups over the years, and the RFA almost since it's creation. Last night was not a feel good session for SSFFF, it wasn't a funding drive for RFA, it wasn't an "us vs. them" discussion, etc.

My goal for meeting with you guys last night (and I feel that goal was achieved) was to take a core group of guys that were willing to sit down, learn about our problems (and why those problems exist and what has been and needs to be done to deal with those problems) and see if they were willing to take the next step in getting involved.

We (meaning those groups and individuals who deal with fisheries issues at the council and commission level) need help. The same handful of voices being heard over and over again can sometimes fall on deaf ears.

We also need help in informing the rest of the fishermen out there as to what is happening, and almost as important WHY it is happening.

My thoughts were: Get a handful of guys up to speed on major issues who in turn can go and inform even more guys about those same issues. One guy tells another who tells another etc.

When someone posts a question or makes a comment on a website or starts a conversation on the jetty or at the dock, the more people who have a working knowledge of the issue the more people can explain the issue to that guy or girl. It's the misinformation, the misunderstanding or the simple lack of knowledge of the issues that does much of the damage when it comes to the recreational sector being divided.

People assume too much and typically do not have the time or the inclination to learn more about a subject.

Even some people on here who were debating topics with me stated publicly that they did not even read the responses I had made to them!
Sometimes you need a different voice to get people's attention.

It is my hope that the guys at the meeting will be some of those voices.

Knowing how things work and seeing and hearing those who fight for and against us whenever someone asks me what group they should support,join, whatever I typically give the same response.
Jpoin your local group to help fight those local issues. Join the local chapter of whatever organization seems to be most in line with your beliefs. When it comes to fishing and fisheries management issues that group happens to be the RFA more than any other. Keep in mind, I do not work for RFA, I do not get paid by RFA nor have I ever worked for or been paid by RFA. My statement comes from years of working side by side with this group, watching what they do, hearing what they say, period.

No group or organization is ever going to do what every member wants 100% of the time, it simply is not possible. However, if the group or organization you support is "in-line" with your beliefs more than it is not, to me that's a group worth supporting. When they do something you so not agree with, make sure you let them know. Too often I see people drop from one group or another over a single issue, even though the previous ten issues they have been in sync with one another. Everyone must make their own decision on who to support and who to join. As I said last night, that one year membership due may not seem like much, but when combined with many other people it adds up AND it gives more weight to the group making the argument. When you can knock on a congressman's or Senator's door from MANY states and say "I speak for x amount of YOUR constituents," it means a bit more than a guy from NJ talking to a politician from Mass. or CA. We must act local AND national to accomplish anything, since the rules that govern our fisheries start at the federal or ASMFC level and trickle DOWN to the individual state, not the other way around.

Groups like SSFFF need support for the specific tasks we undertake, the next of which will be coming shortly as we finish paying for the two project we are already doing. People who join a group or organization too often figure "I wrote a check, see you next year." Unfortunately the world in which we live in does not allow it to stop there. Obviously some people can do more, others cannot. That is simply the way it is. In the case of SSFFF we will be knocking on doors and posting messages and going to shows looking for even more money than we have raised to deal with the continuing problems we face. For some, they will have to choose what they support, and that is totally understandable. The well runs dry sooner or later, and too often lately it is sooner rather than later! Nevertheless, while one group fights one battle another group may be fighting a different one, or they may be fighting the same battle but on two different fronts, as has been the case with SSFFF and other groups dealing with Fluke.

All I can say is as we (SSFFF) tke on additional projects we will ask for your help. Any help is appreciated and we totally understand when help is simply not available. In the meantime, get active in whatever way you can and join the group (the membership driven group that needs not just money but "members" to bolster it's standing) that you think best fits your needs.

I currently have devoted the vast majority of my time to SSFFF, and will continue to do so as I believe it is the single best place to put my efforts if I am going to improve the situation with Fluke, and will tell everyone I speak to the same thing. What SSFFF has accomplished to date should be proof positive of their worthiness of your time, effort and continued contributions. At the same time I have been and will continue to run United Boatmen for those in my industry. The only group I hold a membership card from is RFA, so take that for what it's worth.

Enough said, I have to go back to work now!

Thanks again for coming, there will be more to come.

[GDubya07]

Gentleman

THANK YOU ALL -

Great effort and thank you for putting this together and great post, update and message -

Dale you have my number let me know what I can do - Getting the word out - writing emails - passing out flyers - whatever ???

Lets make THE difference People

G-Out-

[Fin Reaper]

Thanks guys! Your efforts are appreciated!

I have always meant to join the RFA but for some reason I never did, and I donated to the SSFFF a while ago but havent since so guess what? I Just went online, joined the RFA and made a donation to the SSFFF...thanks for the kick in the ass!

[shrimpman steve]

Originally Posted by Fin Reaper

Thanks guys! Your efforts are appreciated!

I have always meant to join the RFA but for some reason I never did, and I donated to the SSFFF a while ago but havent since so guess what? I Just went online, joined the RFA and made a donation to the SSFFF...thanks for the kick in the ass!

way to go Fin! I myself will join rfa today as well! we need to get the message out that we need money! It is the only way to fight the fight. I am going to get in touch with the RFA and obviously the SSFFF to see what we can do to raise money. I may even get into another bra for the right price!

will keep all informed of our plans.

thanks

SMS (more acronyms)

[shrimpman steve]

here is a link to the RFA, check it out. I do not want to start schilling for orginizations, but this is worth the effort, and please don't forget the SSFFF.


http://www.joinrfa.org/

[CaptBob]

It was a great idea to schedule the meeting and outstanding of Tony to take the time to give out some correct information and answer questions.

We have many people such as Tony and several organizations such as the RFA, SSFFF, JCAA, Stripers Forever, etc. who are fighting in our interests, all doing a great job.

While I belong and donate to all of the organizations, this is part of our problem, we need a single united front to speak and fight for us, much like the NRA does for gun owners.

We have our resources and funding spread out over a wide area, and at times the organizations that are meant to help us actually can be working against each other.

Just as many interests have learned to focus in a single front, we must do the same.

To quote Ben Franklin:

" We must all hang together, or assuredly, separately, we will all hang"

[JoeLongo]

Originally Posted by shrimpman steve

way to go Fin! I myself will join rfa today as well! we need to get the message out that we need money! It is the only way to fight the fight. I am going to get in touch with the RFA and obviously the SSFFF to see what we can do to raise money. I may even get into another bra for the right price!

will keep all informed of our plans.

thanks

SMS (more acronyms)

NJFishing bake sale? NJFishing calendar would be even better. I am sure members on here wouldnt mind taking some photos