Bill, this isn't a case of whether ESPN or F&S got it right. If you do a little reading you will find that ESPN is completely wrong (and admitted it) and everyone else has shown that they were wrong (including F&S)

Chad, you can say Montgomery has no reason to cry foul, but as a writer who has covered Gulf coast snapper "conservation" efforts by NOAA and the Pew Environment group, et al, things don't look quite as peachy and safe as you and the NOAA apologists paint them. While the bureaucrats are not going to outlaw recreational fishing outright, consider the real issues here: maritime "sanctuaries" where no fishing at all would be allowed, closed seasons due to "total allowable catch" and so forth, all attributable to VERY POOR SCIENCE and a completely DEAF EAR to the American recreational angler. Some of these groups, like NOAA and Pew, arguably hold anti-angling views. Everything is not peachy, and without trying to "sputter," I nonetheless see the direction in which the current bureaucracy is headed. All I'll say is, don't be complacent, folks.

Think this guys. The government is scared of us. End of story. WE, control THEM. We, are the army. They, just organize it. WE stop fighting for them, they lose. They can only take, which we choose to give them. Catch?

And I quote one of my favorite paragraphs from my recent powerpoint on gun control-

"So let’s make this clear. We are NOT saying you’ll be safer if you have a gun, or that you might not get robbed. We are saying something much heavier. We are saying that we need the government to be afraid of its citizens. We want our rulers to think carefully about what they try to take from us. We need to remember that they can only take from us, what we give to them. You see, maybe Mr. John Doe can call the police against a gang banger, but who does he call against the police? We are discussing the idea of the overthrow of the country, and it’s covered under free speech. Isn’t that cool? We can’t trust the government to always be ok with that. We have to trust, well, the Americans all around us."

Anyone with me? *Holds up fishing rod over his head* "From my cold, dead hands!"

This "wasn't" going to be a complete ban on fishing; instead restrict certain areas to promote fish population growth. Sadly, to many people fish way over their limit and don't get the proper stamps.

Thanks for this article Chad.

THIS IS A TEST..............

THANK YOU!..................

I knew this was ridiculous when I saw it the first time, but people believe what they want to believe, no matter how far fetched. There are elements in this country that will print any libelous notion that blackens the name of people they don't like. And there are other folks who will jump on anything and proclaim it as the wisdom of the heavens, all because it was just what they wanted to hear. How about some common sense people!

Updated: March 10, 2010, 3:27 PM ET
Fishing interests rally in Washington

UNITED WE FISH!

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/saltwater/news/story?id=4944255

SHIMANO AMERICAN CORPORATION
News Release

Media contact:
John Mazurkiewicz/Catalyst Marketing – 574/289-1331 – jpmazurk@ameritech.net

For Immediate Release – 10/5/09
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 KeepAmericanFishing.org. The future of fishing is in your hands.
###
Editor’s Note: Phil Morlock is attending Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus functions this week in Washington, DC, but will make himself available for questions, interviews on this. Contact John Mazurkiewicz with Catalyst Marketing for arrangements.

Don’t just forward an email, get involved and call your Senator / Congressman and tell them what you think. I have attached their contact info below.

Senators of the 111th Congress

LeMieux, George S. - (R - FL)
Class III
356 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3041
Web Form: lemieux.senate.gov/public/?p=EmailSenatorLeMieux

Nelson, Bill - (D - FL)
Class I
716 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5274
Web Form: billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Office of Congressman Alan Grayson
1605 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2176
Fax: (202) 225-0999
https://forms.house.gov/grayson/contact-form.shtml

This administration has locked up three to five million barrels of oil a day. Oil that can be used by us, and produced by us. Jobs in production, and materials used in production, and transportation etc. I don't trust these guys with doodlysqat. Salazar has halted any offshore drilling for at least 3 years. Don't get me started on ANWR.

So what did you learn when you checked out what all the major rec fishing groups have been saying on this issue, and the call for angler letters to Congress and the Administration on KeepAmericaFishing.org ? These guys are pros at this stuff. F & S is way behind the curve and you are mistaken in your evaluation.

Check out the California MLPA process in S. Cal. Major fishing regions about to be closed forever to anglers.( details also on KeepAmericaFishing.org.) People who fish and hunt need to stick together on these access issues which are spreading quickly inland, and F & S is not being helpful here. They simply did not do sufficient research, and presented only the administration 'damage control' position, which most likely also influenced ESPN / Disney to issue a retreat statement.

People say, "this can't be true". Ask anglers in S. California if it is , and if they ever thought this could happen to them. Same environmental groups pushing for this on a national basis now.

Those who don't learn from history...