Now Is The Time To Act - OffShore Closures!

[Orca]

There currently is a small group of dedicated offshore fisher-people attempting to protect your ability to fish the Ocean in the future. They are attending meetings, testifying before the Commissions, and writing letters.

Everyone needs to get involved immediately to show the ODFW and the PFMC that sports-fishers want a future with healthy sustainable fisheries, that they are willing to be apart of the solution, and that they can be partners with the fisheries managers.

Everyone can start their research here on ifish at: http://www.ifish.net/Rockfish.html . This page sums up what has happened, what is being done now, and what needs to be done to complete the picture for offshore sports-fishers. There are links here to the actual PFMC management option for off-shore fisheries.

Everyone with a little spare time needs to draft a letter and get it sent in. Even if the letter only indicates that "you are a non-commercial ocean fisher, and want a plan which provides for sustainable fisheries for sports-fishers in the future", this is far better than no letter at all. Specific comments about the management options will provide even better input to the PFMC and ODFW. Note that the sample letter at the bottom of the above mentioned page is geared toward the ODFW near-shore plan. The PFMC may address near-shore management as well, but their main focus and management options are geared for 20 - 200 fathoms offshore. Comments on both near-shore and off-shore should be sent to both agencies.

The more sincere and to the point, the more effective each letter will be. Sports-fishers appear to have gained the upper hand with the ODFW at the moment. At the recent Commission meeting in Corvallis, they were the only ones to testify before the Commission. There were no commercial interests that testified. The ODFW Commissioners are genuinely concerned about the future of the offshore fisheries and do not want to see them wiped out by either commercial or non-commercial overfishing.

Please send a letter at the minimum, or attend a meeting and testify if possible. Now is the time to act, or forever pack your offshore gear away or sell it to someone in Florida.

[OceanBlue]

Beautifully put, Orca! Thanks for your enthusiasm.

[Pilar]

Hey Orca, thanks Bro, well said and from the heart.

Think about your point and make your letter simple and direct. I think the commisioners like that approach as they have to wade through enough BS as it is.

BTW your legislators think that only commercial fishermen use the ocean or have any say about what happens there. So pick a Legislator and change thier mind about that.

Remind them that your coastal community sustaining dollars will go to golfing or Cabo San Lucas if the lack of management of the nearshore causes a collapse and long term closure.

Thanks and keep grinding on it.

[ 08-14-2002, 09:13 AM: Message edited by: Pilar ]