Sportfishermen and politics

[RFA Janice]

At the recent PFMC meeting in San Diego we had more sportfishermen, mostly from California, than we have ever had at a groundfish meeting. It was refreshing and helpful. Fishermen in California have been closed out the first six months of this year from groundfishing. Then fishing opened up in July. By the end of August the data system shows that the fishermen took a huge amount of overfished species such as canary and ling cod. By federal law and rule, the Council had no choice but to close us all down for the rest of the year. Suddenly the California sportfishermen are paying a lot of attention to how their fisheries are regulated, let me tell you. A total closure seems to have a galvanizing effect.

It takes the feds a while to do anything. So if you want to catch a few ling cod before the closure is actually in effect, hurry. The weather looks pretty good for tomorrow. Might go myself--last chance. The rest of the year we will be pretty much restricted to black rockfish. Next year is a different story (which we are still fighting about--wish us luck).
Janice

[Netscape]

Hi Janice, Made it down to Lake Havasu in good shape. Haven't found any Tuna or Ling down here :whazzup: . Could it that be one of the Salty Dogs fed me a line or yanking my hook?? [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

Bought the place in Newport but won't move up 'til spring. Bad timing for me with the proposed bottom fishing closure [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] . Going to have to learn where they hang out in the legal depths :whazzup: . Hope to meet up with some of the Ifisher's when we settle in.
Keep up the fight; we all depend upon you [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] .

[RFA Janice]

Hi Skip. The situation next year is that groundfishing in the northern part of CA will open in January and continue until the end of February. Then the southern part of CA will have its chance, and the northern part will be closed for two months. Unfortunately, there is the possibility that those first two months in northern CA will have such a high take (measured with the new surveys and dockside info) that we will be closed down again after just two months. The northern half of CA took so much ling cod and canary in just July and August that CA should have shut down the whole works as soon as they got the data. Of course, they didn't get the data until some time in September, and they were definitely already deep in dodo when they got it.

Anyway, the new system gives monthly data. So there will be fishing in January, and then a chance to look at that January data by the third week or so of February. If the take is way too high, we will have a chance to do something about it at the March PFMC meeting. Keep your fingers crossed.

Believe me, it wasn't just a matter of, for instance, fishermen telling someone on the phone they caught canaries when they actually caught vermillions. The fish were seen at the dock by the port samplers. But we have many improvements in the system being instituted now, and the hope of much better information. That does not guarantee that we won't learn that CA fishermen are taking a lot more fish than they thought. So keep your fingers crossed.

Secondly, Black Magic has alluded to this, and I will repeat. If you want to protect your fisheries, help support the organization that has the members and the lobbyists who are fighting for you. Anyone who pays Oregon state taxes can give $50 to Oregon Anglers, $100 if filing jointly with a spouse, at absolutely no cost to the fisherman. It is deducted from the tax that you owe the State of Oregon. It is a painless way to support your own interests. If you have not made a contribution to a PAC or to a campaign kitty yet this year, here is your chance to do yourself some good at NO COST to yourself. Send $50 to Oregon Anglers, P.O. Box 253, West Linn, OR 97068. John Holloway and I have been putting a lot of time into representing you at the state (ODFW Marine Program) and federal level (PFMC). We do it as part of Oregon Anglers. We could use some help coming into the PAC, to help pay some expenses. Dennis Richey, who is the Exec. Dir. of Oregon Anglers, is generous in helping out, but marine fishermen have to pull their part too.

I just came back from 5 days of meetings plus getting there and back. Got expenses from feds, but notice I wasn't around to go fishing during that time. Didn't get to read Ifish or go to TA (as I would very much like to do). If marine fishermen can't get it together to help out when our groundfishing is so much at risk, and at no cost to them, I can't see that marine fishermen will ever get it together to make their voices heard.

'Nuff said. Janice

[Fishplay]

This fifty dollar thing is something I was un-aware of. Are you sure it comes directly off the tax a person owes and not a persons gross earnings. I've have never heard of a donation directly reducing the tax owed.

I would like to thank Janice, John and Dennis for all their hard work and commitment on behalf of sportfishermen.

I've been busy with home projects but will see you at next months ODFW hearing.

[black magic]

The $50 per person (or $100 when filing jointly) is a direct tax credit which you can subtract directly from any Oregon state income tax you pay. It has nothing to do with anything except actual amount of income tax paid. It makes no difference whether you itemize deductions or not. If you pay at least $50 in Oregon income tax, a $50 dollar contribution to Oregon Anglers cost you nothing. Oregon Anglers is registered as a Political Action Committee. All contributions to a registered PAC work this way.

Janice is the hardest working sportfishing advocate on the planet. She spends hundreds of hours for free and lots of time traveling far and wide throughout the west working and lobbying on your behalf. If you can't contribute to help the others working for you at least do it to help Janice.

[edsr]

Hey Black Magic - Thanks for the info. I should be aware of how these things work but I wasn't really sure. It would be a good idea to start a new thread and outline again that a donation made to Oregon Anglers is subtracated from other taxes you already are obligated to pay. This is a no-brainer -- a donation to an organization that helps sport fishermen -- or the general fund.

edsr

[Fishplay]

I found this information on the Oregon Anglers website.

I thought I was pretty well informed when it comes to tax write offs and such but this one got by me.

Everyone of us should be making this donation NOW and the getting it back in full on our tax returns.

My donation will be going out in tomorrows mail.

[Netscape]

Thanks for the info, Janice, re. tax credit. It's still in effect and just sent in the max for filing jointly. As much as we are stepped on, and will be in the future, we need good representation. Hey Ifisher's let's make at some of our tax $ count.

[king wacker]

Hey ifishers,I thought i would add that there is another organization that activly lobbies for the recreational fisheries. The Oregon Coast Sportfishing Assoc. It has been pretty sucsesful in the last few years . some of their acomplishments , include ,the removal of gear restrictions for ocean salmon angling, removal of the slot limit for ling cod ,and most recently the new rod regulations for ocean angling.
Thought I would throw that out ,and let you know ,we are not alone ,there are people and groups out there that do help.

[Netscape]

K.W. Do you have a link to their site. Haven't been able to locate it

Thanks,

[king wacker]

Hi Skip,the Oregon Coast Sportfishing Assoc,doesn't have a web sight,probably not a bad idea though. It was formerly the Oregon coast charterboat assoc,but the name was changed a few years ago ,so as to include all sectors of the sportfishing industry ,as well as the gear suppliers. The regulations that we have gone to work on are a benifit to everyone. If you would like more info let me know