We Fish; We VOTE! Want our VOTE? Earn it!
Our fisheries have for many years been under the United States Department of Commerce.
Mission Statement: "Promote job creation and improve living standards for ALL Americans by creating an infrastructure that promotes economic growth."
In Reality: Economic growth in the entire fishing industry has all but been eliminated.
As examples: One of our biggest long time fish wholesalers, Allsworth, reports loosing a customer a week. Bobby Allsworth is not talking about nickel & dime customers; he is talking about marinas & tackle shops. This is now our reality, within the last few months Tampa lost Tight Line Tackle, and Blue Water Outfitters. Who will be next?
Under the Department of Commerce, "Improve living standards for ALL Americans," in reality, refers to the very few who have the ability to buy into Catch Shares. Catch Shares, the privatization of OUR, of what was once our, fisheries, our heritage. Under Catch shares, instead of belonging to the American people, fish would become a profit item to be bought & sold. "Economic growth" would be limited, at the expense of the average fisherman, to a privileged few. Want to catch & keep a gag grouper, or an American red snapper?
No problem! Simply go down to Walmart and buy a share for the privilege of catching our fish. Walmart has donated over $30,000,000 to be use in the promotion of Catch Shares. Profits from selling us back our fish are predicted to be in the billions.
United States Department of Interior: The Department of Interior is charged with the responsibility of managing our national resources and cultural heritage. Our fish, or what was once our fish, are part of our, "National resources, and cultural heritage."
So why is our fisheries governed by the Department of Commerce, and not the Department of the Interior? The answer revolves around money, around Catch Shares. The appeal of the almighty dollar for out weighs, "Cultural heritage!" The Department of Commerce is all about money, really big money!
We who actually fish know, better than anyone, the actual state of our fisheries. We know what is really out there; we see it, first hand, on a very regular basis.
Reports such as this continue to be the rule rather than the exception:
I could not resist. Monday was my last day for gag grouper.
We headed to Clearwater, dropped the marker and started to drift. Our intentions were to drift the area to get a feel for the bite. Before we knew it we were out of bait and had reached our gag limit, with plenty to spare, in less that an hour. "We never anchored. The gag bite was insane. It was the first real grouper trip in my new bay boat and we broke it in with one of the most exciting grouper bites I can remember."
Just had a call from my good friend Tony Baker. He, along with eleven others, fished Hubbard's charter boat, the HUBB, this morning. They easily limited out on gag grouper.
The fish, both grouper and American red snapper are there, plenty of them. Personally I have been fishing our waters for over 1/2 a century. I, we, know that our fisheries are in fine shape. Under the Department of Commerce, NOAA, in the promotion of Catch Shares, has succeeded in over-regulating the entire fishing industry so that the entire industry, with the exception of the select few, those with very big pocket, is near, "Extinct!"
So what can we do about it? Unless we are willing to fight for our sport, our heritage, fishing as we know it will soon become a thing of the past.
Learn the facts, get involved! Contact your Senators & Congressmen. The United States is a Republic; as such, they represent us. Let them know what we expect, what we demand of them. Timing, if we use it, is on our side. 2012 is an election year. Even Obama is running scared. Let them know: We Fish; We VOTE! Let them know that it is in the best interest of the vast majority of American people that the entire fishing industry be placed under the Department of the Interior where it belongs! We Fish We VOTE! Want our VOTE? Earn it!
Bob Harbison Native Florida Life Long Recreational Fisherman
