The Gulf Council & EDF
Is the compensation received by the Gulf Council members excessive? Let's take a good look:
First of all, it appears that council members do not want to endanger their, "Compensation" by voting against the direction taken by the establishment. The heck with what is best for the fish & the fishermen...we will follow the $$$ trail!
The establishment: Dr. Roy Crabtree, Regional Administrator for both the Gulf Council & SAFMC, our counterpart on the Atlantic side. Roy is a voting member on both sides.
His compensation: $3,500 weekly, plus an extensive expense account. We, the tax paying anglers are paying Lubchenco's Crabtree a great deal to represent EDF.
Steve Bortone, one step down from Crabtree pulls in a whopping $3,100, plus expenses, each & every week.
Other voting members: $453.32, per day, plus substantial expense account, for every Council meeting or function attended. Much of the information contained in this report has come from the November/December issue of the Big game Fishing Journal. President/Senior Editor,Captain Len Belcaro, recommends reading Doug Kelly's excellent article in the September issue of Florida Sportsman magazine, "The cost of advice." We are paying "our" representatives a great deal to represent EDF!
Ever wonder why the Council is allowing EDF to lead the way in the Councils fishery management decisions?
EDF's Doctor Jane Lubchenco, appointed by Obama...that should never be forgotten, sits on top of the food chain. With financial compensation often being more important to council members than recreational fishermen's right to fish, Dear Jane had better be kept happy by following her legacy to the EDF, "Catch Shares, and Sector Separation" never ending crusade.
How embedded is EDF in the Gulf Council? the answer can easily be seen in a classic EDF maneuver regarding the American red snapper: Designate, with NO creditable science, a species to be, "Overfished," then save the day with catch shares & sector separation. With shares/separation, miraculously, over-night, no more endangered species, no more over-fishing. Isn't it wonderful what money can do! After we have been forced to
buy back our fish, all is well with our fisheries. No more ridiculous seasons & bag limits.
Captain Dale Perkins, an expert on the American red snapper, has recently resigned his position to the advisory panel to the Council. Per Captain Perkins, "The whole process is a charade as evidenced by the fact that they schedule meetings to take out input and then go ahead and make decisions without even holding the meeting. I am not going to lend false legitimacy to this charade by allowing my name to be used on a so called committee that has no input. No matter what the data shows, it is always interpreted as a need to reduce Total Allowable catch (TAC). If we are catching to few fish, they say reduce the quota. If we catch too many fish, reduce the quota. The fish are too big, reduce the quota. The fish are too small, reduce the quota."
Captain Perkins is a real fighter who cares about our sport. He can't do it alone. The good Captain list some contact that can help us. it is in our best interest to call them:
Florida Governor Rick Scott, (850)-488-7146
Governor Rick Perry's Campaign, (855)-887-5627
Don Gaetz, Florida Senate president Designate, (850)-487-5009
Congressman Barney Frank, (205)-225-5931
Congressman Walter B. Jones, (202)-225-3415
Congressman Steve Southerland, ((850)-785-0812
Per Captain Perkins, "Demand the removal of Dr. Roy Crabtree/ NMFS. Voice your disapproval of the "charade" being perpetrated on the Gulf fisherman by the GMFMC." Here is our chance to really do something for our sport.
Captain Belcaro concludes: "With the increase in council seats held by the "fair-haired" captains, both commercial & recreational, that support the EDF ideology (Shares/Separation) for their own personal gain, and the council members not wanting to endanger their revenue flow, fishing will soon become a privilege given to us by the environmental community along with their set of rules, seasons, time & area closures, size minimums and bag limits."
NOAA, the Gulf Council, backed by Lubchenco's EDF & PEW is very strong. United and involved, we are much stronger. It is past time for the silent majority to step up to the plate & be heard. Together, we not only can, but will win! It is time that the will of the American people be heard! Let's take back what has been stolen from us!
Bob Harbison Native Florida life long recreational fisherman, and darn proud of it!
Doctor Roy Crabtree
Doctor Jane Lubchenco
