Robin's Reports

KEEP FISHERMEN FISHING!!!!
by Robin


http://www.fishnet-usa.com/KFF_Release1.pdf

U.S. Coastal Fishermen to Rally in DC on March 21, 2012.

KFF organizers unite to fix Federal Fisheries Law. Signed into law in 1976, the Magnuson Steven Fisheries Conservation & Management Act has been transformed from its original intent, to conserve our nation's fisher and support our nation's fishermen, into a weapon employed by a handful of megafoundations and anti-fishing ENGOs they support to drive fishermen off the water.

On Feb 24, 2010, United We Fish brought 5,000 recreational, commercial and party/charter vessel owners and folks together in Washington. More than 2 dozen members of the Senate and the House of Representatives took time out from their busy schedule to address the crowd.

The Mar 21 rally wants to unite everyone again under one common message: fair access to the seas.

Most U.S. fisheries are in better shape biologically than they’ve been for a generation or more. In fact, last year NOAA fisheries scientists announced that 84% of U.S. fish stocks studied for fishing activity were not experiencing overfishing as of 2010. However, despite the heavy sacrifices on the part of coastal fishermen, the same federal agency in charge of managing
the resource has been using a broken law to mete out broken promises upon these constituents to ratchet down regulations as fisheries continue to rebuild.

In December 2011, the House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing in which several pieces of legislation to reform Magnuson were heard and debated, providing ample evidence that coastal communities are suffering from the weight of over burdensome regulation due to the rigid statutory definitions written into the federal fisheries law.

For information on how you can get involved in the national rally to help Keep Fishermen Fishing, call 888-564-6732. For more information on the rally as it becomes available, including bus sign-up information and details from the 2010 rally, visit www.keepfishermenfishing.com.

You can also stay up to date with developments via “Keep Fishermen Fishing” on Facebook
and can follow developments on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/FishMarchDC2012.