Best Available Science

Freedom To Pay

We have been warning about the dangers of "marine spatial planning, marine protected areas, and payments for ecosystem services schemes". Below is some information on what it takes to get permission to take photographs or video in a marine protected area in Belize. The lines for the area were drawn on a chart and complete control over all access to that area was turned over to a non governmental organization or NGO.

FILMING GUIDELINES
Friday, April 16, 2010 at 11:50am
FILMING/PHOTOGRAPHY/MEDIA VISITS at Marine Protected Areas Co-managed by
Southern Environmental Association (SEA)

Southern Environmental Association "is a non-governmental organization
(NGO) that continuously works towards improving stewardship and the
environmental integrity of key marine areas in southern Belize (Laughing
Bird Caye National Park, Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve and
Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve) through effective, collaborative
protected area management, community involvement and strategic
partnerships for the benefit of all stakeholders". In order to preserve
the environmental integrity of marine resources and to ensure the
enjoyment of those resources by current and future stakeholders,
Southern Environmental Association has developed the following
guidelines as they relate to filming, photo shoots and media visits
within the marine protected area boundaries of Laughing Bird Caye
National Park, Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve and Sapodilla
Cayes Marine Reserve.

These guidelines are in accordance with the policies of Southern
Environmental Association and were developed to prevent potential
deleterious impacts to the marine ecosystems within the protected areas
and the disruption of visitor use.

FILMING/PHOTOGRAPHY PERMITS

Permits are required to access marine protected areas for professional
/commercial photography and filming activities and media visits to
ensure protection of resources and to prevent significant disruption of
normal visitor uses, or when they involve props, models, set dressings,
professional crews and casts.

In general, filmmakers and photographers seeking to produce film or
photography within the marine protected areas for personal or
non-commercial purposes are not required to apply for a permit. However,
such filmmakers and photographers must supply to Southern Environmental
Association with a detailed description of activities in a prescribed
format developed by Southern Environmental Association.

News media wishing to access the marine protected areas for
entertainment or to cover breaking news events will need to consult with
Southern Environmental Association to determine if a filming permit will
be required.

Prior to submitting an application to Southern Environmental Association
for a FILMING PERMIT, filmmakers and photographers with definite plans
to shoot commercial films, photographs, documentaries or media spots in
Belize must submit a FILM LICENSE APPLICATION to the Belize Film
Commission.


To apply for a FILMING PERMIT, please complete and submit a Southern
Environmental Association filming permit application form to the
Development Director (contact information on last page of these guidelines).

Applications must be submitted to Southern Environmental Association for
processing of simple requests at least two weeks prior to the
anticipated commencement date of any filming or photography activities.
Requests that involve multiple locations, complex logistics and
extensive coordination may require a processing period of four weeks.
Applications are processed in the order in which they are received.
Priority will not be given to urgent requests. Submission of an
application does not automatically guarantee that a FILMING PERMIT will
be granted.

A non-refundable processing fee of US $50.00 must accompany each
professional/commercial photography and filming activities application.
Payment can be made in the form of a cashier's check or money order and
must be payable to Southern Environmental Association. Approval of
applications for a FILMING PERMIT is subject to a schedule of fees that
will be payable upon the granting of the permit.


SCHEDULE OF FEES

Protected Area Entrance Fee

A park entrance fee is required for all visitors to enter any of the
three marine protected areas co-managed by Southern Environmental
Association. These fees are to be paid for each entry into the protected
area and will allow access to the protected area only for the duration
of the filming/photography schedule agreed to by Southern Environmental
Association and the applicant in the FILMING PERMIT. The entrance fee
does not automatically grant exclusive rights to film crews,
photographers or media personnel to access any location within any of
the respective marine protected areas. Grantees of a permit must remain
within the specific designated locations to conduct all activities as
agreed to by Southern Environmental Association and the grantee in the
permit agreement.


Laughing Bird Caye National Park US $10
Gladden Spit & Silk Cayes Marine Reserve US $10
Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve US $10








Whale Shark Zone Entrance Fee

All visitors to the Whale Shark Zone at Gladden Spit & Silk Cayes Marine
Reserve are subject to an entrance fee. This fee is to be paid for each
entry into the Whale Shark Zone and will allow access to the protected
area only for the duration of the filming/photography schedule agreed to
by Southern Environmental Association and the applicant in the FILMING
PERMIT.


Whale Shark Zone Entrance Fee US $15



Administrative Fee

An administrative fee will be levied to cover the cost associated with
the actual site usage. These fees are as follows for Laughing Bird Caye
National Park, Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve and Sapodilla
Cayes Marine Reserve:

. Photographers shooting 1-4 days are subject to an administrative fee
of US $500 with US$ 100 for each additional day.

. Film crews shooting 1-4 days are subject to an administrative fee of
US $2000 with US $300 for each additional day.


PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

All activities within the marine protected areas must be conducted in
accordance with the respective rules and regulations that govern each
marine protected area. Upon approval, permit grantees shall be supplied
with a list of prohibited activities, as laid out in the regulations for
each marine protected area, which has the potential to damage or
significantly alter marine resources.



RESTRICTIONS AND CONDITIONS

Diving Activities

Southern Environmental Association will determine the extent of
allowable dives, including dive depths and schedule for dives. If
filming / photographing activities are taking place within the Whale
Shark Zone, film crews are required to adhere to the Whale Shark Zone
Guidelines, inclusive of time allotted per dive, maximum depth and hours
permitted to dive.






Vessel Requirements

Film crews, photographers and media personnel must rent a dedicated boat
and shall use the services of a captain and assistant approved by
Southern Environmental Association. A list of approved boat captains and
assistants shall be supplied upon request.

Film crews are allowed a maximum of four (4) crew members in the water
at any given time, of which, one is to be an approved guide. Crews are
to have at least two (2) people on the boat, which shall include the
boat captain and boat captain's assistant. Film Crews are allowed a
maximum of two (2) cameras or videos in water per dive. In an effort to
mitigate any potential disruptions to the ongoing ecological processes
at this site, requests for crew sizes exceeding six (6) individuals must
be reviewed and approved on a case by case basis by Southern
Environmental Association.

It shall be the responsibility of film crews, photographers and media
personnel to carry satellite phones and radios in their emergency kit as
a safety precaution.


Supervisory Staff Requirements

Filming within the Whale Shark Zone at Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes
Marine Reserve must be accompanied by at least one whale shark
accredited Dive Master or researcher approved by Southern Environmental
Association. It will be the responsibility of film crews to cover this
individual's fee for the duration of the filming activity.

Should Southern Environmental Association allow overnight stays at the
Protected Areas, the film crew must be accompanied by an approved
guide/dive master to supervise all night activities. The film crew would
have to cover this individual's fee.

The Southern Environmental Association reserves the right to monitor
activities as specified and agreed to in the permit.


Filming/Photography Permit Conditions

Upon approval, permits shall be developed by Southern Environmental
Association which shall contain detailed terms and conditions of the
permit and will be developed on a case by case basis. The permit shall
also include Southern Environmental Association's policy for the payment
of fees. The permit will only be considered a valid agreement upon
signing by Southern Environmental Association and the permit grantee.

Southern Environmental Association reserves the right to request copies
of the final production of video or photographic development to use for
non-commercial purposes (i.e. educational, scientific, etc) that will
enhance and promote the management of the marine protected areas that it
co-manages.


DENIAL OF REQUEST FOR PERMIT

Requests for a FILMING PERMIT may be denied if it is the opinion of the
Southern Environmental Association's Executive Director, Protected Area
Manager or other qualified technical consultants that the proposed
activities:
. Represents a potential harm or impact on the protected areas' natural,
cultural or recreational resources or may create health or safety risks,
or disrupt visitor use and enjoyment;

. It is determined that supervisory requirements for the proposed
activities will place unreasonable burdens on protected area staff,
regardless of the applicant's willingness to pay for supervisory costs;

. The proposed filming or photography would conflict with visitors'
normal use of the marine protected area.


TERMINATION OF PERMIT

All filming or photography permits issued by Southern Environmental
Association are "revocable" on 24 hours notice or WITHOUT NOTICE if the
terms of the permit are violated. Deliberate infractions of the terms of
the filming permit or the deliberate making of false or misleading
statements concerning intended actions in order to obtain a permit are
causes for immediate termination of the permit and cause for possible
prosecution. Permits will be revoked if damage to resources or
facilities is threatened, or if there is a clear danger to public health
or safety.

Completed application forms for FILMING PERMITS within Marine Protected
Areas co-managed by Southern Environmental Association can be sent with
cashier's check or money order for US $50 made out to Southern
Environmental Association to:

Development Director
Southern Environmental Association
Placencia Village, Stann Creek District
Belize Central America

For questions or additional information, please forward to:
info@seabelize.org

A Must Read --Bypass NOAA

cathleen mackay
Lawmakers demand higher fish catch limits: By Steve Urbon NEW BEDFORD — New England's congressional delegation Thu... http://bit.ly/aEtdQq
Today, 23:37:37 – Flag – Lik

Over The Target

When you are taking flak you know you are over the target. Below is an article by none other than Ted Williams. Many will know the name. Ted unloads on the United We Fish effort with both barrels. Read it below.

http://www.flyrodreel.com/magazine/2010/the-bomb

The vitriol from Ted aroused my curiosity. Would Ted have connections to some nefarious group? Visit the link below scroll down to "The New Guardians" which is a .pdf file penned by Ted Williams. The article is copyrighted. Now do you think EDF might have paid Ted for it's use or did he just allow them to use it at no cost? Either way you now you know Ted a bit better.

http://www.edf.org/article.cfm?ContentID=601

Divide and Conquer Strategy

"Divide and Conquer Strategy, also known as “Divide and Rule Strategy” is often applied in the arenas of politics and sociology. In Divide and Conquer Strategy one power breaks another power into smaller, more manageable pieces, and then takes control of those pieces one by one. It generally takes a very strong power to implement Divide and Conquer Strategy. In order to successfully break up another power or government, the conqueror must have access to strong political, military, and economic machines."

Read this New York Times article about it's use in our fisheries.

Red Snapper Controversy

New England Fishermen And Catch Shares

Disgusted

Folks if you do not find out who is teaching your children and what they are being taught soon you are going to regret it in ways you can't even imagine. Below is a link to a website. Spend some time looking at it very carefully. Your children are being targeted by these ecofacists that are bent on the destruction of the recreational and commercial fishing heritage.


http://www.bluefront.org/files/solutions.php

Join CCGF

I would like to suggest to all our friends and followers here at Fishermans Voice and United we Fish Blogspot to please dig deep and join or contribute to Conservation Cooperative of Gulf Fishermen http://www.conservationfishermen.com .. Bob Zales and Pam and Ken Anderson work tirelessly for our rights to fish, especially here on the Gulf Coast. They are the ones that speak directly with Congressmen and Senators along with the NMFS and NOAA. They travel to all the meetings and were a big part of organizing the Rally in Washington. While we may have gone to the rally for a day—They were there for nearly a week –having meetings with our elected officialsto get US some backing.
Please take some time out to look at their website—join up or at least make a contribution. http://www.conservationfishermen.com
We need to help them to help us. These are OUR lobbyists! They need a little funding so we can stave off the likes of Pew and EDF and all the disinformation they put out in articles!

Thanks,
Tom Adams--850-381-1313

HELP GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE On THE GULF COUNCIL—I like Larry Abele since he has the scientific background and he is Bob Zales choice as well!!

________________________________________
Gov Crist's appointments office has come up with a list of four candidates for Florida's At-Large representative to the GMFMC Gulf Council, for consideration by the Secretary of Commerce and Director of NMFS. This list is on its way to the Sec Commerce as we speak.

Martin Fisher - a commercial guy who owns three boats. I did some checking around and I hear that he's a west coast version of Tony Iarocci. Tony is a commercial fisherman who is on the South Atlantic Council. If you look at his voting pattern, he has consistently voted no on regs that will hurt recreational fishermen. I've known Tony since 2001 and he's a good guy. If Martin Fisher is anything like Tony Iarocci, we can work with this guy to curtail the non-stop outpouring of harmful regs from the Gulf Council that are based on fiction. He is the #1 choice of the 100 Fathom Fishing Club.

Larry Abele - a scientist/ professor at FSU. He is the #1 choice of Bob Zales, a fellow recreatioinal angler that many of us know and respect. Some would say that as a scientist, Abele could demolish the fictional "science" coming from the Gummint scientist careerists working for the Gulf Council. He is the # 2 choice of the 100 Fathom Fishing Club.

Jerry Smalley - he admits he is an Enviro. 100FFC doesn't want him, period.

Colecchio - Folks, don't forget for one minute that this guy is desperate. He will say anything and do anything to get appointed by Gov Crist to the Gulf Council so that he can lord it over us peasants.

Let me ask you this - do you want someone like Colecchio who is out of touch with offshore recreational fishermen's concerns to represent you on the Council? Do you want someone who is a meatpuppet dancing to the tune of the Florida Guides Association and the CCA to represent you? Both FGA and CCA do a great job with backbay inshore issues but both are out of touch with offshore issues. The RFA is the nationwide leader for offshore recreational fishermen's rights. Every time CCA gets involved with offshore issues, they invariably come out in favor of the Council amendment that will do the most harm to recreational fishermen. Do you want an out-of-touch guy who is a backbay, flyfishing, catch & release, flatsboat tarpon guide to represent your offshore bottomfishing & pelagic interests? . Not only that, but Colecchio has a decade-long pattern of abusive, personal attacks against anyone who disagrees with him. We need someone on the Council who can work well with others and be effective. Even if Colecchio was omniscient and all-knowing (which he is not), his toxic, abrasive personality guarantees that the other Council members will turn a deaf ear to him. 100FFC doesn't want him, period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you want to see the right person selected for the Gulf Council, it's vital to contact the Secretary of Commerce, the Director of NMFS, the NMFS Assistant Administrator for Fisheries and the Florida Governor's Appointments Office. Here is the contact info you need to make your voice heard.

US Dept Commerce, Secretary Gary Locke, 1401 Consitution Ave NW, Washington DC 20230 fax 202-482-5685

cc: NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Director Jane Lubchenco, 1315 E. West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910

cc: NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Asst Administrator for Fisheries Eric Schwaab, 1315 E. West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910

cc: Florida Governor's Appointments Office, Mavis Knight, Capitol Building, Room 705, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001 Mavis.Knight@EOG.MyFlorida.com

Please contact them and be heard

EDF Fascism

Pay attention to this as this is what we have been telling everyone we are up against.  On this link on the left side near the top you will read about 60 fishermen, 23 Environmental Defense Fund(EDF) staff, and 89 meetings.  This is 1 EDF staff person for 3 fishermen.  

There is no limit of money that edf will spend to take you off the water and destroy your lively hood, your communities, and a way of life we have all enjoyed.  After seeing this, there cannot be any doubt of how EDF is working against you.  Apparently they will spend their last donated foundation dollar to put you out of business.
For those of you in the Gulf, some of these 60 fishermen were from your area
of Destin, Orange Beach, and other Gulf locations.

http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=48250&redirect=catchsharesaction

EDF Fascism

Pay attention to this as this is what we have been telling everyone we are up against.  On this link on the left side near the top you will read about 60 fishermen, 23 Environmental Defense Fund(EDF) staff, and 89 meetings.  This is 1 EDF staff person for 3 fishermen.  

There is no limit of money that edf will spend to take you off the water and destroy your lively hood, your communities, and a way of life we have all enjoyed.  After seeing this, there cannot be any doubt of how EDF is working against you.  Apparently they will spend their last donated foundation dollar to put you out of business.
For those of you in the Gulf, some of these 60 fishermen were from your area
of Destin, Orange Beach, and other Gulf locations.

http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=48250&redirect=catchsharesaction

Lets write a letter about Catch Shares-HELP

The letter below is from Jim Busse, owner of Seafood Atlantic in Cape Canaveral. He's been working pretty hard on fighting the IFQ stuff.

Can we get this on FB and on the blog? There is an Opposition Form attached, very simple. It can be printed out and mailed to the address below or feel free to also add my address: DC Marine Services, 4733 Floramar Terrace, New Port Richey, FL 34652. I'm guessing that originals are best, but if you want to fax them to my office that should be ok too. The fax # is 727-938-6633 (Viking Fleet office).

There is a meeting in Sebastian, FL on Monday (3/29) opposing catch shares. Dave and I plan on being there. I'll send along more details as I find them out. Any questions, give Dave a call. 727-836-0050

Lisa
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Seafood Atlantic
Date: Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 6:18 PM
Subject: OPPOSING CATCH SHARES
To: bryant001@centurytel.net

AS BOARD MEMBER OF SFA ECFS, I'M ASKING ANY AND ALL, EAST COAST, WEST COAST, COMMERCIAL, RECREATIONAL,FISHERMEN AND WOMEN, ANY RELATED BUSINESS, ANY INDIVIDUAL THAT DOES NOT WANT OUR FISHERIES PRIVATISED, TO SIGN THIS"OPPOSITION FORM".

WE WILL TAKE THEM TO OUR CONGESSIONAL LEADERS, LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES,AND WE INTEND TO SUBMIT AS MANY AS WE CAN TO THE JUNE 6 SAFMC MEETING IN ORLANDO FL. AS PUBLIC COMMENT.

IF EACH ONE OF YOU TOOK 50 COPYS OF "OPPOSITION", PASSED THEM OUT TO NEIGHBORS, FREINDS, FELLOW FISHERMEN AND RELATED BUSINESS OWNERS,GOT THEM FILLED OUT AND BACK TO US BEFORE JUNE 5TH, WE WOULD PROVE, AS A WHOLE,OUR POSITION ON CATCH SHARES.

GET ALL COPIES BACK TO US ASAP (EAST COAST FISHING SECTION, 111 W. GRANADA BLVD. ORMOND BEACH, FL. 32174) OR JUST GET THEM BACK TO HULLS, KINGS,SEAFOOD ATLANTIC,BUTCH OLSON,INLET,OR ELAINE.
THEY WILL DO THE REST.


WE NEED AS MANY PERSONAL LETTERS AS WE CAN GET, FROM GULF PARTICIPANTS,AS TO WHAT CATCH SHARES, ITQ.IFQ'S HAS DONE TO YOU.

HOW HAS YOUR LIFE AND WAY OF DOING BUSINESS CHANGED?

WE ASK YOU TO TAKE THE TIME. HELP US HERE ON THE EAST COAST TO SLOW DOWN AND STALL OUT CATCH SHARES. WE DONT WANT THEM OR NEED THEM.

PLEASE EMAIL TO SEAFOODATLANTIC@GMAIL.COM

THANKS, JIM BUSSE
seafood Atlantic
520 Glen Cheek Dr
Cape Canaveral, Florida 32920
Ph: 321 784-0333
Fax: 321 784-1391



--
David S. Campo

Interesting Post

Interim Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning
from Gridleak
3/13/2010 12:33:46 PM

Rated:

...

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/interim-framework

From Page One: Article II. What is Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning

“CMSP is a comprehensive, adaptive, integrated, ecosystem-based, and transparent spatial planning process, BASED ON SOUND SCIENCE…”

Authors note: Article III goes on to make much ado regarding the importance of scientific knowledge and data to obtain a balanced framework for the oversight of the waters in question stating on page 2 “Scientific understanding and information are central to achieving an integrated and transparent planning process”.

However...

From Page Eight: Article VII, Paragraph 7: “CMSP would be guided by the precautionary approach as defined in Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration, “Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.”

Authors question: So... who determines “threat” when science can’t prove there is a threat? Obama perhaps? PeTA? Also who determines "cost effective" to rectify an unscientifically provable threat? If it can't be proven as a threat by what definition will we know when the threat has been eliminated and can quit throwing money at it?

Author’s comment: With that one paragraph one might as well throw out everything that has been said so far regarding science. The bureaucracy will have the authority to ignore science… and do what it pleases buried deep within page eight of the document.

From Page Nine: Article VIII: Geographic Scope of Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning

“The geographic scope would include inland bays and estuaries in both coastal and Great Lakes settings. Inclusion of inland bays and estuaries is essential because of the significant ecological, social, and economic linkages between these areas with offshore areas. Additional inland areas may be included in the planning area as the regional planning bodies, described in Section IX below, deem appropriate. Regardless, consideration of inland activities would be necessary to account for the significant interaction between upstream activities and ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes uses and ecosystem health. Likewise, consideration should also be given to activities occurring beyond the EEZ that may influence resources or activities within the EEZ.”

Author’s question with emphasis added by author: Notice those last two sentences “REGARDLESS, consideration of inland activities would be necessary to account for the significant interaction between upstream activities and ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes uses and ecosystem health. Likewise, (regardless?), CONSIDERATION SHOULD ALSO BE GIVEN TO ACTIVITIES OCCURRING BEYOND THE EEZ THAT MAY INFLUENCE RESOURCES OR ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE EEZ”

Ummm, did the task force just claim authority over everything clean to the top of the Rocky Mountains and the continental divide with that statement? Will a newly discovered energy source on the Eastern Slope of the Rockies be deemed a threat to the Great Lakes?

Before you answer, this is addressed later in the article…

“Land- based Activities and Their Relationship to CMSP

Although the geographic scope of the CMSP area in the United States would not include upland areas UNLESS A REGIONAL PLANNING BODY DETERMINES TO INCLUDE THEM, the health and well-being of the Great Lakes, our coasts, and the ocean are in large part the result of the interrelationships among land, water, air, and human activities. Effective management of environmental health and services, maritime economies, commerce, national and homeland security interests, and PUBLIC ACCESS NECESSITATE connecting land-based planning efforts with ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes planning”.

Would that be regional planning bodies as established under this program?

Unfortunately time limits me. This gets us through page ten of the 35 page proposal.

Gridleak

Too much red tape, again

FALL RIVER —

The trailer boat pulled into the South Watuppa pond parking lot and headed for the boat ramp. When it approached the yellow tape line cordoning off the ramp, the operator was approached by an environmental police officer. The driver was asked to produce all the baits he had on board and to fill out a questionnaire detailing the last bodies of water he had launched in. After the 15-minute inspection, he was presented with the option of driving his trailer into the neutral decontamination bath (for a prescribed fee) or turning around and going home. If that sounds a bit outrageous it just might be today, but perhaps not in the future.

Recreational and commercial fishermen have been oppressed by an onslaught of restrictive government regulations, the vast majority of which are the result of flawed data. In this writer’s not so humble opinion, the defective science that has been employed over the past several years in the management of the summer flounder and black sea bass fisheries is not dissimilar to the contrived data used by the an environmental movement that is hell bent on crippling our economy.

Read the entire article.

Is Recreational Fishing Obama’s Next Targeted Villain?

This is a very good article with lots of links for explanations and education
Is Recreational Fishing Obama’s Next Targeted Villain?

Senator Lemieux

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS8VRSDUuuE Great conversation with Dr Lubchenco

If you're Lazy like me

http://southernoffshorefishing.org/mailform/contact-fishery.shtml
Try this link and go to the submit blank letter and write in what you want--It goes out to all these folks with one click




James W. Balsiger: Acting Assistant Administrator of Fisheries
NOAA Mary M. Glackin: Deputy Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere
William J. Brennan Ph.D.: Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere Acting
NOAA Administrator:
Samuel D. Rauch III NOAA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs
Dr. Steven A. Murawski: NMFS Director of Scientific Programs Chief Science Adv
Dr. Mark Holliday: Director NOAA Fisheries Office of Policy
Alan Risenhoover: Director Office of Sustainable Fisheries
James H. Lecky: Director Office of Protected Resources
Patricia Montanio: Director Office of Habitat Conservation
Dr. Roy E. Crabtree: NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Administrator
Frederick C. Sutter III: Deputy Regional Administrator for Operations at NOAA Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office
Dr. Bonnie J. Ponwith: Director Southeast Fisheries Science Center
John Oliver: Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations at NOAA Fisheries

David Peluso: Executive Assistant to Gus Bilirakis (R 9th FL)
Josh Gifford, Environment Legislative Assistant to Rep. F. Allen Boyd, Jr, (D 2nd FL)
Harry Glenn: Chief of Staff to Representative Bill Young (R 10th FL)
Representative C. W. (Bill) Young | FL Representative (R - 10)

Fishing Gone?

Fishing Gone?

House Aides Mull Plans to Overhaul, Codify NOAA

The 17-year veteran of the House added: "If the fish people don't like our organic act, that's fine. There is always something fishy somewhere. I hope you can do what you can to persuade anyone, we are not invading on their jurisdiction and not trying to change their activities."


Read the article and stop this now!

From the Town Landing: Drawing the line on spatial planning

Ocean Policy Task Force for implementing its staggeringly broad mandate is marine spatial planning. Old wine in a new bottle, marine spatial planning will use lines on charts to reduce conflicts among the myriad activities carried out at sea. Think shipping lanes, fisheries-management areas, dynamic area-management zones for right whales, offshore energy (wind) farms-all with lines in the water.

Read the entire article.

New letter from RFA

Is Recreational Fishing Being Banned? 3-15-2010
gengberg March 15th, 2010

Is Recreational Fishing Being Banned?Editor’s Note: Over the past week, comments regarding the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force have kicked off a heated discussion regarding unjustified rumor-mongering and an unvarnished bias against the administration by the “right-wing media”. Today, a response from the Recreational Fishing Alliance.

A recent national opinion piece has ignited a firestorm concerning the efforts of the Obama Administration’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force and its involvement in implementing a policy of “marine spatial planning” that could ultimately effect the management of and public access to the nation’s natural public resources. The column comes three weeks after the closing of the public comment period by the Presidential task force and on the heels of the historic fishermen’s rally at the Capitol on February 24 coordinated by the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) and its allied groups.

Recent press releases issued by some sportfishing industry and angling conservation groups have expressed dismay at the unwillingness of administrators to listen to their recommendations. None of this comes as a surprise to the RFA. More troubling is that some of these same insiders have shown a willingness under past administrations to accept use of executive privilege in managing coastal access while fruitlessly participating in the new administration’s new bureaucratic task force process.

“The goal of the key players in the process, specifically the Pew Environment Group and its minions, is to attempt to implement through Executive Order what they had failed to accomplish through the legislative process,” said Jim Donofrio, RFA Executive Director. “We welcome those organizations who feel disenfranchised by the task force to join us in working to prevent what is the usurpation of the management of this nation’s fisheries, oceans, coastal waters and the Great Lakes for ideological reasons,” Donofrio said.

The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force led by the White House Council on Environmental Policy was established by President Obama on June 12, 2009. According to the Presidential memorandum, the task force was charged with developing a national policy for the protection, maintenance and restoration of U.S. oceans, coasts and the Great Lakes. “It will also recommend a framework for improved stewardship and effective coastal and marine special planning,” the White House said in June.

The same month the task force was established, Donofrio was invited to testify before congress in opposition to legislation sponsored by California Democrat Rep. Sam Farr (H.R. 21), a bill which would establish a new national policy for our oceans. In a release issued last fall, Donofrio said the RFA was unnerved by glaring similarities of the new report and Rep. Farr’s H.R. 21, the Ocean Conservation, Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act (aptly referred to as Oceans 21). “This appears to be an attempt by the Executive branch to circumvent the established legislative process and enact policy that failed as legislation 5 years in a row,” Donofrio said, adding “RFA believes enacting laws through Executive order and proclamation sets a dangerous precedence.”

Oceans 21 has failed to gain Congressional support because of its ability to restrict access to public resources while creating a new bureaucratic hierarchy with unprecedented power to regulate fisheries and implement ocean zoning without oversight or public input. The RFA has been in the forefront of exposing Oceans 21 and is a leader in preventing its passage. On June 18, 2009, the RFA was the only national fishing organization that testified before Congress in opposition of the bill.

“Recreational fishermen have been watching fisheries management in this country literally get hijacked by preservationists,” Donofrio said this week in response to the national news headlines indicating the president was going to ban recreational fishing. “I don’t think this president would consider banning recreational fishing outright, but it’s clear to us that the Obama Administration would like to severely restrict recreational fishing.” Donofrio said RFA and others are troubled by the number of staffers within the Administration who have direct ties to Pew.

RFA said the good part about the recent headlines is that people are opening their eyes to the fact that “the fisheries management system is broken” and in need of repair. “Are we concerned about realities regarding the task force? Yes we are, and that’s the hijacking of H.R. 21, a bill that would set up such an incredible bureaucratic infrastructure that Americans would indeed have a hard time finding fishing opportunities,” Donofrio said.

Records show that groups like Pew and the David & Lucille Packard Foundation have used funds to support implementation of marine protected areas, denying public access to large areas of coastal waters. “Years ago, Pew and Packard had a dream of creating blanket marine reserves across the country through the legislative process, but that quickly fell apart when Congress wouldn’t support it so they moved into the states,” Donofrio said. “True, they found certain governments like California very supportive of efforts to institute blanket closures, but they never gave up their goal of getting us all off the water by whatever means possible,” he said. Donofrio explained that Pew-funded groups worked hard to push rigid “overfishing” language into the Magnuson Stevens Act during the 2006 reauthorization debate.

“Essentially, Pew was able to create these de facto reserves which make fishing opportunities so incredibly hard. Take for example red snapper and other important snapper/grouper which are off limits to recreational anglers in the south Atlantic despite rebuilding progress,” Donofrio said. “Pew’s stacked the task force deck, and they’ve even got one of their Pew Fellowship award-winners as head of the fisheries service, it’s certainly troubling.”

Dr, Jane Lubchenco, who the President appointed to run NOAA Fisheries in 2009, is also a past member of the Pew Oceans Commission, the steering committee of the Joint Oceans Commission Initiative, and a director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, SeaWeb, and Environmental Defense all of which are Pew funding recipients. Dr. Lubchenco also serves as Trustee Emerita of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

“Dr. Luchenco currently sits atop a growing number of appointees who are pushing an agenda of ocean zoning, catch shares and Draconian regulatory actions that are severely hindering our ability to fish with resulting negative impacts on the economy and significant job losses,” said Donofrio who pointed out that it’s been this apparent “takeover of fisheries management” which led to the fishermen’s rally in Washington DC on February 24 which drew an estimated crowd of over 4,000 fishermen in support of the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act (H.R. 1585 and S. 1255).

RFA Contact: Jim Hutchinson, Jr. (888) 564-6732

Fishing , Conservation , Outdoor and DNR Legislation

Right on Senator Vitter

Sunday, March 14, 2010
Read this carefully...it's another DEM "take-away" !!


Dear Friend,


This week I wrote President Obama a letter expressing my sincere concerns with his administration's efforts to unilaterally exclude fishing in waters off Louisiana's Coast.


President Obama has created the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force under the guise of protecting our lakes, oceans, coasts and their ecosystems and resources. This task force is working on a secret zoning plan that would give it a say over what activities get to happen on public lands and waters, and they would make these decisions without any public input.


The Obama Administration is proposing to use the most far reaching and questionable legal authority it can conjure to achieve what a handful of special interest groups have always wanted -- limiting the access of U.S. resources to U.S. citizens. And coastal states are set to suffer the economic and social impacts of an agenda-driven administration that does not have fishermen's interests in mind.


There has been virtually no public or Congressional input before using this questionable legal authority to decide to cut off fishing access. ESPN covered this issue earlier in the week and the strong outrage that is beginning to resonate throughout the country over this unbelievable activity by the administration.


Fishing is a social, cultural, and economic bellwether for the health of a great many Louisiana communities. Unilateral action by the Obama administration to sever fishing from the soul of Louisiana by zoning off our oceans arbitrarily is an outrageous federal reach into the state of Louisiana, and I assure you I'll keep fighting against it.
Sincerely,

David Vitter
U.S. Senator
Posted by The Old

More fuel to the fire

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Hook, line & sinker: Bad policy
Buzz up!Monday, March 15, 2010
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A redo of federal policy on use of marine, Great Lakes and inland waters bears close watching by recreational anglers, the industry that serves them and Congress.

Changes suggested in the Ocean Policy Task Force's "Interim Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning" will be implemented by executive order once the final report -- expected this month -- is out. Those changes likely won't be good for folks who fish and the more than 1 million jobs they support.

They're rightly concerned -- about bigger, more bureaucratic, more "top down" government; undue influence wielded by environmental extremists under the guise of "science;" public input as mere formality; and little if any regard for economic impact.

ESPN Outdoors columnist Robert Montgomery goes so far as to warn that the feds "could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing some of the nation's oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes and even inland waters."

Fortunately, anglers and their allies already are working to counter injurious policy changes the Obama administration may order. If this White House does go hook, line and sinker for bad policy, it will be up to Congress to cut bait so Americans can keep on fishing without federal meddling.

Angry Fishermen

Bad Weather Coming

With three quarters of the world’s fisheries in distress and nearing depletion, there is an urgent need for the international community to increase efforts to halt the decline of fish stocks. According to the report of the Secretary-General prepared for the resumed Review Conference (document A/CONF.210/2010/1), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that the majority of straddling fish stocks -- highly migratory species and other high-seas fish stocks -- are considered to be either fully exploited or overexploited. This means that fisheries are operating close to or above the optimal effort that is sustainable in the long term, and there is no expected room or potential room for further expansion. For overexploited species there is a risk of stock depletion.

Read it. What more can one say.

Bad Weather Forecasts

Many of you know how often NOAA has been completely out or whack with weather forecasting that makes the quote below all the more hilarious.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

Hubris knows no bounds and it is extremely dangerous.

Short Shark Season--From Lisa Steelman

--------------------
Subject: commercial shark season

Tom,
I just tried to post this on Fishermen's Voice page, but was unable. Please pass this info along as you see fit. Thanks so much!!



Dave just got off the phone with Margo Shulze-Haugen (Highly Migratory Species Div, NOAA).

Shark season is f*cking over on march 17th in the gulf. This is devesating for us. Because of weather temps, etc. this will limit Dave's season to less than 7 days. Shark is his primary harvest.

Margo Shulze claims that the quota has been met by Louisiana since the opening of the season on Feb 4th (in one month? really??). She also said that (AND I QUOTE), "The fishermen tell me that they only want a few week to a month season because they want to fish for something else." She also said that in the long line commericial shark fishery that we have the ability to catch large coastal's WITHOUT catching small coastals. Dave says BULLSH*T.
She said, "WE HAVE TO GO BY OUR SCIENCE AND THE DATA GIVEN BY THE FISHERMEN". Well, something isn't jiving here.
The minute Dave hung up with her, he called Madiera Beach Seafood (his main buyer). Bobby Spaeth called her right away and was told that she's out of the office until Monday. She knew to expect Madiera's phone call. How convienient.

Dave told her that NMFS and NOAA will not win. He told her that, "THE FISHERMEN WILL NOT GIVE UP, AND WE WILL NOT QUIT FISHING"

Here is Margo's contact information. Now is the time to let her hear our voices!! Flood that inbox!!!!!

(301)713-2347
margo.schulze-haugen@noaa.gov
--------------------

Gone, Fishing?

Will Obama’s ocean-policy task force remain in lockstep with radical greens?

So Pres. Barack Obama’s “Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force” has decided that the opinions of America’s 60 million anglers aren’t worthy of its consideration.

This task force, headed by the chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), was charged with drafting a national ocean policy of marine spatial planning to manage U.S. ocean territory and the Great Lakes. Its recommendations — due out later this month — could be enacted by executive order.

Here’s why anglers, and freedom-loving Americans, should be alarmed: Without input from recreational anglers and the conservation groups that represent them — such as Trout Unlimited, the U.S. Recreational Fishing & Boating Coalition, and the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies — decisions made under this new national oceans policy could be used to close saltwater and freshwater recreational-fishing areas.

Read the more.

Obama’s war on fishing?!?!?!

By Michelle Malkin • March 9, 2010 05:00 PM

Longtime readers know I love to fish and have been at war with the anti-fishing nuts at PETA for years.

JWF flags a story today from ESPN about Obama regulatory maneuvers that look to limit fishing access:

Read the blog.

Fishermen’s fear: Public's 'right to fish' shifting under Obama?

Sport fishermen worry about an eroding 'right to fish' as the Obama administration shifts fishing policy to include United Nations objectives. Proponents say fishermen have much to gain by zoning uses of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems.

Read more.

Thank you notes

PLEASE SEND A THANK_YOU TO OUR RALLY SUPPORTERS and Speakers



Faxes will be much stronger than emails—If we can load up their faxes. They will remember us! Please ask all of your friends and members of you group to please fax ALL these folks that stood up for our rights to fish and to help us change the Maguson Act. We all need to thank them personally and help to rally more support. If you cant fax please email or write. If I forgot any speakers please update.

www.conservationfishermen.com

http://unitedwefish.blogspot.com www.joinrfa.com fishermans voice—on facebook,twitter,utube







Thanks—Tom Adams 850-381-1313





_____________________________________________
From: Pam Anderson [mailto:pamheartsofhope@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2010 9:44 PM
To: 4tomadams@gmail.com
Subject: Fwd: legislators and speakers



Here is info on the legislators we spoke to plus a list of speakers, which may not be total but to the best of memory. The first 4 are from FL, the rest from where they are listed. You can find their fax numbers by going to www.thomas.loc.gov and finding their web sites. I placed “spoke” by those who did. The rest were contacted by our team, the ones who spoke at the rally except for Senator LeMieux were contacted by others. When contacting to thank please state our appreciation for their attention and continued effort to conduct hearings and to reform Magnuson.



Senator LeMieux: Frank_Walker@LeMieux.senate.gov, fax 202-228-5171, LeMieux spoke

Senator Nelson: susie_perezquinn@billnelson.senate.gov , fax 202-228-2183, also Stratton_Kirton@billnelson.senate.gov

Congressman Boyd, Josh.Gifford@mail.house.gov, fax 202-225-5615

Congressman Miller, Elizabeth.McErlean@mail.house.gov, fax 202-225-3414

Congressman Bonner, AL, Matt.weinstein@mail.house.gov, fax 202-225-0562

Congressman Cassidy, LA, michael.biagi@mail.house.gov, fax 202-225-7313

Congressman Carol Shea-Porter, NH, robert.moller@mail.house.gov, fax 202-225-5822

Congressman Donna Christensen, VI, makeda.okolo@mail.house.gov, fax 202-225-5517

Congressman Inslee, WA, Celina.cunningham@mail.house.gov, fax 202-226-1606

Congressman Kratovil, MD, ben.abrams@mail.house.gov, fax 202-225-0254

Senator Shelby, AL, Laura_Friedel@shelby.senate.gov, fax 202-

Senator Sessions, AL, Melissa_shute@sessions.senate.gov, fax 202-

Senator Maria Cantwell: WA, jeffrey_watters@cantwell.senate.gov, fax 202-228-0514

Senator DeMint, SC, Jacqueline_gelb@demint.senate.gov, fax 202-228-5143

Senator Schumer, NY, spoke-202-228-3027

Senator Scott Brown, MA, spoke

Senator Gillibrand, NY, spoke 212-688 7444

Senator Hagen, NC, spoke 202-288-2563

Senator Burr, NC, spoke 202-228-2981

Congressman Pallone (NJ), spoke 202-225-9665

Congressman Frank (MA), spoke-202-225-0182

Congressman Tierney (MA), spoke 202-225-5915

Congressman Adler (NJ), spoke202-225-0778

Congressman Macintire (NC), spoke 202 2255773

Congressman Brown (SC), spoke 202-225-3407

Congressman Jones (NC), spoke 202 225-3415

Congressman Putnam (FL), spoke 202 225 0585

Congressman Mica (FL), spoke202 225-0821

Congressman Wittman (VA), spoke 202 225-4261

Congressman LoBiondo (NJ), spoke 202-225-3318



Capt. Bob Zales, II



bobzales@att.net

Ph 850-763-6242

Fax 850-763-3558

Critcial Mass

Folks the story is breaking nationally on ESPN's story on what is going on with our nations fishery resources.

Gateway Pundit Blog
http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/03/obamas-latest-assault-on-freedom-new-regulations-will-ban-sport-fishing/

Free Republic Forum
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2467036/posts

Matt Drudge - lower right corner of the homepage
http://www.drudgereport.com/

G. Gordon Liddy - Radio Host Interviews the ESPN author
You have to let the audio play for quite a while. If someone can edit and upload a link to just this segment please let us know!
http://live.radioamerica.org/loudwater/player.pl?name=ggl&url=http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/feeds.radioamerica.org/loudwater/ggl/000001195_000_000000006.mp3

Well said Mr. Gurney!

Fascists for Fish

by Letters to the Editor on Mar 8th, 2010

The Marine Life Protection Act Initiative has come to to the North Coast, skirting the laws and making up the rules as they go. The MLPAI obeys the law only as they see fit, all the while being held accountable to none that they break. It’s the opposite of real democracy, where the will of the people is the motivator for change, where public officials are charged with the duty to carry out that will, and are held accountable when they break the law.

The MLPAI seeks to take control of large areas of the coast, supposedly to regulate fishing and food gathering, in a state where fishing is already so tightly regulated that for most of the year a local coastal resident cannot go out on the ocean to catch a fish. These new closed areas will allow the take of fish and marine life for so-called research purposes, but what constitutes research is not clearly defined. The privileged few will be allowed to take fish to supply large commercial aquariums, owned by the very people who sponsored and funded the initiative. A gross conflict of interest exists that so far has not been addressed.

The MLPAI is led by privately funded public relations and policy experts, masquerading as a true public agency. The staff are funded by multi-billion dollar private foundations that conceal the amount, sources and distribution of their funds. Money is being channeled through the director and managers of this program to individuals and local government entities, without public scrutiny or accountability. Bribery and coercion have become commonplace.

The MLPAI administrators laud themselves for their “transparency,” but corruption always seeks to be invisible. Lies and deception are by their very nature “transparent.” The transparency of which they speak is that of the bullet proof glass in the armored car that will carry away the legacy of a once free ocean, and the rights of the people guaranteed in Article 1, Section 25 of the California Constitution. Theirs is the transparency of the thick glass walls of the corporate funded aquariums. It’s the transparency of the invisible lines of money, power, and real estate interests, who desire ownership and control of the ocean for their own benefit. When the truth is revealed, the lies that concealed it will always be revealed as “transparent.”

The legitimate concerns over the MLPAI are many. Concerns about public-private graft and the corruption of democratic process. Concerns that pie-in-the-sky solutions based junk science will not yield desired results, even after we have been bamboozled into giving up our free rights to open ocean access. Concerns that issues influencing the marine environment beyond fishing are not being addressed, and that blaming fishing for the problems our oceans are facing is a smokescreen for corporate takeover and control of the oceans. Concerns about flagrant conflicts of interest. Concerns of political subterfuge, where back room deals are being made to trade off the ocean in exchange for the waters of Northern California rivers. Concerns that oil and energy interests are backing the initiative. Concerns that the corporate powers who funded the MLPAI process with tens of millions of dollars of private money will inevitably want their pay-off in the end.

The MLPAI is an Enron style scam that is being perpetrated on the unsuspecting people of California, and has coerced those opposing it into taking part against their better judgement. It has cynically taken advantage of the efforts of well meaning scientists and environmentalists to take part in a flawed process that is already generating junk science to prove the necessity of a solution to problem that does not exist. The MLPAI has corrupted the very idea of science, seeking to prove unsound hypotheses with insufficient data in an effort to blame fishing access as the cause for the collapse of marine ecosystems, and proposing to take away fishing rights in areas that are already not being fished, all the while ignoring the real problems of ocean ecology.

Many miles of the California Coast are already closed behind the gates of private property, effectively making the issue of marine protected areas a moot point. To take away access in more huge areas and turn it over to corporate interests will, in the long run, have the opposite of the intended effect. The ocean is a public trust and a public commons, not to be relegated to private dominance and control as is being done with the MLPAI.

With the implementation of the MLPAI, we have been told that we are just giving up small parts of our ocean, that we are sacrificing just a little chunk of our constitutional rights, whether we like it or not, to this public-private partnership. We have been told that the killing of a blue whale by the MLPAI’s unlicensed and illegally operating sonar mapping vessel was just an accident, for which they are not responsible. We are told that the Brown Act and Bagley-Keene laws do not apply to them. We are told that armed guards at all their official meetings and workshops to stifle public outrage and opposition is standard operating procedure.

As this illegal act is forced upon us, we are losing not only just a little bit of our once free ocean, we are also sacrificing some of the very principles and decency upon which this nation was founded.

David Gurney
Fort Bragg, CA

Culled out

The Obama administration will accept no more public input for a federal strategy that could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing the nation's oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even inland waters.

This announcement comes at the time when the situation supposedly still is "fluid" and the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force still hasn't issued its final report on zoning uses of these waters.

That's a disappointment, but not really a surprise for fishing industry insiders who have negotiated for months with officials at the Council on Environmental Quality and bureaucrats on the task force. These angling advocates have come to suspect that public input into the process was a charade from the beginning.

Read it and weep.

$10 million funding boost seen as 'buying everyone off'

Lubchenco holds firm on May 1 'catch share' launch $10 million funding boost seen as 'buying everyone off'

By Richard Gaines
Staff Writer

The Obama administration's avowed plan to advance a fishing policy aimed at putting "a significant fraction" of the fishing captains in the northeast groundfishing fleet out of work is on track, according to testimony by captains.

"This is the face of consolidation; no one is going to make it," Gloucester Capt. Al Cattone said of the government's push through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to launch its "catch share" regulatory format here May 1.

"I got nothing; I'll be catching one third of the fish I caught previously," said Capt. Joe Orlando. "Because of the reallocation, we got screwed."

Read the entire article.

Thanks Senator Richard Shelby!

Can you say corruption?

Just when you think marine management can get no worse imagine a strategy that encourages corruption on a grand scale. Marine protected areas or MPA's offer just such an opportunity and they are being pushed for by environmental non government organizations or ENGO's.


Evidence shows MPLA corruption
Jim Matthews
www.outdoornewsservice.com
03/06/2010

ONTARIO - The first wave of hard evidence documenting the corruption and conflict of interest that's guided the implementation of the 1999 Marine Life Protection Act surfaced at the meeting of the California Fish and Game Commission at the DoubleTree Inn this past week.

The commission accepted public testimony again on the so-called Blue Ribbon Task Force's recommended ocean fishing closures and protected areas along the Southern California coast before adopting a final plan. During Wednesday's testimony, documentation was provided that proved that two members of the Blue Ribbon Task Force, Bill Anderson and Greg Schem, lied to the commission at a recent meeting about having a business association.

Read the entire post.

Pew what is that smell?

Many anglers have become aware recently of the involvement of Pew Charitable Trusts in fisheries management. Below is a synopsis is just what the organization is courtesy of www.discoverthenetworks.org.


PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS
2005 Market Street
Suite 1700
Philadelphia, PA
19103

Phone :215-575-9050
Email :info@pewtrusts.com
URL :http://www.pewtrusts.com

• Assets: $197,741,615 (2005)
• Grants Received: $232,032,960 (2005)
• Grants Awarded: $198,477,867 (2005)

The Pew Charitable Trusts (PCT) are comprised of seven individual funds established between 1948 and 1979 by the four children of Joseph N. Pew, founder of the Sun Oil Company, and his wife Mary A. Pew.

Mr. Pew and his immediate heirs were politically conservative, as were most of the causes that PCT supported in its early years. In recent decades, however, leftwing staffers have taken control of the organization, radically transforming its ideology and funding philosophy. Particularly responsible for this change was the late neurosurgeon Thomas W. Langfitt, who served as PCT's President and Chief Executive Officer from 1987 through 1994.

Rebecca Rimel, who joined the Trusts in 1983 as Health Program Manager, ascended to the positions of President and CEO in 1994 when Langfitt, her mentor, retired. She became the Executive Director in 1998.

PCT currently identifies its three major objectives as: (a) "to support the arts, heritage, health and well-being of our diverse citizenry and civic life, with particular emphasis on Philadelphia"; (b) "to inform the public on key issues and trends, as a highly credible source of independent, non-partisan research and polling information"; and (c) "to inform and advance the debate on issues that matter to the long-term health and well-being of the American people, [and] when the case is compelling, we advocate for change."

In March 2004 the Pew Global Attitudes Project, a series of worldwide public opinion surveys on a broad array of subjects, polled people in the United States and eight foreign nations regarding their views about the Iraq War and concluded: "A year after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq sent anti-Americanism soaring, the United States finds itself still unpopular, feared, and mistrusted around the world. ... Resentment of America and its policies -- even of Americans themselves -- has intensified, not lessened, in the last year." The researchers added that in Jordan, Morocco, and Pakistan, "the public supports suicide bombings against Americans in Iraq, and Osama bin Laden is still far more popular than President Bush in those three countries." The Pew Global Attitudes Project is chaired by Madeleine Albright, who served as U.S. Secretary of State in the Clinton administration.

PCT supports a host of organizations that are passionately anti-corporate and anti-capitalist, while it simultaneously holds many millions of dollars worth of investments in major corporations. For instance, while PCT invests in Exxon-Mobil, it grants money to Greenpeace, the Ruckus Society, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, Public Citizen, Global Exchange, the EarthJustice Legal Defense Fund, Friends of the Earth, the Sierra Club, the World Resources Institute, the World Wildlife Fund, the Wilderness Society, the Environmental Defense Fund, Trust for Public Land, the Environmental Working Group, the Rainforest Alliance, the Izaak Walton League of America, the Rainforest Action Network, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Nature Conservancy, and a host of other environmentalist groups that view Exxon-Mobil as an ecological menace.

PCT is the largest funding source for the Tides Center, having given the latter nearly $109 million between 1990 and 2002. Other PCT grantees include: Physicians for Social Responsibility; the Institute for Policy Studies, the Council on Foundations; the Brennan Center for Justice; Planned Parenthood; the Conservation Law Foundation; National Public Radio; the Union of Concerned Scientists; the National Environmental Trust; the Consumers Union; the Urban Institute; the National Trust for Historic Preservation; the Brookings Institution; the Center for Biological Diversity; the Center for Science in Public Participation; the Aspen Institute; the Liberty Resources; the Criminal Justice Reform Education Fund; the Alliance to Save Energy; the AIDS Law Project; the Homeless Advocacy Project; Lighthawk; Global Trade Watch; the Green Party; the Center for Rural Affairs; the Juvenile Law Center; Population Action International; Action AIDS; the National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation; the Center for Responsive Politics; the Center for Public Integrity; the Worldwatch Institute; the Western Environmental Law Center; Zero Population Growth; Environmental Media Services; SeaWeb; the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse; the Center for Science in the Public Interest; and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

In addition to earmarking enormous sums of money to fund the projects and activities of the aforementioned organizations, PCT also proposes its own policy solutions in a number of areas:

Global Warming: Reasoning from the premise that pollution from human industrial activity is causing drastic climatological changes, PCT declares: “The United States is the world’s largest emitter of global warming pollution, accounting for roughly 25 percent of global emissions to date. No strategy to address global warming can succeed without substantial and permanent reductions in U.S. emissions.” Working in partnership with the Energy Foundation to promote “the adoption of state and regional policies that curb global warming pollution,” PCT seeks “to advance the climate change debate through analysis, public education and a new cooperative approach with business.”

Wilderness Protection: Since the early 1990s, PCT “has been investing in public education and advocacy efforts to mobilize support for improved management of and strict protection for old-growth forests and wilderness areas on public lands in North America.”

Foster Care Reform: In 2003, the Trusts launched a policy initiative “to help move children in foster care more quickly and appropriately to safe, permanent families and prevent the unnecessary placement of children in foster care.”

Protecting Ocean Life: “Our marine work is aimed at preserving the biological integrity of marine ecosystems and primarily focuses on efforts to curb overfishing, reduce bycatch and prevent the destruction of marine habitat.”

Pre-K Education: Seeking “to fundamentally change the way this country invests in education for its three- and four-year-olds,” PCT directs large sums of money to “policy-focused research” and “public education campaigns” that “demonstrate the value of high-quality preschool for all three- and four-year-olds.” It also targets its funding to “organizations committed to advancing quality pre-Kindergarten for all three- and four-year olds.”

State Sentencing and Corrections: Founded on the axiom that the American criminal-justice system is infested with inequities and racism, PCT’s Public Safety Performance Project, launched in 2006, “supports in-depth research and public and policy-maker education to help states increase public safety, manage corrections spending, and hold offenders accountable." The project has three main objectives: (a) to help states collect and analyze data about who is admitted to their prisons, the lengths of their sentences, their rates of recidivism, and the implications of this data for public safety and state budgets; (b) to aid states in understanding how their existing sentencing, release and community-supervision policies compare to those of other states; and (c) to "explore policy changes that will increase public safety and deliver a solid return on taxpayers’ investment.”

In a related effort, PCT’s Death Penalty Reform program finances the Justice Project Education Fund, which “works to advance reforms that would ensure fairness and accuracy in the administration of capital punishment.” According to the Justice Project: “Since 1976, more than 100 people have been wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death in the United States.” PCT granted this initiative $1 million in 2003, and another $1 million two years later.

PCT is a member organization of the International Human Rights Funders Group (IHRFG), a network of more than six-dozen grantmakers dedicated to funding leftwing groups and causes.

Must see video!

http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=60&extmode=view&extid=324

Anglers Dock in D.C. to Voice ConcernsBy Bennett Roth Roll Call Staff March 1, 2010, 12 a.m. Sporting a gray ponytail and gold chain with a small anc

By Bennett Roth
Roll Call Staff

March 1, 2010, 12 a.m.

Sporting a gray ponytail and gold chain with a small anchor pendant around his neck, captain Dave Tilley hardly fits the image of the K Street lobbyist.

But last week the burly 42-year-old fisherman drove up from North Carolina to Washington, D.C. — the first time he had ever been to the nation’s capital — to persuade Members of Congress to change a law that he claims is threatening his livelihood.

Read more at Roll Call.

Florida's Senator LeMieux: Fisherman are losing their Livelihoods

Taking on water.

The plight of the planet's oceans was a focus of the conference, with numerous discussions of acidification, marine reserves and the newly implemented concept of "marine spatial planning," an effort to map the oceans' topography, biota and habitat, then translate that into a kind of zoning plan for human use (an approach specifically mandated by the Obama administration last year).

This is a must read.

Times are changing.

Images from DC

Click here to see our image collection from the United We Fish Rally in Washington DC.

Please become a fan of We Fish We Vote on Facebook. It is a great asset in the fight against overly restrictive federal regulations on our nations recreational and commercial fisheries.

Click here to visit them on Facebook.

What a week it has been!

Below is a summation of news from the net for this week. More to follow.

Florida Senator Nelson Wants Re-Examination Of Fishing Restrictions
AHN | All Headline News
Bill Nelson, D-FL, has asked the Senate Commerce Committee Tuesday to examine fishing regulations, in particular the ban on red-snapper fishing and ...
See all stories on this topic

Fishermen rally in DC
Pensacola News Journal
Eller said time lines set by the law have effectively tied the hands of fisheries regulators, who have slashed season lengths for red snapper and other fish ...
See all stories on this topic

Special Series: "Fished Out" Part 1
WJHG-TV
Last year the Marine Fisheries Service closed the Red Snapper season early, saying the 6. 9 million pound quota had been reached. ...
See all stories on this topic

Quotes from Florida Today - News, photos, topics, and quotes
Amanda Leland of the Environmental Defense Fund said she understands ... We have one guy who was a red snapper fisherman for us and now he is moving to ...

Fishermen rally against federal catch limits
We have one guy who was a red snapper fisherman for us and now he is moving to Mexico. ... Charles Schumer · Environmental Defense Fund ...

Local News Senator Calls For Review of Fishing Ban
WOKV
The Feds recently closed off huge areas of our coastal waters to red snapper, grouper and amberjack fishing. But local fishermen say the catch is better ...
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EDFish » Fishermen Express Concerns in Washington Today; Catch ...
Instead of pushing fishermen off the water to restore the red snapper fishery in the ... Red snapper populations are now rebounding, meaning more fish for ...

Orlandoweekly.com - NEWS+FEATURES: Fish Tales
Jeanna Merrifield questions the motives of conservationists like Pew. ... tuna, snapper, stone crabs and scores of other species – some imported, but most local . ... His other prize on this day is coveted royal red shrimp, an oversized ...

It's My Cast – Pompano, Pythons and Protesters | Articles at Reel ...
By Bill Hubbard
Port Canaveral (AP) Following lengthy public hearings, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has shut down the Red Snapper fishery Jan. 1 from Key West to No. Carolina until May 1. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act the council is ...
Reel-Time.com - http://www.reel-time.com/

Fishermen enlist members of Congress to oppose red snapper ban
Orlando Sentinel (blog)
By Ludmilla Lelis Still reeling from a federal ban on fishing for red snapper, Central Florida captains and fishermen joined more than 2000 people at the ...
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Ban Sends Fishermen To Washington
WESH Orlando
Red snapper fishing was banned. Bans were also enacted for 11 grouper species and vermillion snapper. The limits are impacting the fishing industry and the ...
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Fishermen protest law that closes many areas to fishing
Kansas City Star
4 to June 2 to allow stocks of red snapper to replenish. The period can be extended for another six-month period. Fishermen fear long replenishment periods ...
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Members of Congress are heeding their protest.
Orlando Sentinel
The ban on red snapper is the key Florida species that is fueling the anger of anglers, both recreational and commercial, who say the current 6-month ban is ...
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Change fishery rules, spare fishing jobs, chorus says
Florida Times-Union
“This red snapper issue is forcing the issue in Washington,” said Duane Harris of St. Simons Island, Ga., chairman of the South Atlantic Fishery Management ...
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Thousands of Fishermen Rally in Washington, DC
WCIV
Others say the problem is the overfishing of the Red Snapper. The South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council says their population is dying out. ...
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'I fish, I vote:' Local fishermen march on Washington (PHOTO ...
The Northwest Florida Daily News
... Panama City and Mexico Beach either rode a bus or flew to the rally. “This is amazing,” captain Mike Eller of Destin said as he scanned the crowd. ...

Fight is on
Charleston Post Courier
He had been running as far as Florida to catch golden tilefish because the offshore bottom here has been closed to catching red snapper and grouper, ...
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LoBiondo Speaks at Fishermen's Rally - Cape May County Herald
anglers in California, or the shutdown of red snapper and amberjack down south, our community has been divided by preservationist tactics for too long. ...

Rep. Pallone tells N.J. fishermen that fisheries "science is ...
In the Gulf, it's red snapper." Organized by the Recreational Fishing Alliance, ... and the PEW Environment Group, a major backer of fishery reform efforts. ...

The Billfish Foundation today joined a coalition of marine ...
Given NOAA's recent ban on recreational fishing for red snapper from North ... All have some roots back to PEW. Would not surprise me one bit that they have ...

"Share a Little Sunshine" - CapMel.com Fishing Forums
Pew's puppet, NOAA, through the use of outdated, non scientific, ..... CCA does not support the red snapper closers on the east coast as it was presented ...

TheTandD.com | Fishermen rally against federal catch limits
... off the Massachusetts coast and those who fish for red snapper in the Carolinas. ... Environmental groups, meanwhile, say the government should allow anglers greater ...

Fishermen march on DC
The News Herald
Panama City, Mexico Beach and Destin were represented with more than 35 captains and deckhands, many who spent 18 hours on a bus traveling to Washington. ...

Gulf Coast fishermen join Washington protest against red snapper limits
al.com (blog)
In the case of red snapper, "the fishery has recovered, and we keep getting shorter and shorter seasons," Rowell said. "It doesn't make sense. ...
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Angry Anglers March on Washington
Orange Beach
In addition to these two bills, there is a proposed House Bill, HR3307, which specifically addresses the Red Snapper Fishery in the South Atlantic ...
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Rep Mica Blasts Red Snapper Ban at Fishermen Rally
BigNews.biz (press release)
Mica introduced legislation to reverse the recent ban on Red Snapper fishing in the Southeast Atlantic Marine Fishery until a new stock assessment based on ...
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Fishermen go to Washington to protest ocean fish restrictions
Palm Beach Post (blog)
Historical data overestimated the size of the red snapper population, creating a false target when setting a goal to rebuild the stock. ...
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Heritage and Environment - CITY COUNCIL LIVEBLOG : TheDestinLog.com
By tsketo
“From the bottom of my heart, I'm a fisherman, and I've never seen more red snapper and amberjack in the Gulf of Mexico than there's ever been,” Barker said. Barker said fishing regulations based on old data are destroying our heritage, ...
CITY COUNCIL LIVEBLOG - http://liveblog.freedomblogging.com/

Oyster Radio News: Senator nelson calls for review of federal ...
By Snakeman
On Tuesday, Nelson requested that the Senate Commerce Committee examine the ban on red-snapper fishing and fisheries closures in Florida. He also asked for a determination of whether federal officials are using reliable data to support ...
Oyster Radio News - http://oysterradio.blogspot.com/

Gregg Holshouser, outdoors columnist: SAFMC to rehash closed fishing area off ...
Myrtle Beach Sun News
Amendment 17A's intent is to end overfishing of red snapper and the council is considering closing massive areas of the Atlantic Ocean to all bottom fishing ...
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Press Releases on Justmeans - Fishermen Express Concerns in ...
You are now following Environmental Defense Fund. ... fishermen in the Southeast U.S. are just beginning to feel the cost of a closure on red snapper. ...

OUTH ATLANTIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
We had four letters received; one from Environmental Defense Fund for .... Some of them have talked to a few of the red snapper fishermen who don't like ...

Fishermen to March on Washington - The Aquatic Network
expenditure of many millions of dollars by the Pew Charitable Trusts, ... anglers in California, or the shutdown of red snapper and amberjack down south, ...

Thousands protest federal fishing restrictions
By m.trocchi@soundingspub.com (Mike Trocchi)
Fishermen from several Atlantic states turned up to blast federal bans on red snapper, grouper and other species that feed their livelihoods. They shouted, "Where's the data?" and waved signs that read, "United We Fish" and "I Fish. ...
Trade Only | Boating News for... - http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/recentnews

Senator Nelson Files Bills To Curb Red Snapper Restrictions
WCTV
Bill Nelson unveiled two pieces of legislation today to stop the federal government from imposing restrictions on red snapper fishing off the state's ...
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Senator Nelson Files Bills To Curb Red Snapper Restrictions
Sen. Bill Nelson unveiled two pieces of legislation today to stop the federal government from imposing restrictions on red snapper fishing off the state's ...

Buck on the Bus — DC trip a time to remember
Destin Log
We have folks from Mexico Beach, Panama City, Lynn Haven and Destin. ... Chuck Guilford of Mexico Beach, formerly of Destin, says he's going to DC because ...

Red Snapper Management
Recently the National Marine Fisheries Service has taken a serious PR hit over the pending rules concerning the south Atlantic's red snapper fishery.

Fishermen Say Federal Policies Leave Them Idle
Capitol News Connection
Right now there is a temporary federal ban on catching red snapper off Florida's East coast. The same goes for grouper. In the Gulf of Mexico, ...
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Florida Senator Files Bills to Change Red Snapper Restrictions
WCTV
And he's heard several stories from fishermen who say the red snapper population is actually better than it's been in years. He says, "It's important that ...
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Keys fishermen get their voices heard
KeysNet
"Recent fishing bans on red snapper and shallow-water grouper enacted by [federal fishery managers] are devastating to our Florida fishing industry," she ...
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