United We Fish

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!!

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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.

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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