NOAA invites you to participate in a Town Hall meeting to discuss possible permanent protections for three deep sea canyons—Oceanographer, Gilbert, and Lydonia Canyons—and four seamounts off of New England's coast. Deep sea canyons, which plunge to depths greater than 7000 feet, and sea mounts, which rise thousands of feet above the sea floor, create unique habitats supporting tremendous biodiversity and fragile ecosystems that are home to corals, fish, marine mammals, turtles, and more.

To ensure that we protect these unique places for future generations while recognizing the importance of sustainable ocean-based economies, we are seeking input from all interested parties in the region.

The Town Hall discussion will be held on September 15, at the Providence Marriott Downtown, 1 Orms Street, Providence, Rhode Island. The meeting will be in the Sessions/College/Canal Room from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.

If you are unable to attend the Town Hall in person, please send comments by September 15, 2015 to atlanticconservation@noaa.gov.

Please feel free to forward this invite to anyone who might also be interested in participating. We look forward to hearing from you.

If you haven't been following this, there is a proposal to declare these areas a marine national monument, where all fishing activities (both recreational and commercial) will be banned.

I agree Mike - I read the article in PROJO. The environmental wacko groups will all be represented there including Conservation Law Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, Natural Resources Defense Council, and some liberal Brown biology professor who would like nothing better to shutdown these areas and also add Cashes Ledge to the list.

Oh god here we go again.
It's this the only meeting or will there be more up this way?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

They can have the sea mounts. The rest is ours
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Oh god here we go again.
It's this the only meeting or will there be more up this way?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I don't know for sure, but my guess is not.

They can have the sea mounts. The rest is ours
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Once they get an inch.....
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I've been reading all I can to get up to speed on this one. Problem is the gov't has not released a written proposal to analyze. It appears from what the many different enviro groups have published that they are all over the place regarding allowing rec catch or not. Some state they are ok with allowing rec catch and others state they want no take.

We all know the Canyons & Cashes are very special places. Although I do not see how they could be tied to the same action. They are very different places with very different situations. I know I would not want deep water dredging or drilling in the Canyons or Cashes so some level of protection makes sense to me. To just say "NO" or "YES" to any proposal hasn't worked in the past so its not what I recommend anglers make the center of their comments. We have to state a position and back it up.

I have learned there is actually a marine monument in the Pacific that allows recreational fishing. In a recent Corals management action that will soon apply to the Mid Atlantic Canyons, the Mid Atlantic Council found the impacts of recreational fishing in those Canyons to have a negligible impact on Corals and their habitat. Recreational fishing was not included in the action because we showed using science we do not impact the Corals.

Im going to show up and hear what is said. One of my main points will be that there is a huuuuge financial & socio-economic impact tied to fishing the Canyons. Some offshore tournaments create over million dollars in activity of a single weekend.

Here is the link to Projo article. Some of them want Cashes and other areas included. http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20150913/NEWS/150919661

Just wait until they make a big block of water a MPA around the block island wind farm including SW Ledge.

(I'm half kidding)
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I've been reading all I can to get up to speed on this one. Problem is the gov't has not released a written proposal to analyze. It appears from what the many different enviro groups have published that they are all over the place regarding allowing rec catch or not. Some state they are ok with allowing rec catch and others state they want no take.

We all know the Canyons & Cashes are very special places. Although I do not see how they could be tied to the same action. They are very different places with very different situations. I know I would not want deep water dredging or drilling in the Canyons or Cashes so some level of protection makes sense to me. To just say "NO" or "YES" to any proposal hasn't worked in the past so its not what I recommend anglers make the center of their comments. We have to state a position and back it up.

I have learned there is actually a marine monument in the Pacific that allows recreational fishing. In a recent Corals management action that will soon apply to the Mid Atlantic Canyons, the Mid Atlantic Council found the impacts of recreational fishing in those Canyons to have a negligible impact on Corals and their habitat. Recreational fishing was not included in the action because we showed using science we do not impact the Corals.

Im going to show up and hear what is said. One of my main points will be that there is a huuuuge financial & socio-economic impact tied to fishing the Canyons. Some offshore tournaments create over million dollars in activity of a single weekend.

Let us know what you hear Pat, I won't be able to make it. From what I have read several groups are pushing for a national monument declaration similar to the northern Hawaiian Islands national monument. In that monument no fishing is allowed.

Here is the online link to oppose this. Comments due today!
https://americanfishingcommunities.wufoo.com/forms/say-no-to-new-england-marine-national-monument/
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Here is the online link to oppose this. Comments due today!
https://americanfishingcommunities.wufoo.com/forms/say-no-to-new-england-marine-national-monument/
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I was just going to post that link! But remember, signing the petition is no substitute for actually writing to them or opposing it in person at the meeting.

Here is the online link to oppose this. Comments due today!
https://americanfishingcommunities.wufoo.com/forms/say-no-to-new-england-marine-national-monument/
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Done.

Done.

I was just going to post that link! But remember, signing the petition is no substitute for actually writing to them or opposing it in person at the meeting.

Yes thank you Mike and Patrick for attending and fighting the good fight.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Unfortunately I was at a NEFMC Herring Committee meeting North of Logan and by the time I got to the Braintree Split it was 6pm thus I did not make it. I look forward to hearing how it went.

Id love to see some protection for the Canyons with rec fishing allowed. It turns out in 3 of 4 West Coast Marine Monuments rec fishing is allowed.

I thought this was interesting, it was posted on a different websit in a similar thread.

As everyone knows I lost 15% of the coast of California to recreational fishing FOREVER and that 15% was 50% of the structure on the coast.

Just like this there was no real data that showed recreational fisherman were hurting fish stocks or that the bio-mass was at a critical levels. The worst part is there was no decrease of pressure on fish stocks, rather it just moved more pressure into other areas. Smaller bag limits and increased size regulations would have been more effective which we proved by hiring scientists to model out. It didn't matter. Wanna know why?

The people who want these MPAs represent a large group of people who want nature in a 100% pristine state untouched by man. There is not compromise when that is your goal. I watched PEW pay to bus in children from local schools who said they wanted to save the coral reefs in California (never mind there are no coral reefs). The whole thing was so corrupt the head of Western Petroleum was on the specially appointed "Blue Ribbon Task Force" who implemented the final maps... funny that fracking is still legal in these MPA zones but recreational fishing isn't.

This is serious serious scary stuff. I can't tell you how horrible it feels to be told you will never fish in your favorite area ever again for the rest of your life.

Take this stuff seriously because once the ball gets rolling it's harder to stop.

Article on the meeting from channel 10 news:

http://www.turnto10.com/story/30040753/experts-public-discuss-potential-underwater-marine-monument-in-new-england

Another online action to take:

https://secure2.convio.net/asaf/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=325