I found the story!! Scroll down to read!!

Dammit it all :mad:

State will close fish hatchery

y DOUG FRASER
STAFF WRITER
WITH Wire reports
ORLEANS - It's a rite of spring for recreational fishermen craving the tug of fish on a line after a long winter without.

In the first truly warm days of the year, when the striped bass are not yet here in number and size, Orleans saltwater fisherman Tony Stetzko grabs his fly rod and heads for fish-stocked Cliff Pond in Nickerson State Park. His goal: to catch a big brook or rainbow trout or even an Atlantic salmon.

"There are tons of guys there," Stetzko said.

But there may not be many fish for the guys next spring.

On Tuesday the state Board of Fisheries and Wildlife voted to close two of the five state fish hatcheries: one in Sandwich and the other in Montague in Franklin County. The two produce one-quarter of all trout stocked in Massachusetts.

The agency is losing 37 employees to early retirement, and closing the hatcheries saves enough money to replace eight retiring workers and maintain other operations, state wildlife agency director Wayne MacCallum said Tuesday.

"We're beyond bare bones," he said. "We're taking part of the skeleton now."



Sportsmen angered
The staff (and most of the trout) from Sandwich and Montague will be moved to other hatcheries, but eventually there will be fewer fish stocked in the state's lakes and streams, MacCallum said. The two hatcheries are slated to close as of Jan. 1.
Board members at the meeting complained that the state was only letting them spend half of the $12.6 million they collect annually in hunting and fishing licenses, and the state's share of federal excise taxes on guns and fishing tackle.

Mike Moss, president of the 50,000-member Massachusetts Sportsmen's Council, said sportsmen were angry their license fees would be diverted into the state's general fund.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials have already warned the state that it could lose more than $4 million in federal excise taxes devoted to wildlife management if revenues from hunting and fishing licenses are not dedicated solely to wildlife issues.

Stetzko pulled a battered license out of his wallet and looked for the fee. It is $27.50 for a residential freshwater sport fishing license.

"That's not cheap," he said.

Felix Browne, spokesman for the state office of Environmental Affairs, said the license and excise tax funds were not being siphoned off into the general fund. He could not say where they would be used, but that the state would not endanger any portion of the federal funding with its actions.



Sudden decision
The state fisheries and wildlife board comprises sportsmen and other citizens and operates independently from the office of Environmental Affairs. They do get to decide how the Fisheries and Wildlife department budget is spent.
Brown said yesterday that it was a long time until Jan. 1, and that something else could be worked out before then.

State hatchery workers at the Sandwich facility said they didn't find out they might be closed until after the vote Tuesday.

"It (stinks)," said Stetzko of the closings. "That place (Sandwich hatchery) has been there forever. They are the only ones that have this one genetic strain of brook trout."

Massachusetts Audubon naturalist Nancy Church was upset over the Sandwich closing for a different reason.

"We used it as a teaching tool. They were always willing to show kids what they did and you can teach so many things around (hatchery science)," she said.

Paul Newmier at Blackbeard's Bait and Tackle in North Eastham said the freshwater fishing business was just a small part of his sales. Still, fewer fish in the ponds diminished the overall Cape fishing experience for a lot of fishermen.

While some locals may be satisfied with the native species like smallmouth bass and pickerel, the lure of catching a trout or salmon in the Cape's scenic ponds draws fishermen and their dollars to the Cape in the slow off-season.

"There's an awful lot of good fishing in these ponds," Newmier said.

(Published: September 25, 2003

this sucks a big one. :mad:

Very disturbing news and I hope this isn't a trend :( this could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Quote: Felix Browne, spokesman for the state office of Environmental Affairs, said the license and excise tax funds were not being siphoned off into the general fund. He could not say where they would be used, but that the state would not endanger any portion of the federal funding with its actions.

I'd like to see proof of that statement.

How about this?

He put a gag order out.:af:

http://www.peer.org/press/309.html

Well I think we all should get toghter and cut off Romney's Coffee money!!
If no one and I mean no one Buys a fishing Lic or special Lic plates or anything then he will have no cash to take!! Now I no some will say but I like to fish, I will get caught with out a Lic. Well they can't arrest all of us and there is not going to be any fish to catah anyway if they have there way!!

I only have 2 words: Civil Disobedience.

I've decided not to buy a fishing license if this is the situation as it is appearing to be. Why buy a license? I bought my license just solely for trout fishing, sure I do some bass fishing but that's not veyr often that I do... I did more trout fishing during the offseason than I did bass fishing all year round.

This is ridiculous.
:af: :af: :af:

Originally posted by Slipknot

Quote: Felix Browne, spokesman for the state office of Environmental Affairs, said the license and excise tax funds were not being siphoned off into the general fund. He could not say where they would be used, but that the state would not endanger any portion of the federal funding with its actions.


So where's the money going?
Hmmm?

WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY KENNETH?! :af:

Anyone here a lawyer?

Would a class action lawsuit vs. the govt be in order?

The funds were collected by a select group (the class). In this case, fishermen and hunders. The monies were to be used for specific purposes stated at time of collection. (Read your license for information)

The monies have been diverted into the general fund.

We (the class) have now contributed extra mony to the general fund where the remainder of the populace has not.

Do we have a case?

.

Originally posted by Slipknot
How about this?

He put a gag order out.:af:

http://www.peer.org/press/309.html

That gag order was dated Jan 20, 2003 ... Have you heard of anything newer?

That tells me that his gag order has been working, the sneaky bastage.

Here is a link, Email this guy Mike Hopper for further details, he is trying to get something going.

http://www.flyfishsaltwaters.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005071

There are also 2 other threads on the main page of FFSW that may interest you.