Quote:
Originally Posted by BasicPatrick
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.