Menhaden Bill introduced

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by ThrowingTimber

[animal]

This is a letter I composed and sent(75times)to all the state reps.Anyone who wishes(not just R.I residents)can feel free to edit in their own name,and send it in.Thanx. Dear Sir or Madam,as I'm sure you're aware,bill H.5165 would designate Narragansett bay a Menhaden Management Area.Passage of this bill would outlaw the use of commercial purse seines(nets)within the bay.If you aren't aware,the menhaden is a baitfish which is essential to all of our gamefish.Pure protien,the menhaden keep our gamefish fat and healthy.They have been called "the most important fish in the ocean".They serve another important function as well.Filter-feeders,they clean the water in the bay.An adult menhaden(bunker)cleans four gallons of seawater a minute.They swim along with open mouths taking in seawater,and filter out nutrients.These nutrients are the cause of our yearly algae blooms,and the massive fish and shellfish kills that stem from them.This has earned bunker the nick-name"the liver of the bay".
As you are probably aware,there is only one company(Ark Bait),an out of state company at that(Swansea,Mass.),who purse-seine inside Narragansett bay.They use spotter planes to find the schools of menhaden,then encircle them with their nets.Basically,they decimate the schools of bunker,along with Striped Bass(our most valuable gamefish)who are feeding on them.It is IMPOSSIBLE to net bunker,without netting bass as well.It is already illegal to net bass,so BY LAW,they must be thrown back dead,into the water.This is a terrible waste.It's usually the larger breeding stock bass that are killed needlessly.
Striped bass are beginning to really feel the heat.Without menhaden,most are skinny and weak,making them highly suseptible to MYCOBACTERIOSIS.A disease that many bass are dieing from.
The economic value of our Striped Bass is HUGE.Countless thousands of sportsmen and women come to R.I.(The Ocean State)to pursue Striped bass,along with our residents.We spend HUGE amounts of money in R.I.on everything from bait and tackle,gas,boats,fuel,gear,food,lodging,and a variety of other essentials.Sportsmen and women contribute in a major way,to every aspect of our states economy.
Passage of this bill is VERY important.Thousands and thousands of Sportsmen and women (and voters) will be closely watching the outcome.Thank you very much for taking the time to read this,and thank you in advance for your consideration.If need be,I can provide you with corroborating evidence for the claims I've made.Again thank you.
Robert McManus
Johnston,R.I.

[Miles Offshore]

i thought we were the only state still allowing "purse seining " menhaden. Omega Protein sucks! Hopefully they will not be around too much longer at least on the east coast. There were quite a few confrontations with these clowns down here this fall with them trying to bully around smaller boats. They (Omega protein) have the cheap labor market cornered for the company to work their boats. They were circling large schools and s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g up everything, rockfish included. Congrats on y'alls bill!!

[animal]

I received 5 return e-mails so far from the 75 state reps.Everyone who replied is in favor of the bill. Dear Mr. McManus:
I have not been asked to co-sign this bill, but it sounds like an initiative I could support given the information I have. Thank you for contacting me.

Sincerely,
Rep. Patricia A. Serpa
District 27 (West Warwick, Warwick, Coventry)
Dear Robert, In my 15 years in the General Assembly, this is one of the most helpful and informative letters I have ever received. I will certainly support this bill. You make perfect sense. Thank you for writing. Sincerely, Robert Jacquard, Representative-District 17 --- On Thu 02/01, <

Mr. McManus:
Thank you for the e-mial. I encourage you to spread the word. In fact, if you and others would also write letters to the editor, that would help also. By the way, I am a co-sponsor of the bill.
Rep.Peter Kilmarten

Dear Mr. McManus:
Thank you for your email.
Please know that I am the primary sponsor of this bill, and appreciate your comments. Respectfully, I ask you to please contact your Representative and Senator and urge him/her to support this legislation, as the opponents, mostly lobsterman, are already attacking the position of trying to save this species.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Raymond E. Gallison, Jr.
Representative- District 69

Robert,


I can remember during the 1980's when there was a moratorium on netting of menhaden, finding schools of menhaden in the bay, and by treble hooking the bait fish, allowing it to sink to below the school, and then hooking bluefish or stripers. This was some of the most exciting fishing I have ever experienced. I also remember going out early one summer morning, and seeing the 'pogey' boats netting everything they could get, and the demise of these schools. I agree that protecting the menhaden in this way is vital to improving and supporting our sport fishing industry.
The only objection I anticipate is from lobster fisherman in my district who use the menhaden for bait.


Thanks for you note,
Rep John J. Loughlin
These are all the replies I've gotten so far,and it seems that everyone is on board right?Problem is,I sent out 75 e-mails and so far only received 5 replies.That leaves 70 state reps unheard from.Again I urge everyone to do their part in this.Thanx!

[animal]

Bump.Anybody remember this thread?

[Slinger]

Just holding on till Steve says to go.The bill has just been assigned to commitees and will take some time to make it to the hearing stage in both the house and senate. The best time to bombard these pols is just before they come up for a vote to be sent to the floor. We want them thinking about the thousand calls and letters they got in the last two weeks and not trying to remember what was said two months ago. The biggest thing we can do now is try to get this hurried along so it can get to the floor before the pogies are all netted for another season. As soon as Steve says the time is right I`ll be all over the net harrassing people to get out the support.
Slinger