MSBA Action Alert--Protect Fishing License Bill Today

[nightfighter]

This is what I sent to my rep. Cut and paste. Add your name, etc, edit, done. Easy

My name is xxxx xxxxxx, and I reside at xx xxxxxxx xx in xxxxxxxxx. I am writing you in regards to the above mentioned bill, as it has future ramifications to me, as an avid striped bass fisherman.

MA House Bil #4224 is the fishing license legislation written by a steering committee of recreational fishing leaders and is currently at a critical point in the legislative process. The bill is now in the MA House Ways & Means Committee and is in danger of having monies diverted to the Environmental/State Police. This diversion will cause MA to lose millions of dollars in federal matching funds that pay for current fisheries programs and it will cause many organizations, including the MA Striped Bass Assn to withdraw support for any State managed license.

I support H4224 "as written" and that you would like to see the bill come out of Ways & Means ASAP. Would you please take time to look into this on behalf of myself and all the other fishermen and women who reside in the seaside communities you represent? I look forward to hearing back from you.

Regards,

[Flaptail]

I have absolutely no faith, no matter how the legislation is written, that a license and it's associated fees would or will be off limits, as far as funds received from the sale of those licenses. The governors executive powers are being expanded all the time and it is inevitable that he will have the power to attch these funds to whatever he wants, especially in this economy. Were 600 million more in the hole now than we thought we were.

First a license to fish in saltwater is another layer of over regulation, the last free frontier is about to be taken away. I don't plan on buying one and how will they ever inforce it?

To support the notion of a license thinking that it will be administered correctly is just plain ignorance.

Will there be anything left in our world that our children and thier children will be able to enjoy freely without have to have a license, permit or entrance fee?

Having a license for saltwater and supporting it is as dumb a cause as building a statue to commemorate sport fisherman ( or woman) along the canal.

Wake up and smell the roses, it's another back door means of revenue for the state's ailing coffers and it will be raided, it cannot be effectively enforced.

Dumb assed idea all around.

[denis]

Looks like RI. passed theirs today $7.50 starting in Jan.

[BasicPatrick]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

I have absolutely no faith, no matter how the legislation is written, that a license and it's associated fees would or will be off limits,

Are you saying the sky is blue. You really think we should be worried about misuse of the license money. No %$%$%$%$.

The best protection our group of recreational fishing leaders have found available in this situation is a dedicated fund. Any use of the money from the fund is limited by the language in the legislation and expenditures must be approved by the legislature. Would you like chapter and verse from the MA Code of State Regulations (CSR) because I do have it?

By managing the monies with this method, using the money for other purposes would require a change in the legislation and that process will give the fishing community a chance to respond/defend as opposed to leaving the money vulnerabe to appropriation for purposes other than recreational fishing.

The battle is making sure there is no loophoes in the original legislation to begin with and that is going on right now. Did you call your representative or are you just getting in the way? Are you trying to prevent anglers from taking political action for some other reason?

Originally Posted by Flaptail

as far as funds received from the sale of those licenses. The governors executive powers are being expanded all the time and it is inevitable that he will have the power to attach these funds to whatever he wants, especially in this economy. Were 600 million more in the hole now than we thought we were.

The above statement leads me to think that you have no idea about the Governor's authorities, what they are, how they can be used etc. Can you inform me what clause in the CSR you think could be mis used to raid the fund. I will gladly discuss this with the MSBA lawyers.

Those of us involved are worried about the legislature and what final language will control the dedicated fund. We are doing all we can to keep the license monies within the MA Division of Marine Fisheries and it is irresponsible nonsense as you have posted here that is our biggest hurdle.

I am happy to answer questions but that is not what you are doing is it? We need all anglers to contact their legislators or the only people that will benefit from the license monies will be a certain group of government employees.

Originally Posted by Flaptail

First a license to fish in saltwater is another layer of over regulation, the last free frontier is about to be taken away. I don't plan on buying one and how will they ever inforce it?

To support the notion of a license thinking that it will be administered correctly is just plain ignorance.

To suggest that a license is merely a "notion" or is "about to" anything is what is ignorant. The reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Fisheries Act which requires all anglers be counted passed in 2006. That was THREE YEARS AGO. The delay of implementation that if I recall correctly and the search feature of this site will confirm you did not see coming was caused by the presidential election and resulting turnover within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) but make no mistake about it the license is coming. You can shout and pout all you want but it is already done and the adults amongst us are trying to prevent our monies from paying for the turnpike, big dig and whatever agenda inspired you to post here.

Originally Posted by Flaptail

Will there be anything left in our world that our children and thier children will be able to enjoy freely without have to have a license, permit or entrance fee?

Only if we and hopefuly our children learn to step up and participate in democracy as I am asking all anglers to do in this thread. Your distracting response is exactly why we lose these political battles. I find your comments completely irresponsible.

Originally Posted by Flaptail

Having a license for saltwater and supporting it is as dumb a cause as building a statue to commemorate sport fisherman ( or woman) along the canal.

I have no idea what this line means. It appears to me that Bassmaster and Flaptail have become one. Actually, I suspect Flaptail knows exactly what he is doing.

Originally Posted by Flaptail

Wake up and smell the roses, it's another back door means of revenue for the state's ailing coffers and it will be raided, it cannot be effectively enforced.

It surely will be raided if high profile anglers such as yourself react like this. Instead of being a part of the solution to dealing with what is being shoved down our throats you choose to cause a distraction and become part of the problem...Good Job

Enforcement will be the same as a state charter boat license, a hunting license, a trapping license, a lobstering license, a recreational gil net license and commercial fishing license etc etc. These are all currenty enforced and that will continue. Is enforcement perfect? Nope. Should the Environmental Police have switched from the Department of Fish and Game to the State Police a few years ago... Nope.

Will including enforcement money directed to the State Police in the legislation automatically eliminate over 5 milion in federal Wallup Rowe manufacturers tax reimbursements we already receive...YES.

Enforcement is what enforcement is. The EPO are already paid to enforce fishing regs. Whether they do or do not is another question and is not answered by the amount of money in the State Police Budget

[MakoMike]

[QUOTE=BasicPatrick;720449][B][I][COLOR="Blue"]
To suggest that a license is merely a "notion" or is "about to" anything is what is ignorant. The reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Fisheries Act which requires all anglers be counted passed in 2006. That was THREE YEARS AGO. The delay of implementation that if I recall correctly and the search feature of this site will confirm you did not see coming was caused by the presidential election and resulting turnover within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) but make no mistake about it the license is coming. You can shout and pout all you want but it is already done and the adults amongst us are trying to prevent our monies from paying for the turnpike, big dig and whatever agenda inspired you to post here.

I don't have a dog i this fight, I don't live in or fish in MA, but the above statement is a bunch of B.S. that the proponents of a state saltwater license have been pushing since the MSA was reauthorized. The MSA does NOT require a license of any kind. It requires a "registry" but only of those anglers that fish in federal waters or fish for andromonous fish. For all practical purposes that is only striped bass fishermen. But the politicians have seen the $$$ signs on the wall and are hell bent to get it before Washington can.

Ask yourself this, if the states did NOTHING how could the feds enforce this? Anyone casting a plug or soaking a bait could simply claim to fishing for bluefish, flounder, fluke, scup, sea bass or any other species besides striped bass. The only guys that would have to worry are guys who fish from boats out past the three mile limit and even many of them would have been exempt because they had a HMS permit, which would exempt them from the registry.

Anyone who supports a state salt water license is either woefully misinformed or a supporter of a state permit for anything and everything.