You can contact as many representatives as possible and explain this to them “strait from the FWC website” http://myfwc.com/Conservation/Conservat ... Impact.htm
Florida's recreational saltwater fishery has an economic impact of $5.4 billion, supporting over 54,000 jobs
http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=9174
At the Gulf Council meetings last week they moved closer to mechanisms designed to essentially shut down recreational seasons for Grouper and ARS.
Funny how EDF is all of a sudden entrenched in fishery management when they have absolutely no history in it. That is until this current administration appointed Jane Lubchenco former EDF board member to be Head of our National Marine Fishery Service.
Take a look at their mission plan below and how quick they can spend 1.6 million dollars to steal your fish. And be sure to check out the
Shareholder's Alliance Web Page:
EDF is working to bring all Gulf reef fish under IFQ management by 2012, and to integrate management for the commercial and recreational sectors. Until all reef fish are managed under IFQs, needless bycatch and economic waste will impede the full conservation and business benefits that catch share management offers. With the hands-on knowledge, and the authority and ability to reach other fishermen only found through a strong peer-to-peer voice, the Alliance is a critical partner to EDF to achieve our shared goal.
Final Financial Report
Personnel (includes benefits) $569,297
Consultants 562,167
Travel 76,691
Regional Meetings 26,947
Grants & Passthroughs 161,475
Printing/Supplies/Media 96,781
EDF Indirect Costs @ 16% 170,789
Total project expenses: $1,664,147
Shareholder's Alliance Web Page
Shareholder's Alliance Sample Web Page. Web address: http://shareholdersalliance.org/
Purpose
Market-based fisheries management makes it possible to protect the environment, increase opportunities for industry profits, provide higher quality fish, create more full-time jobs, and save lives. With catch share management, which provides fishermen with an economic incentive to conserve fisheries and oceans, the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fisheries can gain these benefits. EDF seeks to boost efforts to secure a catch share, called individual fishing quotas (IFQs), for the reef fish complex by supporting the efforts of the nascent Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance.
Scope
Many of America's fisheries suffer under poor management that has led to numerous overfished stocks. The opportunity to transform the nation’s fisheries into well managed, market-based catch share systems is now at hand. Enthusiasm for catch share programs is mounting among fishermen and managers; the required legislative framework is in place. Environmental Defense Fund is working with fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fisheries, the South Atlantic snapper grouper fishery, the New England groundfish fishery, and the Pacific groundfish fishery to unlock the potential of catch shares and move those fisheries away from a tragedy of the commons towards a sustainably managed asset. Building on the success of the new catch share for Gulf commercial red snapper (and expectations for the grouper fishery) by securing catch shares for other species in the Gulf reef fish complex, EDF will help advance catch shares throughout the country.
