Posted on 11/03/2009 7:28:47 AM PST by Howard Morrison
November 02, 2009 9:18 PM
Tom McLaughlin and Tina Harbuck More than 100 fishermen, family and friends showed up Monday morning at the corner of U.S. 98 and Perry Avenue carrying signs in protest of the recent fish closures by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
“It’s terrible what they’re trying to do to this fishery,” said Capt. Kenny Aziz, who bay fishes from his pontoon boat, The Toonpang.
The idea of bringing the Destin charter boat fishermen’s beef with the federal government to the corner of Perry Avenue and U.S. Highway 98 started out as kind of a joke.
That Fort Walton Beach corner is best known, after all, as a spot where vagrants panhandle for beer money.
“We said, ‘Why don’t we stand out there with all the homeless folks, since the National Marine Fisheries is going to make us homeless?’ ” said boat captain Greg Marler.
Click on the link to read more: http://www.thedestinlog.com/news/fish-11769-protest-marine.html
(Excerpt) Read more at thedestinlog.com ...
...so the rep will know the govt's plan is working...
*snort*
creative...
If the rep agrees with it ~ TIME TO VOTE THE BASTARD OUT!
exactly which part of the CONSTITUTION allows this??? I have read it over and over again and fail to see ANY CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY for USURPING the rights of a FREE INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN STATE. When will A Governor Call forth the MILITIA as Guaranteed in the 2nd Amendment???? Now is the Time.
Wang Dang - Sweet Toonpang
The Change that Florida Hoped for?
Florida Electoral Votes: 27
President 100.0% of 7,005 precincts reporting
Candidate Party Vote Counts Votes Cast
Barack Obama Dem 4,143,957 50.9%
John McCain GOP 3,939,380 48.4%
Ralph Nader EPF 27,365 0.3%
Bob Barr Lib 16,733 0.2%
“The Toonpang.”
That’s a spoonerism, isn’t it?
My boat is called the “Bullship Two”
A few things - the quotas responsible for shutting down the recreational amberjack fishing last week were implemented in 2006. (Quota wasn’t reached last year, so the fishery remained open all year.)
This shut-down affects only recreational fishing (for now) but the commercial fleet can still fish, as they have a different % of the quota.
that said, I don’t understand how charters can’t be considered “commercial?” Some smart lawyer should look into that.
They’re shutting down recreational fishing but allowing commercial fishing? How does that protect the fishies?
It’s pretty sad isn’t it??? Problem is South Florida and the FL east coast are so liberal (and they don’t care about the Fishermen). The gulf and panhandle are hard working farm and fishermen, getting hurt badly by these environmental regulations of the NOAA. The PEW fund supplying the $$$ to the DEMS.
Yeah, they increased the quota for the commerical fleets and shut down the charter boat captains. Changed it mid-year. Bastards.
I wrote my congresswomen, Suzanne Kosmas, our two senators and governor. Governor Crist is the only one who answered me. Kosmas, who has her head so far up Pelosi's nether regions she speaks for her, didn't bother to write back, which isn't totally surprising as she probably had to ask Nancy how to respond.
We know Botox Pelosi is against Fishing and Fishermen!
The NMFS has had a long crusade to shut down the recreational fishing industry in NY. For decades, fluke (summer flounder) have been the mainstay of bottom fishing open boats for the summer season. NY and NJ boats often fish within yards of each other in the bight and lower NY Harbor, yet these are the rules NMFS has come up with;
NY,
Season is split; 5/15 - 6/15 and 7/3 - 8/17
Size - 21”
Daily limit - 2
NJ,
Season - 5/23 - 9/4
Size - 18”
Daily limit - 6
These rules depend on the port of the vessel, not the fishing grounds.
IMO, the NMFS is just a dumping ground for political patronage.
I forgot to add that the commercial size limit in NJ is 14”, not sure what it is in NY.
She has a soft spot for her Pacific Starkist fleet however.
Is this the next Klamath or Jarbridge?
They are doing their best to put these fishermen out of business. They are down from 300 fishing days a year to 200. That was before this crackdown. Some a laying off deckhands, some are talking about selling their boats, other, older one will just retire. They are killing the fleets. Destin use to be the Luckiest Fishing Village, that was until the Federal Regulators and Environmentalists stepped in.
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