The text of the Preserve Fishing Coalition release is presented below…
Fix Magnuson Now is the title of the introductory page to a petition posted on the internet by an ad hoc group of 14 leaders of the recreational, commercial and party/charter fishing sectors called the Preserve Fishing Coalition. Intended to reinforce the message that will be taken directly to Congress on the steps of the US Capitol in Washington on February 24th by fishermen from around the country, the petition is in the form of a letter to the twenty-six House Members and two Senators who are sponsoring The Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009, legislation introduced by Congressman Frank Pallone (HR 1584) and Senator Charles Schumer (S 1255). The Act will allow managers some much needed discretion in determining what are now arbitrary and unnecessarily rigid stock rebuilding timelines.
The letter thanks these legislators for their continuing support of fishermen and the businesses that depend on them and for taking what will be a critical step in the process of allowing independent fishermen and women to once again resume significant roles in the fisheries management process.
It also recognizes the part that multi-billion dollar philanthropic foundations with strong corporate connections have played in inflicting massive and unnecessary damage on fishermen, fishing businesses and fishing communities, in marginalizing in the media and the management process those that are still holding on, and of undermining the original intent of the Magnuson Act, which was to balance the inadequacies of the science underlying fisheries management with the on-the-water experience of working fishermen.
The letter ends “the increase in our seafood trade deficit, which went from $6 billion in 2000 to $9 billion in 2008 and is still rising, is in the largest part due to the unnecessarily harsh and inflexible management regime that is now afflicting our fishermen.”
By 3:00 pm on Tuesday the petition had been signed by well over 800 fishermen and associated businesspeople from Alaska to Maine. It will remain on the web at http://fs16.formsite.com/FixMagnusonNow/form793561462/ until the Washington rally. Anyone who fishes or who owns, operates or is employed by a fishing dependent business is encouraged to visit the site.
Updates on the petition and the Washington rally will be available at the Commercial Fishing – the Rest of the Story blog at http://fishnetlite.blogspot.com/.