Congressional Action Needed to Guarantee Proper Use of Oil Spill Money

You would think that it would be a given that money paid as penalties by BP for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico would go for recovery of the environment and economy in that area.

But that would be too direct and sensible for those who govern us. Without Congressional action, 100 percent of the billions of dollars in penalties will go into the general treasury. And from there . . . Who knows? Maybe to a solar plant in California or a cowboy poetry festival in Nevada.

That’s why passage of the RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act (H.R. 3096) is so important. It specifies that 80 percent of the Clean Water Act penalties be used for restoration of the Gulf Coast environment and economy.

A companion bill in the Senate has passed out of committee and now awaits a full vote on the floor.

“The RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act represents a thoughtful, fair and state-centric approach that balances both environmental and economic considerations,” said Mike Nussman of the American Sportfishing Association.

“In addition to the bill’s focus on habitat restoration and business recovery, ASA supports the inclusion of a funding mechanism for fisheries data collection and research. Recreational fishing opportunity in the Gulf and throughout the nation faces numerous threats from natural disasters to ever-increasing regulations. It is critically important that we invest in short- and long-term fisheries data collection to help gather the science needed to properly manage fish stocks.”

Fish-A-Thon Raises Funds for Conservation, Increases Awareness of Threats to Fisheries

Check out the results of Recycled Fish’s recent 24-Hour Fish-A-Thon. Executive director Teeg Stouffer says, “It was a record-setting year in every way.”

As more than 2,000 fish were caught, photographed and released, participants also raised $17,500 for conservation causes and picked up more than 13,000 pieces of trash, along with increasing awareness about threats to fisheries.

“The 24-Hour Fish-A-Thon is about raising awareness for the problems facing our waters, and giving people ways to help solve those problems. With more than 500 individual donors, an estimated 26,000 grassroots interactions, and roughly 256,000 (and growing) media impressions, it was a successful year,” Stouffer adds.

Recycled Fish is a national non-profit organization of “anglers living a lifestyle of stewardship both on and off the water, because our lifestyle runs downstream.” You can join for free, and, as a member of the board of directors, I highly recommend it.

Why We Fish: It's Not What You Think

A friend recently told me that when his father was questioned or criticized by his non-hunting friends about his fondness for fishing and hunting, he responded that his pursuits had “much more of an ecological integrity and a biological and cultural basis than their golfing or even attendance at professional sporting events.”

Those wise words have led me to the realization that fishing is just as important as a means as it is an end. Yes, fishing is synonymous with relaxation, catching fish, having fun, and spending time with friends and family. Those are all valuable “ends” that make life better.

But fishing also is the means by which we connect with both our humanity and nature as we pursue those ends. In the outdoors, only hunting and possibly farming are comparable.

Sure, running, biking, swimming, and playing tennis are healthful pastimes, as are hiking, kayaking, and a variety of other pursuits in nature. But none of them transport us so completely into the web of life as fishing and hunting. We might no longer fish or hunt to feed our families, but these pastimes takes us closer to what life is all about than anything else I can think of --- except for maybe getting lost in the wilderness or being pursued by a grizzly bear.

And in getting closer to what life is all about, we implicitly recognize our place in it and, as a consequence, are healthier and happier in our everyday existence.

What is life all about? Go fishing and find out.

Cleaning Up Our Mess: Pocket the Plastics Part VII

 

Take a good look at the photo above. Those are the used plastics brought in by cooperative anglers during a two-day, 64-boat tournament on Florida’s Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Eamon Bolten, conservation director for the Florida B.A.S.S. Federation Nation, encouraged anglers to participate.

Two days and 64 boats, with 128 anglers. That’s a tiny fraction of the annual fishing pressure on the Kissimmee Chain, as well as most other well known bass fisheries across the country. Visualize what must be on the bottom of Lake Okeechobee, Lake Fork, Lake of the Ozarks, and thousands of other waterways.

But, as Bolten shows, we are starting to make a difference in changing the behavior of anglers and ending the harmful and thoughtless practice of tossing used baits into the water.

In case you aren't up to speed on this issue, bass and other game fish eat those discarded baits. As a result, some --- we don't know how many --- suffer intestinal blockages and slowly starve to death. To learn more, just plug "plastic baits" into the "search" window on this page.

I’m writing a second Conservation column for B.A.S.S. Times about plastic baits, with the emphasis this time on the good things that are happening. It is scheduled to run in the December issue.

I’ll post more here as well in the days ahead.

Advocates Go on the Road to Help Save Bristol Bay Fisheries

The mission to save Bristol Bay, Alaska, from a proposed gold and copper mine is going on the road, according to Trout Unlimited.

Here’s what TU says:

Alaska natives, commercial fishermen, sportsmen and seafood processors are heading south on the Save Bristol Bay Road Show to raise awareness and build support for protecting Bristol Bay Alaska, which is threatened by the proposed Pebble gold and copper mine.

The mine, potentially three times as large as the largest current mine in North America,  would threaten the headwaters of Bristol Bay, putting thousands of fishing  jobs at risk, along with a native way of life that has existed for centuries. The real gold in Bristol Bay is the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery, a sustainable resource that returns year after year.

In six cities, commercial fishermen, Alaska natives, sportsmen, and seafood processors will highlight the economic risks posed by the mine. The Road Show also will feature a screening of the award-winning documentary, “Red Gold,” delicious Bristol Bay sockeye prepared by local chefs, and locally produced beers.

 Here are dates and locations for the Road Show:

Seattle: Monday, October 17, Leif Erikson Lodge, 7 p.m.               

Portland: Wednesday, October 19, Bagdad Theater, 7 p.m.

Corvallis: Friday, October 21, The Arts Center, 7 p.m.

San Francisco: Monday, October 24, Temple Nightclub, 7 p.m.

Santa Fe: Tuesday, October 25, Center For Contemporary Arts Cinematheque, 7 p.m.

Denver: Thursday, October 27, Oriental Theater, 7 p.m.

For information, please visit the Road Show website.

Learn more about the Pebble Mine threat by clicking on the Protect Bristol Bay button on left margin of this page.