No More Recreational Fishing

This isn't a political blog and I really want to stay away from politics completely. But there is always so much junk coming out of government regardless who is in power or whose side you are on. I couldn't resist this story because it is making the rounds just this afternoon. ESPN is making a big splash with it because it affects the many recreational fisherman and the whole industry. No Fishing off the Dock The report hasn't come out yet stating there will be a ban, but the discussions have been closed. According to the different recreational sports fishing groups, the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force is highly influenced by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) which recently were successful in convincing Ontario to ban bear hunting. Now I'm not against hunting or fishing, but if the fish or bears are in danger, then they should be protected. But to ban ALL sports fishing? Where is the sense of that? ESPN (Mar 9, 2010) - Culled out The Obama administration will accept no more public input for a federal strategy that could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing the nation's oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even inland waters. One sign at the United We Fish rally at the Capital summed up the feelings of recreational and commercial fishermen. This announcement comes at the time when the situation supposedly still is "fluid" and the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force still hasn't issued its final report on zoning uses of these waters. ... Consequently, unless anglers speak up and convince their Congressional representatives to stop this bureaucratic freight train, it appears that the task force will issue a final report for "marine spatial planning" by late March, with President Barack Obama then issuing an Executive Order to implement its recommendations — whatever they may be. Led by NOAA's Jane Lubchenco, the task force has shown no overt dislike of recreational angling, but its indifference to the economic, social and biological value of the sport has been deafening. ... Read the full story here... This isn't really a story yet because no bill has been passed. But it sure looks like it is headed that way. The Obama administration seems to be headed in this direction because of different actions they have taken already. Expansion of the Clean Water Act In July of 2009 an expansion of the Clean Water Act was introduced that effectively gave the government control over that pond you have out back on your own farm: "Right now, the law says that the Environmental Protection Agency is in charge of all navigable water," said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., chairman of the Senate Western Caucus and an opponent of the bill. "Well, this bill removes the word 'navigable,' so for ranchers and farmers who have mud puddles, prairie potholes -- anything from snow melting on their land -- all of that water will now come under the regulation of the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency," he said. The EPA's Man-Made Drought And then there was the man-made drought this summer in San Joaquin Valley, California's bread basket.  The canals to supply water to the thousands of acres have been in place for years and it is a big employer in the debt-ridden state.  But the EPA said the 3-inch delta smelt was in danger and diverted all the water to the ocean.  Farmers complained all summer but with little fanfare on the TV news.  Schwarzenegger said there was nothing he could do. The EPA priorities seemed to be very skewed. It is easy to see why the recreational sporting industry is worried. Bil An Outraged Dad