Prostesters head to sea over Obama administration’s fishing regulations

[The Northerner]

ABOARD THE FISHING TRAWLER BULLDOG - Protesters have embarked by sea for Vineyard Haven and President Obama’s vacation paradise with huge signs and flags attached to show their outrage over his administration’s fishing regulations.

“We’re steaming to Martha’s Vineyard to attempt to raise some awareness with the president while he’s 25 miles south of the most profitable port in the country to raise concerns about the fact that everyone is angry with (setting fishing limits),” said Robert Vanasse, executive director of Saving Seafood.

One sign reads, “Fishing families are working families.”

Other fishermen plan to wave “Don’t tread on me” flags.

As many as 15 large vessels were expected to join the flotilla out of New Bedford, with still more joining up from ports in Gloucester, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey, according to Tina Jackson of the American Alliance of Fishermen.

The noon protest has already reeled one big fish into their camp: Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown.

“I have no problem with (Obama) protecting species that need to be protected,” Brown said. “But there’s been very little flexibility with (regulators) when they get new information that they’re wrong.”

Developing...

Source: http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1277171

[Winterblues]

1. I wonder what fishing regulations they are concerned about.

I have heard nothing about any changes in federal regulations.

[Javaman]

2. You haven't heard about it, because it's pure bullshit created from whole cloth.

the "Obama is going to ban fishing!" meme has been floating around the halfwit blogosphere for months now.

sometimes I think about coming up with a totally unbelievable ridiculous fabricated crazy freak out rumor to see if the rightwing ball lickers take it and run.

"Obama is going to ban puppies!"

Soon all the nut bags out there will claim that he hates dog of any kind and not only that, Obama is going out of his way to promote cats. Then the war on cats would begin.

But then I think, naaaa, they are doing just fine by themselves with the birthers and the deathers.

I found that life is stranger than fiction.

[EstimatedProphet]

5. I work for NOAA, in the National Marine Fisheries Service

Trust me, we're not banning fishing.

What we are doing is changing the way it is that commercial fishing is managed. Fishing vessels can join a "sector" which performs in practice much like a co-op. All the vessels within a sector have a share which is allocated to the entire sector. It's been tried in other areas and other countries with success.

Catch shares: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=3332

The rule changes: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/press_release/2010/MediaAdv/ma1001/

[fasttense]

3. The bushes pushed for the recreational fishing industry to register their boats

and pay a fee starting 1 Jan 2011.

Here is an excerpt:

RECREATIONAL FISHERIES.—
(1) FEDERAL PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall establish and implement a regionally based registry program for recreational fishermen in each of the 8 fishery management regions. The program, which shall not require a fee before January 1, 2011, shall provide for—
(A) the registration (including identification and contact information) of individuals who engage in recreational fishing—
(i) in the Exclusive Economic Zone;
(ii) for anadromous species; or
(iii) for Continental Shelf fishery resources beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone;

But here is the kicker, it was pushed during the bushes reign of terror.

"The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) is the primary law governing marine fisheries management in United States federal waters. The Act was first enacted in 1976 and amended in 1996. Most notably, the Magnuson-Stevens Act aided in the development of the domestic fishing industry by phasing out foreign fishing. To manage the fisheries and promote conservation, the Act created eight regional fishery management councils. The 1996 amendments focused rebuilding overfished fisheries, protecting essential fish habitat, and reducing bycatch.

President George W. Bush, through his Ocean Action Plan, made reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act a top priority. The President called for a hard deadline to end overfishing, increased use of market-based management tools, creation of a national saltwater angler registry, and an emphasis on ecosystem approaches to management."

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/msa2005/

So they are protesting bushes plans. Maybe they shouldn't have voted for him then.

[Riftaxe]

4. Considering Massachusetts is a very blue state

Surely you can provide evidence that these working class fishermen (these are not workers on factory trawlers) voted for Bush?

Or are you just making shit up?

Even John Kerry supports them...assuming you know who that particular Senator is.

[Sta au]

6. Probably

It sounds like a typical classist attitude.