Obama may ban Fishing!
Today I am flying the 1st Navy Union Jack. I fly this Patriot Flag when Liberty is threatened. President Obama’s new Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force is recommending limiting SPORTS fishing in some saltwater areas on our coasts and freshwater withing the United States! The document is “up” for public comment.
Liberty Threatened
The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force has published its “interim” document for public comment you can find that document HERE. The agency is recommending restrictions on fishing in both saltwater and freshwater … “consistent with international law.”
- (Since when does International Law tell the citizens of the USA whether or not they can fish! Also notice this isn’t about “commercial” fishing, it is SPORTS fishing!)
Shimano Corp: IRVINE, Calif. USA – October 5, 2009 – A recently published administration document outlines a structure that could result in closures of sport fishing in salt and freshwater areas across America. The White House created an Interagency Oceans Policy Task Force in June and gave them only 90 days to develop a comprehensive federal policy for all U.S. coastal, ocean and Great Lakes waters. Under the guise of ‘protecting’ these areas, the current second phase of the Task Force direction is to develop zoning which may permanently close vast areas of fishing waters nationwide. This is to be completed by December 9, 2009.
When you see this, DOUBT it!
- White House Memo: The original White House memo and not surprisingly the Task Force report contains multiple references to developing a national policy where Great Lakes and coastal regions are managed, “consistent with international law, including customary international law as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea” – a 300-page treaty the U.S. has never ratified.
KeepAmericaFishing.org Without recreational angler input, decisions made under this national oceans policy could be used to unnecessarily close saltwater and freshwater recreational fishing areas.
The Bottom Line
Its not about fishing, is it? It is about this this administration once again taking a God-Given Liberty from us and replacing it with a “rule”. The government, with any slight expansion of this “rule” will actually have the power to tell me I am not free to fish. This even though the sports fishermen in this country, without any government help, spend millions on making their fishing habitats even more viable and productive every year.
- In fact, according to NOAA Fisheries, saltwater anglers contribute over $82 billion to the economy and support over half a million jobs.
No Fishing!
This is about a government reaching into our personal lives, once again, and taking away Liberty and Freedom. How much more of the “Nanny State” will you allow before YOU stand up and say “ENOUGH!”? Do you want President Obama telling you where and when you can fish? Do you want the United Nations setting the guidelines for fishing in your pond?
If the answer is “NO!” then you can take action one of two ways. Want to be part of the Patriotic Grassroots of this country? Here’s you chance, jump in an help make a difference:
From KeepAmericaFishing.org:
The Task Force’s Interim Report is currently under a public review and comment period. The single most obvious flaw in the report is the omission of responsibly regulated recreational fishing as a key activity for the oceans and the Great Lakes. In addition, as a national policy document governing the oceans and Great Lakes, the report is skewed toward a preservationist policy of locking up public waters instead of one that promotes sustainable uses such as recreational fishing.
- Send a letter to the White House Council on Environmental Quality urging the Task Force to include recreational fishing and boating in the national policy by simply copying this linked letter and pasting it into the form at this link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiati…
Press “send message” below to send the letter to your Members of Congress.
Go to the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force site and fill out their form writing your own letter.
"The Constitution is a Limiting Document" - Obama
Personal Note:
One more time an “government agency” has sprung up without our knowledge, once more its “output” threatens Liberty and Freedom. We’ve got to be fighting back from the grass roots. There is NO Constitutional precedent for this. “Control of fishing” is on in the Constitution and the 10th amendment states the government then cannot regulate this aspect of our lives. Please send your thoughts to these people and tell them,
- They do not have the authority to tell us where to fish (read the 10th amendment again)
- We do not need guidelines, we already spend MILLIONS of our own dollars making sure our fishing environments are healthy and kept up to date.
We need Patriotic grass roots help, even if you are not a fisherman, this is YOUR issue too. Here is another perfect example of the government taking control of our lives … one “policy” at a time. Please join all Patriots to say “NO!”
Thank you
Doug
Note 1. When you “submit” your letter, you will then be given access to the names of all the people who have commented. Here is the letter I submitted … feel free to copy/change/use as you wish.
Doug
Note 2. if you aren’t up to speed on the 10th Amendment, see this post “Got State Sovereignty?“
Dear “Committee”
I would like to begin by asking a question. By what Constitutional Authority are you planning on banning fishing in areas you so designate? Having a “memo” from the President means nothing compared to having Constitutional Authority … which, the last time I checked, actually limited the President and agencies such as yours from “creating” the self-appointed authority to tell people where and when they can fish in this great country. The 10th amendment DEFINES what you can control, this is not among those listed items. You people need to get a real job and leave the rest of us alone!
As one of 60 million anglers in the United States, I am writing to express my deep concerns regarding the National Ocean and Great Lakes Policy proposal recently released by the Ocean Policy Task Force. I am very disappointed that the task force failed to recognize the significant conservation, economic and social contributions of recreational fishing and include that as a key policy component. I am also very concerned about the abbreviated 90 day time line which forced the Task Force to rush to issue this policy document. The implications of such a policy are vast and nationwide. Therefore, the review process should be very deliberate and with more than 30 days of public review and comment.
My fishing license fees go directly towards conserving and managing fisheries in my state. Additionally, every time I purchase fishing equipment, the federal excise tax on that purchase goes to state fish and wildlife agencies for fisheries conservation throughout this nation. It’s safe to say that recreational anglers have provided the lion’s share of funding for fisheries conservation and management in this county for well over 50 years. In fact, according to NOAA Fisheries, saltwater anglers contribute over $82 billion to the economy and support over half a million jobs.
How can our contributions be ignored?
I am a conservationist who loves the outdoors. I believe that recreational activities like responsibly-managed and regulated recreational fishing deserve full consideration and incorporation in the administration’s ocean and Great Lakes policy. Providing the angling public with access to public resources is no less important than conserving those resources. Therefore, I am urging you to include recreational fishing as a separate and distinct ocean and Great Lakes priority.
Thank you for your consideration.
(… and please read the 10th Amendment to the Constitution again, please?)
(Signature Deleted)