RFA LEGAL DEFENSE FUND NEEDS YOUR HELP - Black Sea Bass Lawsuit Update

[C-Fish]

 

RFA LEGAL DEFENSE FUND NEEDS YOUR HELP

Your donations are needed to win the black sea bass lawsuit!

 

 

When the National Marine Fisheries Service exercised dubious emergency powers to shut down the black sea bass fishery last fall, anglers throughout the Mid Atlantic clamored for representation and an organization to champion their cause in federal court. The RFA stepped up to the plate, engaged two top attorneys, put together a strong legal argument and has been working to see it through to the end ever since.

 

The NMFS spent its time wasting your tax dollars in an effort to stall a ruling by the judge in hopes that we would run out of money and the will to see the fight through rather than address the legality of their actions. They thought that once the fishery was reopened the suit would just go away. They were wrong!

 

The lawsuit is not just about black sea bass. It is a challenge to the actions the fisheries service took when they closed a healthy fishery using data that they knew was not only questionable, but "fatally flawed." We knew it, you knew it, but the NMFS didn't care and four months into the closure a review of the data proved that it was flawed and the closure totally unnecessary! NMFS caused great economic hardship by banning recreational access to this important fishery at a time when there was little else to fish for. Anglers lost access to an important fishery for no logical reason whatsoever, but tackle stores, bait dealers, party and charter fishing boats, marinas and manufacturers of the products we use to fish were delivered a blow to their businesses at a time when they were already experiencing unprecedented problems with a downward spiraling economy.

 

RFA did not do this alone. Without the donations of anglers, fishing clubs and associations, and local businesses the suit would not have been possible. You dug into your pockets and helped bankroll the suit to the tune of $33,231.05 (as of June 30, 2010). The sorry part of the fundraising effort was only a handful of tackle manufacturers have provided any support for this effort, and no boat, motor or accessories companies donated. That really says something about the state of the recreational fishing industry.

 

It's the grassroots fishermen and the small retailers and service providers who care enough to make a difference.

 

The suit is coming to a head and the RFA Legal Defense Fund needs your help to see this through. The RFA legal team plans to carry this pill across the goal-line this summer, we need you on the team to help push it through the final stand!

 

RFA membership dues and contributions are used to cover the modest operational costs of the organization and the day to day lobbying efforts it undertakes on your behalf, but they do not cover the cost of litigation. That is why we are asking you to dig into your pockets again to help us with this landmark lawsuit. Help us show the preservationists and bureaucrats running NMFS that we will not sit by while they try to run us off the water for good. They might have a big bankroll, but that doesn't mean they are right or operating within the law!

 

Please, go to the RFA website now and click on the Legal Defense Fund icon on the home page and give whatever you can to this important effort. Tell your fishing buddies they need to get involved, too. You, the anglers who frequent online fishing communities and bulletin boards, were instrumental in helping us with the initial phase of this suit and we need you to get as fired up as you were before so we can win this litigation. You can see an updated list of contributors, including the tackle manufacturers and businesses who've supported the effort so far on the website. We hope we'll see your name on that growing list very soon!

 

While you are there, if you are not receiving RFA press releases and e-newsletters enter your email address. There is so much going on that can impact your ability to go fishing and we want you to be aware of just how engaged the RFA is in these pivotal issues.

 

Go to www.joinrfa.org right now and help.

[Dave A]

Gary, it simply amazes me at how silent this site can be when members are asked to donate money towards a cause. This lawsuit WILL have an effect on everyone that salt water fishes; good or bad. If the lawsuit is won, we ALL continue to fish without closure threats from NMFS on healthy fishes and if the lawsuit is lost we learn to golf. Economic times are a little tough right now but guys can't you find $5.00 to send in to help insure that your kids and grandkids are able to enjoy the salt water fishing that we did?

[Shipwreck]

I hear you Dave (how you been btw). Its not just SOL. Its the demographic that SOL caters to. This is a huge issue but people in our demo would rather ***** about the past than work for their future. I think they just dont believe how bad it can get. Fishing seems like an ingrained right passed on from our forefathers and people just dont believe it will ever change.

 

However, how or why anyone can not simply log on to RFA and see how rec fishing is under attack is beyond me.

 

I praise the RFA, even if I dont always see eye to eye 100% with them. I will head over there and donate some cash today. Its been awhile, thanks for the reminder.

[C-Fish]

Thanks Dave A, Shipwreck.

 

Maybe it's just old guys like me. I've been involved with fisheries stuff for over 25 years and still feel it my responsibility to do what I can to protect the future of our fisheries.

 

If you think the lack of response is typical, it disappeared in six hours on the Main Forum. I just wonder how many views it gets without response. ON some other sites there is a listing of number of views.

 

I've been trying to make the rounds of fishing clubs here in Jersey and was at the Manasquan Fishing Club last night. They are putting together a significant donation. If any other clubs would like me to stop by for a meeting to discuss the suit, the ramifications and helping financially, drop me a PM.

[Michael P]

Gary, like you I have put in some serious time on the fisheries front. My guess is that more people than you might think make a donation without making mention of it here, at least I hope that is the case.

 

Like many I often do not see eye to eye with the RFA, but they try their damnedest to see hat the RECREATIONAL side of the fishing world at least has a voice. I just donated a C-Note in honor of C-Fish and his tireless efforts in the ever steepening uphill battle.

[C-Fish]

Mike,

 

You de bess man! I know more people are reading it than commenting, but in the main forum it disappears all to fast into the oblivion of the back pages and I do not like to ask TimS to stick things at the top too often. He has been very generous with the RFA and I don't want to wear out the welcome. What would be interesting is if he had a "View" counter that shows how many people have accessed the post. Some other sites have that and it's good information.

 

The Legal Defense Fund button on the RFA home page has been picking up quite a bit and we have to continue to get the word out. I have been making stops at some of the fishing clubs to rally support. If you know of any that would like me to stop by and give a short presentation on fisheries, the suit, the RFA, whatever, pass the info along.

 

Thanks again for your generosity.

 

C-Fish

[Mike]

C-Fish -- Thanks for posting this! Mike - Thanks for inspiring me! I've matched your C-note with one of my own.

 

The "Donate" button on the RFA page linked above uses PayPal and is easy as pie. Whole process took less than a minute to complete and it goes direct to the legal defense fund. The only typing I had to type was "100" and enter my password. Everything else was automatic.

[C-Fish]

Thanks to both Mike's.

 

You are among a total of six individuals who have made a donation in the past ten days. I have to go scratch my head in wonder now.

[Slayer]

Ok, I was inspired by the 2 Mikes. I sent some cash for the cause.

Who's next?

[FishNH]

Surprising low number of total donation amounts considering the amount of guys that fish for seabass. Can we find out what Mfg. donated so that at least we can support them back?

[C-Fish]

AFW/Hi-Seas located in Coatesville, PA. They manufacture a wide range of fishing line including monofilament, fluorocarbon, Spectra Braid and fused braid. I've fished their stuff for years and it performs great. The American Fishing Wire division produces a full line of fishing wire and rigging products. They still manufacture all their wire products right in PA.

[TimS]

I would gladly donate as this is definitely a cause worthy of a donation...but it's gonna have to wait a week or so...I got like $4 in my PayPal account

 

As far as sticking threads goes - we don't do it for any fundraisers, events or groups. That's to be fair to everyone. Everyone, every shop, every group, every event, every announcement - they all want to have their threads stickied. Since we cannot stick all of them - and it gets old explaining over and over why one group's post doesn't get a sticky and another one does - we no longer sticky ANY groups, shops, events, fundraisers, etc, etc. It's nothing personal, this is a good and necessary battle and I sincerely hope folks will donate to the cause...even if only a little

 

TimS