Pres. Obama Now Wants to Ban Sports Fishing, Make Recreational Fishing a Crime – Update: Glenn Beck Video on Gov’t's US Water Grab Efforts
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on March 9, 2010
Obama wants to ban all US recreational fishing... officers, arrest that boy! | Photo credit: Frenzy Fishing Charters, New York
I wrote just yesterday about a wacko court case in Switzerland about a man being sued for violating a fish’s rights when he landed a big pike that put up a fight for 10 minutes. Yes, this poor fisherman was taken to court for “torturing” a fish — no word on how much money and time he had to spend defending himself on this ridiculous, outrageous charge of criminality.
Although weirdo “animal rights” lawyer Antoine F. Goetschel representing the dead fish lost the case, I noted that something loony and oppressive like this about animal rights and the squashing of human rights could indeed come to the United States.
Well, it looks like it could be here. Barack H. Obama appears to want to ban recreational fishing through out the entire country.
Below is an American Sportfishing Association’s press release from October 2009, followed by ESPN’s breaking news from yesterday on Obama’s plan to proceed with a sweeping nationwide recreational fishing ban:
October 5, 2009 – Alexandria, Va. – A sweeping oceans and Great Lakes management policy document proposed by the Obama Administration will have a significant impact on the sportfishing industry, America’s saltwater anglers and the nation’s coastal communities. The draft policy, the Interim Report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, issued on September 17, will govern federal Pacific and Atlantic Ocean waters and Great Lakes resource conservation and management and will coordinate these efforts among federal, state and local agencies. This past June, President Obama created the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), to develop a draft national policy and implementation strategy for conserving and managing the United States ocean territory and the Great Lakes.
“While we are by and large supportive of the intent of the Interim Report, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) has serious concerns regarding the direction the administration is taking regarding how to manage our nation’s marine and freshwater public resources, choosing a tone of preservation over conservation,” said ASA Vice President Gordon Robertson. “We are very disappointed that the task force failed to recognize recreational fishing’s significant conservation, economic and social contributions and include recreational fishing as a key policy component. The sportfishing community strongly supports healthy and abundant ocean, coastal and fishery resources which have a direct impact on sustaining vibrant local coastal communities. Outdoor recreation, especially recreational fishing, is an integral part of coastal economies throughout this nation and therefore should be included as a priority in any national ocean policy.”
“In regards to recreational fishing specifically, it is a long-standing policy of the federal government to allow public access to public lands and waters for recreational purposes consistent with sound conservation including the nation’s wildlife refuges, national forests, and national parks and should be reflected in a national policy for the oceans and Great Lakes. In fact, the use of public resources by recreational anglers is essential to the conservation model used in this country for fish and wildlife management,” said ASA Ocean Resource Policy Director Patty Doerr.
Doerr further said, “As with any good federal policy decision, discussions about measures that may restrict public access to public resources must involve an open public process, have a solid scientific basis and incorporate specific guidelines on implementation and follow-up. We are very concerned about the abbreviated 90 day timeline which forced the Task Force to issue this policy document prematurely. The implications of such a policy are vast and nationwide. Therefore, the review process should be very deliberate and go well beyond the 30 days public review and comment period which started on September 17.” The Task Force’s Interim Report is currently under a 30-day public review and comment period.
Since 1950, with the passage of the Sport Fish Restoration Act, anglers and the sportfishing industry have provided the bulk of funding for fisheries conservation and management in the United States through fishing license fees and the federal manufacturers excise tax on recreational fishing equipment. According to NOAA Fisheries, saltwater anglers contribute over $82 billion annually to the economy. Despite taking only three percent of the saltwater fish harvested each year, the recreational sector creates nearly half the jobs coming from domestic saltwater fisheries.
Follow-up from ESPN on March 8, 2010:
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.
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.
That’s a disappointment, but not really a surprise for fishing industry insiders who have negotiated for months with officials at the Council on Environmental Quality and bureaucrats on the task force. These angling advocates have come to suspect that public input into the process was a charade from the beginning.
“When the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) completed their successful campaign to convince the Ontario government to end one of the best scientifically managed big game hunts in North America (spring bear), the results of their agenda had severe economic impacts on small family businesses and the tourism economy of communities across northern and central Ontario,” said Phil Morlock, director of environmental affairs for Shimano.
“Now we see NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the administration planning the future of recreational fishing access in America based on a similar agenda of these same groups and other Big Green anti-use organizations, through an Executive Order by the President. The current U.S. direction with fishing is a direct parallel to what happened in Canada with hunting: The negative economic impacts on hard working American families and small businesses are being ignored.
“In spite of what we hear daily in the press about the President’s concern for jobs and the economy and contrary to what he stated in the June order creating this process, we have seen no evidence from NOAA or the task force that recreational fishing and related jobs are receiving any priority.”
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.
Additionally, Lubchenco and others in the administration have close ties to environmental groups who would like nothing better than to ban recreational angling. And evidence suggests that these organizations have been the engine behind the task force since before Obama issued a memo creating it last June.
[...]
Additionally, some of these same organizations have revealed their anti-fishing bias by playing fast and loose with “facts,” in attempts to ban tackle containing lead in the United States and Canada.
That same tunnel vision, in which recreational angling and commercial fishing are indiscriminately lumped together as harmful to the resource, has persisted with the task force, despite protests by the angling industry.
From Canada Free Press, Obama’s Latest Assault on Freedom– New Regulations Will Ban Sport Fishing:
Barack Obama has a message for America’s 60,000,000 anglers– We don’t need you.
The American Sportfishing Association reported back in October about the sweeping changes proposed by the Obama Administration in regards to the sport fishing industry.
From Associated Content, Obama to Ban Recreational Fishing?:
The Obama administration is considering new environmental rules that would, in effect ban recreational fishing in the United States, according to ESPN. This move is apparently being contemplated under pressure from environmental groups.
“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.
“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.“That’s a disappointment, but not really a surprise for fishing industry insiders who have negotiated for months with officials at the Council on Environmental Quality and bureaucrats on the task force. These angling advocates have come to suspect that public input into the process was a charade from the beginning.”
The excuse for this contemplated ban is the notion that recreational fishing as well as commercial fishing is depleting the stock of fish in American waters. This notion is disputed by fishing groups, which fear not only that a ban would prohibit Americans from pursuing a traditional form of recreation, but also devastate the industry that supports recreational fishing. Angling groups maintain that there is no basis in science for an attempt to ban recreational fishing.
If the ban is ordered, it would likely come via executive order rather than an attempt to have Congress pass legislation. Various environmental groups are demanding that such an executive order be issued as soon as possible.
Also consider this Glenn Beck video on the federal government’s attempt to grab control of all US waters, which I posted back in January… it appears this could be maybe-sorta-probably linked to, or be part of a bigger picture, to the proposed recreational fishing ban, although I could be wrong, but I don’t think so:
Glenn Beck Show: Federal Power Grab: Clean Water Restoration Act; CWRA; Federal Control of ALL Water, Even Ponds | December 2009
UPDATE: Just found this post at RedState, Obama: The Will Of The People Be Damned – I’LL Decide Who Can Go Fishing:
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.
I had to read that 3 times before it sank in…and then I did a little research. Guess what old Barack (I’ve never had a fishing rod in my hand a day in my life) Obama has been up to since last year? Plotting a Federal takeover of all our bodies of water (freshwater…saltwater…doesn’t matter), in an effort to set up MORE bureaucracies and circumvent the rights of the States to determine fair use and access rules amongst themselves based on the local interests of everyone involved.
If he was out to ban recreational fishing this piece would be easy enough to write; scream a little, stomp my feet, vow he’ll have to pry my fishing rod from my cold dead hands, etc…and be done with it. Problem is, this is much darker and more corrupt than that.
[...]
More info here, and a call for some Asian Carp-killing love here. Don’t miss the policy pdf here if you really want your head to explode. Read between the lines folks…this will lock down oil exploration faster and farther than the moratorium Congress JUST let expire ever did, and allows the greenies to set policy for fishing AND boating (at the expense of millions of jobs and billions of boating and fishing industry dollars).
The White House plan would establish 9 regional planning bodies (bureaucracies) whose job would be to bring “Federal, State, and Tribal Partners together” to look for ways to “decrease user conflicts; improve planning and regulatory efficiencies and decrease their associated costs and delays; and preserve critical ecosystem function and services.”
From Say Anything, Because He’s Not Unpopular Enough: Obama Pushes Ahead With Fishing Ban:
…A ban on fishing would bring a visceral reaction from the public, to be sure.
But even so, that a bill like this could even get this much serious consideration is an indication of just how far left Obama has shifted the federal government.
Hot Air weighs in on the potential fishing ban:
I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that he will not, in fact, ban fishing, but the meta-narrative is so irresistible — elitist President Arugula coming to grab the bitter-clingers’ rods and reels! — that it simply must be blogged.
Odds of a Palin Facebook comment: High.
[...]
Granted, it’s worrisome that environmentalists seem to have captured the task force, but follow the link for details about how many jobs are at stake if angling gets scaled back dramatically to please the greens. Think The One’s going to hand Republicans that talking point in this political climate? How excited do you suppose red-district Democrats will be to see the White House bring down the hammer on fly fishermen with an election eight months away?
Could local fishin' holes, like this one with Andy, Opie, and Barney, be outlawed under new Obama mandates? Don't know...
From Michelle Malkin: Obama’s war on fishing?!?!?!
Longtime readers know I love to fish and have been at war with the anti-fishing nuts at PETA for years.
JWF flags a story today from ESPN about Obama regulatory maneuvers that look to limit fishing access:
[...]
Sacrificing jobs for the green agenda. Conducting Kabuki theater on public input. Business as usual for the Obama White House.
See United We Fish for more info on how to push back.
From The American Pundit, Obama Administration May Ban Recreational Fishing:
Why? Because lefty environmental groups are demanding stricter regulations on fishing. So the Obama Administration, indebted to such groups, is considering a ban on recreational fishing. More government interference in your life, in other words…
…Put simply, the “task force” will do whatever lefty environmental groups demand. Progressivism is all about controlling your life and the economy, and banning recreational fishing by private citizens will work towards both goals.
New restrictions are also looming for commercial fishing… WBUR NEWS & WIRE SERVICES: Fishermen Gather For Summit On Industry’s Fate
This “hopenchange” just keeps getting better all the time. Anglers, make your voices heard in Washington before it’s too late. Same goes to fishing equipment manufacturers, the boating industry, sporting goods stores, bait and tackle shops, lakeside mom-and-pop bed-and-breakfast lodges, municipalities that rely on fishing license revenues, and myriad other companies and industries that will be crushed to oblivion by Obama’s pending “screw you” assault on Americans’ rights.
Fishing in Zurich may become endangered if animal rights lawyers have their way... likewise now in the United States with Pres. Obama's proposed ban on all sports fishing
UPDATE: Gateway Pundit produces more documentation… Leftist Media Giggles Over Sport Fishing Ban
About the author
Well, i’m confused I just sifted through the “Interim” report and don’t really see it as extravagantly anti-fishing as you suggest. Please direct us to the parts you are referring to. Thanks.
The federal government wants to power-grab all US water and instigate new regulations in the WH draft doc. Did you think it would state “we want to ban sports fishing”? This administration isn’t that transparent. Information from two reports summarizing it are provided here. Only portions of both reports are provided – click/follow the ESPN link and the American Sportfishing Association press release link provided and read them in their entirety. I’m not the only one suggesting this imminent ban.
Isn’t the Czar Cass Sunstein the one that promotes animal rights?
Could be wrong on that, too many Czars, too little time.
I’m impressed, AFVET! High-five on calling that one… good memory. Here’s a post on good ol’ commie Cass and his Obama-appointed position as “animal rights czar”:
The Center for Consumer Freedom: Animal Rights Czar?
[...] Read the original: Pres. Obama Now Wants to Ban Sports… [...]
If anyone really believes Obama wants to ban sport fishing, they must be smoking too many of those funny cigarettes. Get a life people!
Yeah, those reporters at ESPN and the American Sportfishing Association are real potheads, dude. Stop drinking the Obama Koolaid and read the report carefully (although asking some Obama-worshiping liberals to read anything deeper than a CD playlist can be asking for the moon). It’s not just about fishing… it’s about the government controlling ALL US water. This is unprecedented, and a huge power grab.
You’re not paying attention and didn’t read the post nor watched the video, you nitwit. The fishing association has been fighting this for months, and the plans to have the federal government take control over all water, even the water in ponds, has also been quietly going on behind the scenes for months… it is unprecedented and tyrannical.
I’ll bet there were liberal Canadians who were saying the same, clueless thing about bear hunting as you on fishing before the government banned recreational spring bear hunting there… and look what’s happened since then to their economy. I know, I know… you weren’t aware of that because it wasn’t on MSNBC or CNN. Educate yourself – knowledge is power.
[...] Obama Fishing Ban | Mar 9, 2010 … Obama wants to ban all US recreational fishing… officers, arrest that boy! | Photo credit: Frenzy Fishing Charters, New York …Tags: Obama Fishing BanRead MorePres. Obama Now Wants to Ban Sports Fishing, Make Recreational …. [...]
This author sure put a lot of time into trying to establish the most inane nonsense in a while. If anyone is reading this blog “her blog, her rules, to heck with the facts) just go and try to find any evidence that we have to worry about a fishing ban. Your blog, your rules, not your facts.
Take this post down. Someday your kids might be embarrassed by it.
Another Obama-sheep troll… gotta love it. Thanks for popping in, Matt.
In a liberal’s world, anything that puts Obama in a poor light is attacked. They plunge their fingers in their ears like spoiled children having a tantrum, ignore facts and information presented, and scream louder to try to silence any opposition. Quoting a fishing association’s press release, linking to the WH draft report on the proposed federal regulating of all US waters, and citing ESPN and RedState is the equivalent of “no facts”? Yawn. Lots of information and links provided here, Matt. The result of those darned liberal colleges… you need to learn to read better, sport. And yes, it’s “my blog, my rules.” Just as they are on all privately-owned blogs. ‘Cuz I pay the bills, you dense statist. Whose rules should be applied to my blog — YOURS? ROFL. Priceless…
Oh, but thank you for worrying about my kids. Unusually nice of a lib troll.
matt, ignore this site.
tune into Air America.
It will make you feel better.
AFVET,
I think Air America went bankrupt a few weeks ago and is now off the air… so there is nowhere for him to turn to for statist propaganda. But it looks like barely anyone was listening to Air America, anyway, hence the bankruptcy. I love the free market – the successful succeed and prosper, the losers are cast off. Unlike the Team Obama way, which is to reward and support the losers and punish or steal from those who dare to be creative and hard-working and provide a product that people actually want.. to dare to be successful.
It would be a hoot to watch him try to find it.
That’s the reason I suggested Air America.
Great post – I’m thinking this possible sports fishing ban could be another Obama ‘trial balloon’ to see how much outrage will swell from the American public. Or it’s a distraction from the problems theyr having with health care bill and all the meltdowns happening in the Dem party. However, The Annointedc One owes a lot to the eco-nuts getting him elected and they’re getting plenty PO’d at him for not delivering on his campaign promises. As is the liberal gay community, but i’m guessing this was an easier ‘fish to fry.’ LOL
The fed’s water grab is part of the socialist agenda. It’s all about control.
To matt – you’re no Einstein, man. Wake up and read the documentation. It’s no longer cool to be an ignorant lib, or didn’t you get the memo? No, it’s not a law yet, but the writing is on the wall if Americans don’t get involved.
Sigh. Liberals once again show their lack of understanding and their stubbornness to support Obama no matter what. Matt, please go outside and play with the other little children while the grown-ups talk — that’s a good little boy.
Matt, learn to read!!!!!!!!!!!
Obama and his pack of cronies and all this ridiculous nonsense are wearing me out. I wish it were 2012 already.
[...] View original here: Pres. Obama Now Wants to Ban Sports Fishing, Make Recreational … [...]
BAN FISHING!
OBAMA AND HIS COMMIE CREW CAN ALL SUCK ON A BIG WORM ON THAT SCORE.
OUR FORFATHERS FISHED TO EAT AND SO DO I AND I WILL KEEP ON FISHING TILL I PHYSICALLY CANNOT ANY MORE.
SOUNDS LIKE THAT FACHIST D.C. CREW WANTS TO PUT THE WHOLE NATION IN JAIL.
HUMMMmmm , WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR THAT WHEN NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO PAY ANY OF THE EXTORTED TAXES ????
[...] here: Pres. Obama Now Wants to Ban Sports Fishing, Make Recreational … Share and [...]
[...] post: Pres. Obama Now Wants to Ban Sports Fishing, Make Recreational … Posted in New Cafe | Tags: a-federal-strategy, apparently-being, conservative, effect-ban, [...]
People should look to see who is in charge or supports the WWF. It’s a massive list of elitist and European royalty and/or heads of state. First it was a Russian communist threat, then terrorism, then “climate change/environment/wild life.” One excuse after another — now it’s the economy. According to the mainstream cheerleaders, the solution to all of these foreboding issues is “Globalism” (translation, “One World Government”). Obama has made references to this more than once, as well as bashing America in other countries.
After/if they impose a “Global Carbon Tax” on all of us, welcome to the new world order. In order to enforce a Global Tax, you need to have a Global Government Agency.
[...] is the original post: Pres. Obama Now Wants to Ban Sports Fishing, Make Recreational … Share and [...]
Well, this explains why Obama is doing NOTHING to prevent the Asian carp from getting into the Great Lakes. I live on Lake Superior, and people are worried about the potential destruction of a multi-million dollar fishery, not to mention the economic impact. Just think, once this invasive species destroys the native species, Obama won’t even have to ban fishing on the Great Lakes. It will happen “naturally,” and he won’t even get his little hands dirty. Unbelievable. I pray for our country every day.
momcat, I live in Ohio.
The Great Lakes are the largest reservoir of fresh water in the United States, as you well know.
California and the other western states are starving for fresh water, mainly due to the environmentalist wackos that want to protect a minnow, or whatever.
I see an attempt to take over the Great Lakes to benefit the likes of states that are too stupid to manage their own resources.
This is Marxism as applied to water.
An afterthought.
Why not process the Asian Carp into food?
They breed like rabbits, decimate the native species, and will eventually be protected by the green communist movement afoot as we speak.
Harvest them,.. they can’t be any worse than catfish.
Regulating fishing on the great lakes is a major job killer.
The peripheral ramifications to the supporting small businesses supplying fishing supplies will be devastating to the area.
Opiniion from up here in canada,,,, this guy is a nut why you guys put him in drivers seat
i will never know….. McCain should have went in not this jackass…. your gonna pay for it
in long run… enjoy you last little bit with this clown
Chad, you didn’t hear his campaign rhetoric.
He is a liar.
He only got 52% of the vote.
McCain was a sad opponent.
This can’t happen here, we are to be Free America. This president should think about not letting the free Americans go fishing. How can this happen? Please Free America from very bad ideas like this. Should controll the big fishing boats and leave the little man alone, these are the people that put in the office today!! They could be the same people that put you out of office. Let Americas have their Freedom!!!!
Really?…I…y’know…nope I can’t do it. I just can’t stop laughing long enough to actually say anything about this… But I do have a question, granted I scanned the whole page…Why didn’t I see any actual quotes from Obama or chief of staff? I mean, seriously if this were happening for real, there should be plenty of them right? Or at least something somewhere else from party neutral websites, but alas besides the amusing jokes about the people talking about this, I still cannot find anything. I’m sure there’s a reason right?
So…uhm…yeah! 2012 wooo…worship Glenn Beck’s ass yay!
It saddens me to know that some of you people have made it into office….
The Game…
LOL – and for you, I’m also guessing that the “discussion about the undisputed “scientific” facts of manmade global warming” were over last summer because Team Obama said they were over, the IPCC said they were over, AGW zealots and Al Gore and the liberal media said they were over. I was hit by liberal trolls for months on that… then suddenly, no more AGW trolls since the discovery of tainted and manipulated data, confessions from IPCC about concealment and cherry-picking of data, etc. I still don’t recall seeing ANY mention or quotes of the AGW discredit of the AGW data from WH team players or POTUS. So, if that’s the best you’ve got, you don’t have anything.
This story is only just opening up… I’m guessing more will be uncovered in the coming days and weeks. And since liberals can’t connect the dots, the federal government’s preliminary power grab of all US waters is a matter of record.
Does anyone actually believe this BS? How stupid are you conservatives? You sure are a scared bunch.
See AGW comment above… you obviously still worship at the sacred alter of Obama and didn’t read any of the reports, commentaries, the White House draft on federal government control over all US waters, nor watched the video. That’s OK… liberals can’t help their inability to think ill of their POTUS super-hero (although, many liberals are indeed waking up to the scary reality that Obama is not the man they thought he was) nor think outside of what Team Obama tells them to think. Not scared, rustyy (two Y’s, really?), just not brainwashed, sheeplike statists. Do we think Obama will try to pull this off? Hard to say now, since it’s all over the Internet and people are discussing it — the plan may be shelved until after the November elections. But it’s not behind closed doors anymore. You probably also think all people who protest against this tyrannical, progressive government are Republicans… think again — better still, maybe give thinking a chance.
Banning of recreational hunting of spring bears was launched in Canada; in Switzerland, they want to give game fish legal rights. Why are you so convinced that this isn’t brewing right below your nose? Because Obama didn’t say that it was? Liberal thought is an oxymoron.
Funny,.. that’s the same question I ask about you liberals.
Damn ! we do have something in common after all,..NOT.
I don’t see it. (??) Yes there is alot of new federal job creation in here. Things that should already be done by existing agencies. The back room politics may be leaning towards anti-recreation uses as you (and others) state in the title, but I don’t see it here in the report. Yes, I understand reading between the lines. The biggest thing I see in here aside from the creation of more government is the continued pounding of the Global Warming drum.
The US Army Corps of Engineers already controls all navigable waterways in the US and there isn’t a public stream, pond, lake or ocean* that I can fish in without having to get a license so in fact all fishing is already controlled by the state or federal government.
* – haven’t done much ocena fishing so I don’t remember about having to get a “ocean license”
Most large impoundments of water (resevoirs, etc) are managed as multi-use “facilities” already. Is the point here that the political tide is moving to extreme conservation vs. balanced co-use? Much like we have designated wilderness areas for forests where only foot traffic and primitive camping are allowed, are we looking at our rivers and lakes and oceans as swimming only with only primitive boating?
As far as I’m concerned, Mr. Obama can take his ban and stick it up his a$$. I fish, I will continue to fish even if I am forced to do it on a commercial basis.
Next they’ll be telling us we can only hunt in certain “seasons” and limit our kills, then they’ll want to issue “licenses”, so they can put you on the gun confiscation list.
Seriously, though, I read your links … it’s all just innuendo, there’s nothing in the reports or other blogs that actually supports your argument. i think we’re all getting riled up about nothing.
[Remainder of this comment has been deleted for racist language... Admin]
You’re entitled to your opinion, which seems to not be thought out too well – you equating gun laws with recreational fishing is unrelated and childish nonsense. Fishing poles haven’t got the lethal power of a gun (unless you’re an environmentalist zealot who wants all hunting and fishing banned and Obama is indebted to your organization for campaign donations… then to you, a fishing pole or a fishing reel are lethal weapons). While Obama did promise to honor the presidential commitment to not interfere with recreational fishing — he’s broken how many promises since taking office? Number 1 on any socialist agenda is to diminish or remove properties/ownership from the individual and give it to the national government, to strip states of their rights to empower the federal government even more. The White House draft on the federal government usurping states on US waters and the creation of new governing bodies over water keeps being ignored by you who are focusing purely on the sports fishing – many sports fishing insiders are skeptical and worried about the language contained in the draft (you obviously didn’t read it very carefully). The naive, so-called “innuendo” you’ve cited is clearly much more than that. As with everything in this administration, nothing is as innocent as it may appear. Government-run health care is an excellent example.
BTW – the racist comment you made about Obama at the end was removed – maybe you were trying to be funny, but it was too questionable, so out it went. Next time, your entire comment will be deleted.
Nancy Pelosi would enjoy your opinion.
She just stated that the health care bill needs to be passed and then we will find out whats in it. WTF ???
What is this Cracker Jacks, find out what the prize is after you buy the product?
Innuendo my butt.
That is the attitude that got us where we are.
The American People let their guard down and this is what we got.
It is our fault and we will fix it.
Stay out of our way.
Hasen’t O(ban)a looked at his approval rating recently. This is just what he needs another reason for true Americans to despise him. They will have to arrest me everyday because I will not put down my fishing rod. Apparently he has never been to the mid-west where there are alot of educated wildlife enthusiasts who love to fish and hunt, he is in for a rude awakening if he thinks he will get this passed. And Matt put down the bong, take off the I heart Obama button, and remove the rose colored glasses. Obama said it himself……………. A CHANGE GONNA COME!!!!!!!!
If you don’t think environmentists are not out to curtail recreational fishing as much as possible, check out what’s happening in California. Due to the implementation of the Marine Life Protection Act, recreational fishermen are losing 50% to 80% of their traditional fishing areas.
Check out the \Bloodydecks\ fishing forum and go to the MLPA section. You’ll read all of the horrible details of the ordeal California sportsfishermen have been going through for the last few years. I myself have attended many of these \open public comment\ meetings and our input is completely ignored. Our \stakeholder-based public collaboration\ is just window dressing on a rigged and predetermined output that is coming at us like a freight train. We are seriously scared here in California.
Most of these environmental organizations that are pushing for Marine Protected Areas around the country are based in California. Remember \What happens in California doen’t stay in California.\ You guys are next. You should know that by now.
As California goes, so does the country.
I’ll bet there were liberal Canadians who were saying the same, clueless thing about bear hunting as you on fishing before the government banned recreational spring bear hunting there… and look what’s happened since then to their economy. I know, I know… you weren’t aware of that because it wasn’t on MSNBC or CNN. Educate yourself – knowledge is power.
I know the libs are screaming that this is a hoax, but my gut says it isn’t – not a matter of ‘if’ but a matter of ‘when’. Wake up America – look at Obama’s track record to date. Government takeovers are everywhere (how’s that going for GM? Or the banks? Health care is aroudn the corner). It doesn’t matter if it is Obama or Bush or whoever, the more we allow these jokers in Washington to put their hands in our pockets and to restrict what we as free Americans can do without the feds keeping their thumbs on us, the worse off we are as a nation. Socialism is overtaking America. If you can’t look back at history and can’t determine that by recognizing the signs of government oppression and power grabbing, then we’re lost as a free nation. Read the Constitution. It limited government FOR A REASON.
damn!!!
I do think that the voices of a lot of the people who would be impacted by such a decision were not heard, while the voices of groups that have a track record of opposing thses kind of activities were given a loud voice.
Two words: Cass Sunstein.
Obama’s a moron.
Quick comment from a concerned angler,
Ok folks, calm down now. I was a bit frantic when I read about another Obama power grab and another bone headed decision to ban recreational fishing in the US. We can all relax. Research it yourself and find the real story, or be lazy and believe me, because the story is bunk. To no great surprise, it appears that ESPN gets the credit for ignorance when it comes to verifying the accuracy of this story.
According to NOAA, (who was said by ESPN to be the recommending factor) there is no such consideration to ban recreational fishing. They further state that ESPN appears to be the origin of the rumor. In the very least, ESPN bastardized a story about the banning of Weakfish harvests in Chesapeek bay area, and translated it to imply that all recreational fishing in the US will be banned.
Don’t you believe it. Obama may be an idiot at times, but he’s not that stupid.
As I was reading this post, I had a lot to say. Vinnie pretty much summed it up for me. It’s time for America to wake up! I went to Washington to stand against this, but I don’t think it matters. I think it’s only going to get worse.