06-20-2012, 11:05 AM
[left][font "Arial"][#000000]Stripers Forever members – The Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission is accepting written public testimony on the draft Addendum III to Amendment 6 of the Striped Bass Management Plan. If the options in the addendum recommended by the ASMFC Law Enforcement Committee are approved, all states with existing commercial fisheries will be required to have a tagging program and the rules of these programs will be tightened up in a number of important areas. The goal will be to have all states following the same requirements. Massachusetts, the state with the largest coastal commercial fishery, currently has no tagging program for commercial fishermen or dealers.[/#000000][/font][/left]
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[left][font "Arial"][#000000]In SF’s testimony we point out that, although we believe all commercial fishing for striped bass should be eliminated, there are still states that do allow it, and as long as they do, the resource should have the greatest protection possible. Accordingly we have offered our comments as called for in the public input request. You can read Stripers Forever’s public testimony that has been submitted at [/#000000][/font][url "http://www.stripersforever.org/Info/Stripers_BBoard/I01AB5770"][font "Arial"]this location[/font][/url][font "Arial"][#000000] on the SF website. Feel free to just copy and paste as much of this testimony as you see fit. The complete Draft Addendum III to Amendment 6 is also posted to this same page on the SF website.[/#000000][/font][/left]
[left][font "Arial"][#000000]We urge all of our members to submit their own testimony. You can do that in an e-mail to this address: [/#000000][/font][url "http://us.mc1847.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=ktaylor@asmfc.or"][font "Arial"]ktaylor@asmfc.org[/font][/url][font "Arial"][#000000]. [/#000000][/font][/left]
[left][font "Arial"][#000000]Brad Burns, President of Stripers Forever[/#000000][/font][/left]
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[left][font "Arial"][#000000]P.S. The deadline for testimony is July 13, but don’t wait. Time slips by quickly. Do it now![/#000000][/font][/left]
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[left][font "Arial"][#000000]In SF’s testimony we point out that, although we believe all commercial fishing for striped bass should be eliminated, there are still states that do allow it, and as long as they do, the resource should have the greatest protection possible. Accordingly we have offered our comments as called for in the public input request. You can read Stripers Forever’s public testimony that has been submitted at [/#000000][/font][url "http://www.stripersforever.org/Info/Stripers_BBoard/I01AB5770"][font "Arial"]this location[/font][/url][font "Arial"][#000000] on the SF website. Feel free to just copy and paste as much of this testimony as you see fit. The complete Draft Addendum III to Amendment 6 is also posted to this same page on the SF website.[/#000000][/font][/left]
[left][font "Arial"][#000000]We urge all of our members to submit their own testimony. You can do that in an e-mail to this address: [/#000000][/font][url "http://us.mc1847.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=ktaylor@asmfc.or"][font "Arial"]ktaylor@asmfc.org[/font][/url][font "Arial"][#000000]. [/#000000][/font][/left]
[left][font "Arial"][#000000]Brad Burns, President of Stripers Forever[/#000000][/font][/left]
[left][font "Arial"][#000000][/#000000][/font][/left]
[left][font "Arial"][#000000]P.S. The deadline for testimony is July 13, but don’t wait. Time slips by quickly. Do it now![/#000000][/font][/left]
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