towns, businesses and residents depend on recreational
fishing to survive. Our fishing cultures and traditions are
too important. We have to make sure federal irresponsibility doesn’t rob Louisianans and all Americans of access to
fishing.
CCA has fought with all of its resources to try and stop
this corruption from spreading. Our members and staff
have fought battles to stop fisheries privatization at the
Gulf Council, at our state legislatures, in Congress and in
the courts. We’ve had some victories and some setbacks.
But we will never give up on the fight to keep our public
resources held in public trust.
Not surprisingly, more than 80 percent of Louisiana’s
saltwater anglers distrust federal management. That’s why
CCA Louisiana worked with legislators, anglers and the
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to develop a management program superior to the flawed federal system.
The LACREEL system is paid for by recreational license
sales and gives Louisiana biologists accurate and timely
data, allowing more consistent access and seasons while
making sure the resource is safe and sustainable.
Other Gulf States have developed similar programs.
These programs and the continued push in Congress to
allow the states to manage our offshore reef fish in the
same way they successfully manage speckled trout, redfish,
flounder and bass is the clearest path out of this federal
mess. And, despite attempts by a very small group of
commercial IFQ holders and big charter operators to convince the council and the public that CCA is against charter fishing, charter operators across the Gulf stand with
CCA in pushing for state management. CCA is part of a
focus group of charter captains and associations, tackle
dealers, avid anglers, sportsmen’s groups and biologists
who have been meeting with the five Gulf State fisheries
agencies since last summer to identify how the recreational fishing community can advance better management.
Unfortunately, as much ground as we have gained, it isn’t
enough to slow down the Gulf Council’s efforts to pick
more winners and losers with the public’s fish. Soon, the
council will be seeking public comments on two amendments that, if approved, will spread corrupt IFQ systems
farther into recreational fishing. The greatest impact recreational fishermen can have is to fill those meetings with
thousands who stand solid in their belief that America’s
fish belong to all Americans. We must fill those meetings.
And we must demand that federal failures are replaced by
a management structure that lets America’s rich fishing
traditions continue, ensures our economy and our fisheries
are healthy and guarantees our public resources continue
to be owned by the public.