Capt. Mark Brown and I have been working with this group for several years, and they are based in Florida. They represent all of us in the South Atlantic region. I encourage everybody who fishes here (or anywhere) to please help out with this request. These guys have made a difference by having credible, highly respected folks go through everything and at least slow down if not change what’s happening to our federally managed fisheries. I have met Dr. Hester and talked with him on several occassions, and the man is one of the most impressive minds I’ve ever known. He has faced bullying and disrespect from young scientists who didn’t want to hear him explain the flaws in their conclusions and methods, and he’s stood up for the truth about our fish being brought to light.
Thousands of hours have been spent on this by Dr. Hester and others, and we need to realize that these guys have got to eat. They need our help, and we can’t just keep sitting back letting others sacrifice for what we need to take some more responsibility for.
We have to help these guys as well as keep doing what we’re doing showing up to the hearings and making this stuff matter more politically to see the laws and oversight on the bureaucrats improve.
We are slowly making a difference- believe me! It would be a LOT worse if we’d given up already.
This message is from our friends:
http://www.eastcoastfishingsection.com/?page_id=149
Thank you to everyone who has donated since April 2009 to keep the Southeastern Fisheries Association (SFA) East Coast Fisheries Section (ECFS) involved in the NMFS science and SAFMC & NMFS management issues dominating everyone’s access to the marine resources such as Red snapper, Red & Black grouper, Black sea bass & Golden tilefish, various Sharks, King mackerel and soon Spanish mackerel and Cobia beginning in early 2012.
The ECFS Board membership has managed the available funding well to finance scientists, consultants and travel to the various meetings involve