Please check out this link to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s public comment page for Vessel Monitoring Systems in Regulatory Amendment 30. http://www.safmc.net/Meetings/PublicHearingsandScopingMeetings/tabid/737/Default.aspx
Notice how they emphasis how the recreational and for-hire sectors will not be affected by this amendment. They do not mention how future amendments will attacks the Constitutional Rights of those groups. The council leadership wants everyone to think it is just a small minority of commercial fishermen who will have their rights violated. They know attacking everyone at the same time would result in a public outcry large enough to stop their evil plans. The next amendment will be focused on the for-hire sector and then they will finish off with everyone else fishing in federal waters.
Please consider coming out to the public scoping meetings in April to oppose VMS and at the very least submit comments opposing any law requiring American citizens to install Vessel Monitoring Systems on our private property. SGAmend30Comments@safmc.net
Feel free to ask me any questions and please let everyone else on here know if you will attend the meeting in your area and/or submit written comments. Thank you!
Has anyone submitted comments opposing VMS? Is anyone planning to attend the public scoping meetings for VMS?
REALLY, nobody has submitted comments or plans to attend the VMS scoping meeting?
Freefish7:
I just saw this thread this morning. It is my intention to file comments, I am in the process of reviewing their “videos” in order to provide an educated and organized rebuttal. Unfortunately I am having trouble getting any of their video files to open (which may be by their design…)
At any rate, I am going to provide ■■■■■■■■ to them.
I too can see the plan. It is to systematic dismantle offshore fishing. If it is done piecemeal, they have divided the groupd to get them disorganized and then dismantled. For example, RIGHT NOW, it is only the commercial fishing vessels. Most people are too self focused and say that is fine. They are leaving me alone. Once this group is eliminated and compliant, they will go after the ‘for hire’ vessels. The commercial fisherman will NOT come to the ‘for hire’ group because they are already undersurveillance and it will not assist them. Once they then get the minority group of ‘for hire’ vessels, the recreational fishermen will be easily subdued and conquered because they are the least informed and organized.
This is where unions came from at the turn of the 20th century. This is why they were formed. Organization by ALL fishermen is what is necessary.
This will then go beyond the fishermen. If we cannot fish, we do not need a boat. There goes the manufacturers. If we cannot fish, we do not need fishing gear…there goes the fishing industry. Penn needs to wake up. Shimano needs to wake up. The same goes for Sea Hunt, Sea Fox, Contender, Scout and all of the boating manufacturers and their employees.
One only needs to look back at Jimmy Carter’s Clean Air Act in the late 70’s. It killed the auto industry to which it has never recovered. Take a look at NAFTA. What has happened to US jobs there? They were systematically dismantled.
So, it is NOT just about fishermen.
WE NEED to comment to SAFMC AND to Congress.
I sent in my email a few minutes ago… Here was the message:
"Are you guys out of your mind? When did you wake up and determine that the government has the right to TRACK citizens and WATCH their every move to make sure that they comply with the law? What’s next? Is the federal government going to make us bar code ourselves or wear a GPS ankle bracelet so that they can track our movements on land too? This is a direct violation of the Constitution whether or not you choose to believe it is. I absolutely cannot believe that you can call yourself Americans and suggest video surveillance of US Citizens in order to enfore laws. Whoever proposed this law is a disgrace to America. In this country, we value FREEDOM and anyone who thinks that TRACKING and WATCHING a CITIZEN in the name of “law enforcement” fits into the definition of FREEDOM is sadly mistaken…
Furthermore, VMS would lead to the destruction of our bottom fishery. The BEST THING that we have going in our bottom fishery is SECRECY. It’s because the general masses do not know every ledge, rock, live bottom out there that we still have a fishery. In South Florida, there are no places for fish to hide and you can see the results. In North Florida through the Carolinas, MOST bottom spots are NOT known to the public and we still have a ton of fish. If you enable tracking, then you will build up a database of every known fishing location in the Southeast Atlantic and the minute that you gather that data it becomes “public domain” and you will eventually be forced to make it accessible to the public. When that happens, you will have ruined bottom fishing FOREVER. It is one of those actions that cannot be taken back once it is done… It’s the nuclear bomb to our fishery. Don’t be stupid enough to do something like that…
In addition, it is improper use of tax payer dollars to fund VMS for commercial fisherman. I for one will support any lawsuit that, not only shuts down the thought of VMS, but also has the intent to sue the SAMFC a
I have submitted my comments.
Please read below:
In reading the pending action that the council is pursuing to require commercial vessels to purchase and install VMS systems, I am shocked and amazed at how our government can even conceptualize such an attempt to censor and monitor its own citizens. What is more amazing, is how one can even imagine that such a move could be considered legal? Where does the council see that it has the authority to monitor the citizens of this country? Surely you must see that this will and should be tied up in the legal system for years to come? Another question to ask is, “Does the SAFMC have the monetary resources to deal with the legal ramifications”?
Could not these resources be better put to use by other technologies and legal ones at that? The simple use of government vessels and radar systems can easily do the same job. It is legal.
Where else does this lead our government? Can we put monitors in your homes and vehicles so that we the taxpayers can ensure that you are performing your duties and earning your salaries? Perhaps we should require the same for all govermnent employees. Afterall they work for the american people. We pay your salaries, so every government employee works for us, and we want to know where you are too.
In all seriousness though, the VMS system will force all fishermen to organize and to seek legal action. This will become time consuming and costly to the council, whose funds could definitely be used in other ways to protect the environment and the fisheries. The VMS system is forcing an “us versus them” situation which is nothing but negative. We should all be working together, but this is not the right direction. The SFAMC should be seeking ways to get support and buy in from the fishing community and not aliaenating the very people that you work for. Remember too, if all of the fishing gets shutdown, there will be no need for a SAFMC or any fisheries council anymore. You will become obsolete. We need to work toget
Great comments guys. THANK YOU! Here is a petition I created to support alternatives to VMS. It is mostly for people on FB who would not likely submit public comments. Please post it on your FB page asking people to sign and share it. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/930/791/778/support-for-alternatives-to-vessel-monitoring-systems/
I will submit it to the SAFMC on the last day of public comments and then send it to members of Congress. I have already been in touch with my NC Senators and Congressman as well as my state legislators. Senator Hagan’s fishery aid was very interested and eager to help.
Petition signed and posted on Facebook.
Forgot to come back on here and say I fired off an email to them yesterday.
This situation seems similar to the one in the news about drones flying over America and violating citizens privacy…
Heck, maybe they can throw the drones in there with VMS program!! Seems like they do whatever they want anyway.
Gasmoney,
For them to use drones, would require intelligence and forethought. Plus somebody would have to work other than dictate what should be happening. It is much simpler in their mind to sit, do nothing, and hand out policy. Then they force others, (Coast Guard, DNR, etc) to enforce their rediculousness.
Everyone should read the article that is in the Offshore Discussion thread on No Shows that discuss a similar battle taking place in Texas over snapper.
Everyone needs to be aware that this matter is not going to go away ‘with the tide’. It is going to be a long battle and we all need to be involved and active.