Mark (Mlag); I get it. I know there was some very powerful arm-twisting involved. I'm sure MSSA was presented with the ultimatum to either "get on board" and have at least some input (which they did, and I do like that the day restrictions were lifted) or they would be shut out of the negotiations and their members would have to live with the restrictions imposed by "others". I guess Dave Smith decided that in the interest of his members, he would play the game by "their" rules.
Thank goodness I was not in charge of MSSA. I would have told DNR that my members had voted for no regulations at this time, but that it would be prudent for an educational program to be established to promote safe C/R tactics.
Sometimes in life it's ok to lose!!!! If DNR had gone ahead with their restrictions in opposition to MSSA's membership, we could have organized a write-in campaign. It would have made all the major newspapers, perhaps some on-camera TV time, and finally a "convoy" of boat trailers surrounding Annapolis and converging on DNR headquarters. PERHAPS if this had happened and the average population had heard HOW this proposal had originated, and how little evidence was presented to make the proposal in the first place, there would have been a public backlash which would have changed DNR's philosophy.
As it stands now, there is no recourse. We have NO organization that hasn't "sold out" to politics. I just couldn't pay my membership fee to the organization that was "the best of the worst".
We know this is not defensible, certainly not in the name of conservation. We know the story behind all the poaching the last five years. We know that the allowed amount of nets was doubled for commercial fishermen. We know we have only 1% of the original population of oysters, yet watermen are asking for prohibited areas to be opened up for even more taking of oysters. We know that the areas of "dead zones" are increasing in the bay. We know that the numbers of "forage" fish are in decline due to one single business operating out of Reedville. We know that there are estimates that 70% of the resident rockfish are infected with Mycobacterium.
You know I could go on and on about "real" conservation tactics. But unfortunatly, these subjects will not even be vocalized to the general public because the PSCR restrictions will be passed off as a monumental breakthrough in the name of conservation.
In my opinion, MSSA missed a golden opportunity to educate the public on how this "backdoor" political decission was made. This PSCR decission keeps all of the organizations "happy". The politicians can say "look, look what we have done in the name of conservation"; such a high standard we place on our representatives (both MSSA and Annapolis).
When further concessions are brought forth (and they will be), we can only blame ourselves for allowing this current flawed process to have taken place.
5th (Marty)
p.s. I apologize for turning cbangler into tidalfish. I promise more fishing reports as pennance for this thread
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