Clinton Legacy #2! Fishing Ban!

[BD]

(Alexandria, VA) - In a sweeping executive order made today, President
Clinton banned recreational fishing from approximately 4 million acres off the
northwest Hawaiian Islands and restricted the activity in another 80 million
acres. There are over a quarter million recreational anglers in Hawaii whose
activity contributes an astounding $238 billion to the local Hawaiian economy.
These benefits could be severely impacted by this order.

"President Clinton's executive order is a slap in the face of recreational
fishing," stated Mike Hayden, President of the American Sportfishing
Association. "These blanket closures, whereby we exclude the American
public, are the easy way out, but are inherently unfair. Certainly if anglers are
part of the problem, we'll do our part, but we think it's wrong penalize everyone
without any science to back it up."

Recreational fishing relies on free access to the water. Angling is an activity
embraced on virtually all Federal lands including wildlife refuges, national parks,
and wilderness areas. It is accepted because recreational anglers are already
subject to strict seasons, size and catch limits. There is a substantial record
demonstrating that these measures are effective at managing recreational
anglers.

"The President's action only reinforces our belief that legislative guidance is
needed in this area," stated ASA Vice President for Government Affairs Mike
Nussman. In October, Senators John Breaux (LA) and Kay Bailey Hutchison
(TX) introduced the Freedom To Fish Act (S. 3234). The bill would ensure that
recreational fishing only be excluded in those areas where it has been
demonstrated to be detrimental to the resource. In his introductory statement,
Senator Breaux stated that, "restricting public admission to our coastal waters
should not be our first course of action, but rather our last." ASA believed this
is the idea that should have been applied in Hawaii.

[EricCO]

Still think your children will be able to enjoy our natural resources the way they want?

[Math Teacher]

If my math is correct thats a million dollars plus or minus for each fisherman. I'm moving there if thats the case.

[Swat1]

Te anglers aren't the ones making the money! The hotels restaurants, charters, bait shops, bars, taxi companies, airlines, marinas, gas companies, etc. etc. etc. are the ones making the money off all the folks that go there to fish.

All in all 238 Billion isn't probably all that far off.

Swat 1

[Ron]

I think the worst of "The Clinton Legacy" will come toward the end - the pardoning of rapists, murderers and other scum of the earth.

[Mac]

I guess some of you arent smart enough to realize coral reefs are a major part or our ecosystem and that many organisms need it to live. You know the story big fish eat little fish. Well the little fish need the coral to live and without the little fish the big ones die. Is that simple enough for you. If we dont preserve it, the coral will die along with the fish that need to live. Then what will the fisherman catch? Your shallow short minded thinking will do none of us any good.

To put in terms you can understand (ie money) If the coral dies the tourist stop coming (dead coral is no fun to look at). Then the resorts go out of business. More money is made in tourism than fishing. I'd say it was a smart move by Clinton

[Gotta...]

...party with somebody!

[Come On!]

You have got to be kidding me if you truly beleive recreational fishing with a rod and reel in the vast waters around the coral reef can have a devastating impact on the population of the different sizes of fish! I fish many lakes that have no or very little restocking and these are about the size of a good size wave out on the ocean. It is funny that every year I continue to catch fish there. You will have to give me more scientific data than that for me to beleive a little recreational fishing can do much. Heck, I even fish waters on indian reservations that allow them to basically net waters to extremes and still good fishing is present.

Sorry but your defense of the liberal agenda holds no water on this one!

[sib]

like a slimey used car dealer clinton is trying to unload this car(our country) with just enough duct tape for the car not to fall apart on the lot(his administration). guess he didn't use enough duct tape, because we are just beginning to see how bad things really are. the clinton legacy will be much worse than just his pants around his ankles when we relize what really has happened over the past eight years. he realizes his dirt will be exposed that's why he is trying so hard to get peace in the middle east in his 11th hour. in his eyes such a trophy as to bring peace in middle east would surely put his true legacy in the shadow and out of the limelight. my 2 cents worth.

"go outside and play"
sib

[River_eye]

Wasn't there another executive order that clinton made that protects millions of acres of forest? I havn't been paying attention, but apparently, these reserves that clinton has made are mostly up in Alaska, right where Bush wants to drill.

River eye

[Yank]

Yes.
Millions of acres are now declared roadless. This after thousands of people spent millions of dollars and hours to study the individual areas that might "possibly" be suitable to be considered for "roadless" orientation. Meetings upon meetings across the nation and hours upon hours of debate in the proper forums to garner input from all agencies and users involved in the public ground were thrown out like a used length of toilet
paper.
Why do people get disenchanted with attending public meetings?
This is why!
The King acted, the input and expense of studies was not even a factor!

[TLY]

The new president is doing fine in his cabinet appointments. Sec'y of transportation from Alaska where there is 1 road, Our Tommy Thompson who has a heart of gold (not), Chavez who will do whatever for labor etc etc etc. The rest are dad's pals, who is really gonna run the country? The state with the lowest voting turnout is now getting attention? Is there a clever name for an aquatic version of tree hugger?

Somewhere, unsubstantiated by me, is an indication that Clinton has fulfilled 67% of his campaign promises, more than any other president. The other Bush ("read my lips...") had a very low rating.

Having vented all that, what does this all do with fishing and teaching our grandchildren how to fish? Thats all I have to say about this. Forrest Gump

TLY (Tom Younger tyounger@attglobal.net)

[ispeming]

currently clinton has:

allowed the military to become the weekest since before WWII.

pushed air traffic control beyond safety.

let the infrastructure of this country decay so much that there is not enough power to supply everyone in this country with power.

sorry, i can't give him the same high grades as you. a d minus is the best i can give him and that's cutting him some slack.
ishpeming

[Read MY Lips]

TLY, better do a little homework before you start blowing gas about about approval ratings. You obviously don't remember when George Bush's approval rating was 92 percent (the highest Presidential approval rating ever) for 6 months after the Gulf War and right before a Democrat-controlled congress shoved a tax increase through against George Bush's wishes. The same congress failed to ratify a budget that probably would have stopped a very short lived and weak recession in it's tracks.

[Outlaw]

If Clinton keeps it up our grand childern will not have a place to fish.

[River_eye]

Actually, I think it's quite the opposite.

You think by setting aside roadless lands we are hurting peoples ability to fish?

Doesn't make sense to me, could you explain?

River eye

[chadk66]

I completely agree. Mac must be one of the biggest crack smokers I've ever heard of. If every charter boat on the west coast headed over and fished those restricted waters for an extended period of time they couldn't put a dent in the fish population. You know we hear this crap all the time from the government and when you ask them to put forth undeniable scientific evidence to support they're agenda, they simply cannot. The crap clinton pulls everyday never ceases to amaze me. Hopefully Bush can straighten out all this bologny. After all clinton knew he had no shot whatsoever doing it in the correct manner so he had to sign it on in an executive order, all in trying to build his so called legacy. Well eventually every american will see that joker for what he really is.