STOP COMMERCIAL MENHADEN NETTING

Ladies and Gentlemen....start your pogies! This is it...call to arms...game on! Our bill to SAVE OUR POGIES[HB-955] will be heard by the Environment and Natural Resources Committee at the State Legislature Tuesday May 3, 2005. This is what we have been waiting on and now we must go on the full court press to do everything we can to get our message to the elected Reps who make up this committee. The committe consists of Reps throughout the State and as such many of them probably don't know the difference between a pogy and a menhaden. They are getting bombarded by the lobbyist from Omega Proteins and Beaufort Fisheries and now they need to hear from the people who elected them to office...YOU; their constituents. We need for everyone to agressively make direct contact with these Reps from your respective home districts and point out to them the importance of this issue to you and request they vote to support the effort. What the bill asks for is restrictions on commercial menhaden netting from April thru November thus preserving this important bait fish for the predador game fish that migrate through our waters during that time of the year. This issue is of utmost economic impact importance to our coastal area, as when the bait fish are gone the predador game fish leave and when the game fish leave the fishermen leave, thus adversely impacting our coastal economy.

The commercial fishing groups say there is no scientific information that suggest the menhaden is over fished but those of us who are on the water know that completely over looks the issue of "localized depletion" which addresses the fact of what occurs when their spotter planes locate schools of menhaden in our area, and in a matter of a couple days can virtually wipe out the entire schools.

Please help us by going to work on your Reps and also please make plans to come to Raleigh May 3 for the hearing. You can be assured the Omega Proteins will make a big show there and it's important these committee members see first hand this is an issue of vital importance to us all. We will provide specific directions/time/location/ect as soon as we get it.

Now is the time. We need your help!

*Below you will find contact information for each of the representatives on the committee before which the Save Our Pogies bill will be presented.  At a minimum please seek out the representative from your local area and contact him/her asking for their support on this issue.  Even better would be to contact each member of the committee from various counties throughout the state to show what the tremendous support the bill has from the coastal community.