STOP COMMERCIAL MENHADEN NETTING

Just got off tele with Rep Stiller. Some of the committee members who had committed to us are now "on the fence". Bonner says this is a result of them being pounded on by the 5 lobbyist Omega/Beauford has in Raleigh working on them.

We need to get to work on these reps and get them back in our column again. Surprisingly they are the Charlotte and Raleigh area Reps for the most part. Both Charlotte and Raleigh have very strong sportfishing clubs as well as strong CCA chapters so fishermen, please get back to work one more time. It has been expressed to me we need to be polite and civil with our request for support.They have all been beat to death on this issue from both sides. Tomorrow most of them should be in their home district offices.It is appropriate to contact them at their office, but probably not at their homes. Their tele numbers are listed on the April 24 or 25 entry on this web site. Their names are :

Representative
-Haire
-Carney
-Gulley
-Blackwood
-McMahan[he's still with us but a little shakey; just thank him for his continued support
-Insko
-Hackney
-Weiss
-Capps
-Martin
-Underhill
-Goodwin

The primary arguments they are hearing is:
-we'll put poor people out of work. The answer is we only proposing restricting this netting during our tourist season when our game fish are migrating through our waters, May1 through October 31.
-there is no science to suggest menhaden are over fished. The answer is this analysis completely overlooks "localized depletion" where the net boats come into our area and completely wipe out our menhaden suppply in only a couple of days. The result is our predador fish leave as their food source is gone and with the predador game fish leaving, also goes the tourist sportfishermen who are so vital to our coastal economy.

Everyone please get back to work one more time and lets get the ball across the goal line! We need your help. Try tele calls first, then fax and email. Thanks for your help. Rube Mcmullan

And also PLEASE come to the hearing in Raleigh Tuesday.