Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the American recreational fishermen that, like myself and my family, used to have the opportunity to fish for red snapper in the Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
I can't help but think how sad it is that we have people in here articulating why illegal drugs should be made legal while we continue to allow Federal agencies to take away the rights of the American sportsmen and the men and the women who just want to take their kids fishing.
Maybe if we spent more time outdoors fishing and hunting, we wouldn't have the problems that we have in this country with drugs.
Now, technically, Mr. Speaker, we still have the right to fish in the Gulf of Mexico in the Federal waters, as long as you can do it in the crumb of the season that has been left for the recreational fishermen.
Dr. Roy Crabtree and the National Marine Fisheries Services have left a 10-day season for the not-for-hire recreational angler who just wants to take his or her kid fishing, 10 days.
In 2007, Mr. Speaker--if you want to know how fast this has gone downhill--we got to fish 194 days; so, in the short span of about 8 years, they have taken 95 percent of the opportunity of the American sportsmen to fish in the Gulf of Mexico's Federal waters for red snapper away from them.
When they started the reductions, they promised that, as soon as the stock was restored, the season would be restored. Now, they give us the excuse: Well, because there are so many of them and they are so much bigger, you are catching that many that much faster.
You see, Mr. Speaker, this makes no sense. The commercial fishermen, ships, long lines and winches, and their powerful lobbyists, they get to fish year round for the same species. Dr. Roy Crabtree and the others at the National Marine Fisheries Services again virtually eliminated the fishing season for the recreational angler, reducing it to 10 days.
Now, I support the commercial fishing industry. I like to buy a piece of red snapper at the restaurant. I like to buy it at the grocery store. There is plenty of fish out there for all of us.
The 10 days that we have as recreational anglers--if it is bad weather, well, that is just too bad. If you have got to work that day, well, that is just too bad. You see, they pick the days. You don't get to pick the days, Mr. Speaker; and, if you can't fish on that day, that is just too bad for you. If you can afford it, the charter boat season now is 45 days.
Now, I will just tell you, I have never seen this much bias in anything I have ever done, especially in the rulemaking process, unless someone is being bribed or blackmailed or had a personal financial interest in the rulemaking, which brings me to the next point.
The vote to split the recreational season at the expense of the American angler, who just wants to fish with their family--not being forced to hire a charter boat--this was done by the Gulf Council on a split vote of 7 to 10 in which, according to news sources, 3 of the members that voted to do this didn't disclose that they sit on the board of a group that lobbies for the charter boat industry.
Again, I support the charter boat industry, but the idea that someone could sit there and vote to make a season for themselves 45 days as long as you can you pay them to take you, but 10 days if you don't pay them--Mr. Speaker, to be quite honest, Federal law stipulates those with a conflict must disclose it and shall not vote on those issues where a conflict exists.
The conduct of the National Marine Fisheries Services in allowing that vote is in direct contrast to the rights of the Americans who just want to fish in the Gulf of Mexico.
I, for one, am not going to sit back and let this continue; and, when the CJS appropriations act is on the floor, Mr. Speaker, I hope that we have the opportunity to correct what I believe to be illegal actions by the National Marine Fisheries Services and Dr. Roy Crabtree.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source