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Environmentalists replacing conservationists on Mid-Atlantic Regional Fishery Management Council
Feds make changes to Mid-Atlantic fishery council.. Kirk Moore • STAFF WRITER • June 25, 2009

Mid-Atlantic Regional Fishery Management Council - -(FishNLand.com)- Federal oceans administrator Jane Lubchenco is making changes on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Fishery Management Council, replacing fishermen who have represented three states with new members who have connections to environmental causes.

Christopher J. Zeman, a River Vale attorney who represented the environmental group Oceana on issues including sea turtles and their interactions with the scallop fleet, was named by the Department of Commerce to replace Edward Goldman, a recreational angler from Absecon whose term on the council expired this year. Each year about this time the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration led by Lubchenco names members to the eight regional fishery councils based on nominations submitted by state governors.

For a New York State seat, Laurie Nolan, a commercial tilefish boat owner from Montauk, is being replaced with Peter Schafer, director of retail operations at the Wild Edibles fish stores in New York City. Schafer has promoted selling sustainable fish in those high-end outlets, and worked with writer and activist Carl Safina’s Long Island-based Blue Ocean Institute to distribute shopping guides that tell consumers how their seafood choices affect the marine environment.

For a Virginia seat, Peter L. deFur, a professor at Virginia Commonmwealth University’s Center for Environmental Studies is replacing angler Jeff Deem. DeFur is a wildlife toxicologist who works on risk assessment and coastal restoration issues, and has served on the Board of the Science and Environmental Health Network and as president of the Association for Science in the Public Interest.

Environmental groups have long contended the federal system of eight regional councils is dominated by people with direct economic and personal stakes in fisheries issues, and have pressed NOAA to broaden the pool of nominees. In the 1990s, Safina became the first Mid-Atlantic council member from an environmental background to serve a three-year term.

Lubchenco, a professor and noted marine ecologist from Oregon State University, was tapped by President Obama this year to lead NOAA. She has had ties to the Pew Environmental Trusts, and the appointment aroused unease from fishing advocates who have tangled with their Pew counterparts over fishing limits and catch restrictions.

But on the New England front - scene of America’s most intractable fishing problems - Lubchenco is not making big changes at the regional council. Four incumbent members have been renamed to new terms, along with newcomer Glen A. Libby from the Port Clyde commercial fishermen’s cooperative in Maine.

Anthony P. Mauro, Sr
Chairman
New Jersey Outdoor Alliance: “We’ve got your back!”
www.njoutdooralliance.org

About:
NJOA – New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is the state’s first major political action committee devoted to the task of electing outdoor-minded candidates to public office.
NJOA has formed with the support of leaders of major pro-hunting, pro-angling, and pro-trapping organizations. We are not a hunting, fishing, or trapping “club” or “group,” and do not compete with the interests of such organizations. NJOA helps to ensure that strong wildlife and natural resource protection laws are produced by outdoor-minded elected officials. The best way to ensure a “conservation presence” in Trenton is to support the election campaigns of representatives who understand the relationship between a balanced ecology and hunting, fishing, and trapping.

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FLW Outdoors, National Guard Team Up To Bring $7.1 Million Walmart FLW Series To Columbia River
National Guard Western Division event first of its kind in Oregon
Umatilla, Ore. -(FishNLand.com) – The $7.1 million Walmart FLW Series® will visit the Columbia River in Umatilla, Ore., June 24-27 for the second National Guard Western Division tournament of the season. The tournament, hosted by the City of Umatilla, is the first major bass-fishing event in the state of Oregon and will feature as many as 300 top bass anglers casting for top awards of $125,000 in the Pro Division and $25,000 in the Co-angler Division.

“We’re excited to be in a new venue and honored to bring the first big bass fishing event in Oregon to the tremendous fishery that is the Columbia River,” said SFC Frank O’Laughlin.

“I think there will be some fish just getting off the spawn,” said National Guard pro Brent Ehrler. “Lots of fish will be caught.”

Ehrler said anglers will find bass with a variety of techniques – including using a spinnerbait for shallow fish. However, Ehrler said the Columbia River tends toward slower methods.

“It’s the Columbia River,” Ehrler said. “You can’t go wrong with the Carolina rig or a drop-shot rig.”

Anglers will take off from Umatilla Marina and RV Park located at 1710 Quincy in Umatilla at 6:30 each morning. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at Umatilla Marina and RV Park beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Walmart store located at 1350 N 1st St. in Hermiston beginning at 4 p.m. Children will also be treated to a Family Fun Zone prior to Saturday’s weigh-in from noon to 4 p.m. at Walmart. Activities in the Family Fun Zone include a trout pond, a Ranger boat simulator and assorted fishing-themed games. All activities are free and open to the public.

The entire field competes for the first three days of FLW Series events. Co-angler winners are determined on day three based on the heaviest accumulated three-day weight. The top 10 professionals continue competition on day four, and the winner is determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.

In FLW Series competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The total purse for the Lake Eufaula tournament is nearly $900,000, including $10,000 through 50th place in the Pro Division. Ultimately, all anglers in the tournament will also be competing for valuable points in the hope of qualifying for a shot at advancing to the $2.5 million 2010 Forrest Wood Cup, where the winning pro will earn as much as $1 million – the sport’s biggest award.

Coverage of the Columbia River FLW Series tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS, the network which brings anglers the best fishing programming on television featuring the most-trusted authorities on the water. The Emmy-nominated “FLW Outdoors,” will air Aug. 2 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide, including internationally through agreements with WFN (World Fishing Network) and Matchroom Sport to such countries as Canada, Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world.

Total awards are based on a full field of 150 boats in every tournament.

About:
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors also has taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for Player’s Advantage for only $10 to get your edge and win.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.

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Spokane County’S Silver Lake Access Site Closed June 22-24
OLYMPIA -(FishNLand.com)- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) water access site on Silver Lake in southwest Spokane County will be closed June 22- 24 for installation of a boat dock and fishing pier.

The gate to the access site, on the northeast shore of the 472-acre lake, will be locked to all entry 7:30 a.m. Monday, June 22, and will not be re-opened until 7:30 a.m. Thursday, June 25. Signs about the temporary closure will be posted at the site.

The new dock is being installed between two boat ramps to facilitate boat launching and retrieval. The fishing pier, which will be accessible by disabled persons, will provide safe shoreline access for anglers without boats and serve as a wildlife viewing platform. The work is the final phase of a Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant-funded project that began last year.

Silver Lake is located one mile east of the town of Medical Lake on the south side of the Medical Lake-Four Lakes Road. Open year-round, it is especially popular in spring and summer with anglers looking for tiger muskie, largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, and brown and rainbow trout. A private resort on the north shore also provides access to the lake.

About:
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is dedicated to preserving, protecting and perpetuating the state’s fish and wildlife resources. The department operates under a dual mandate from the Washington Legislature to:

* Protect and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats.
* Provide sustainable, fish- and wildlife-related recreational and commercial opportunities.

Department policy is guided by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission composed of nine citizen members appointed by the Governor. Department operations are led by a Director and an Executive Management Team. The Director is appointed by the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The department is headquartered in Olympia and operates six regional offices throughout the state.

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