If Amazon doesn’t have the product you need, call 800 824 9473.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAbEzakam3Y

These scenes could probably be duplicated on the Atlantic Coast.

There is a bus coming from Panama City that will stop in Jax, Fl. to pick up fishermen for the trek north to D. C.

If you are interested, this bus is free, call me 772 446 4176, details on http://www.captstanman.com

Please be sure and mail this to everyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lIdzt53FKtY#

All,

You have seen much info on the national ocean policy that I have sent.  Here is some info from the conference call the National Ocean Policy Coalition had last week.  I was on this call and provided info and suggestions and learned more of the problems facing us if the national ocean policy continues.  When you go to the sites listed in the below paragraph you will learn more.  Check the members of the joint ocean commission initiative and see who is pushing this and who we are up against.  The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the New England Fishery Management Council, and the Pacific Northwest are all tuned in to supporting the national ocean policy.  Fishermen, boaters, all who use and enjoy our natural marine resources better get involved and now if the nop is to be curtailed.  Let your respective managing bodies know you do not support the nop.  You need to tell your councils and the asmfc to back off support and listen to the stakeholders who will be most affected.  The nop train is moving at light speed while no one is watching.  Don’t wait till it is too late.

Bob

At a recent meeting held by the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative featuring discussion about the National Ocean Policy, concerns were expressed about funding levels and maintaining the policy’s viability (most attendees were government officials or NGO rep’s.).  Questions were raised about the level of progress thus far, and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco raised the possibility of not leading policy implementation with Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning, but instead focusing on area of common ground such as data collection and standards.  It was noted that there was a lot of energy for the process in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and Pacific Northwest, as opposed to other regions in the country, and that perhaps there should be a focus on areas that want to engage in the process rather than implementing it nationwide.  The existing Northeast Regional Ocean Council may hold a marine spatial planning workshop in March, and they are reportedly eager to move forward with implementation.

Capt Bob Zales, II

Go to http://www.captainstanman.us/forum/showthread.php?t=3679    for a step by step with photos.

The article stated that we use 1/0 treble hooks on the Ribbonfish Rig.  In the Gulf we aluminum spray paint black Gamakatsu size 4, 4 power treble hooks and in the Atlantic we use #6, 4 power Gama trebles and give them the same paint treatment.  Aluminum paint is specified b/c it is much brighter than silver or grey.

One piece AFW Bright stranded wire (which is silver colored) is used for making ribbon rigs.

Write me with any questions that you might have.  seajay74 at comcast dot net

RFA Likes “Top 10 Things” About President Obama’s Plan to Zone the Oceans”

(10/04/2011) On July 19, 2010 President Obama signed Executive Order 13547 to unilaterally implement a new National Ocean Policy without Congressional approval or specific statutory authority. This policy is a new regulatory layer that could significantly impact the way we use and manage our oceans and is another example of the Obama Administration imposing burdensome federal regulations and policies that could hinder economic growth and harm job creation. In addition, the Administration is implementing a mandatory Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning initiative to “zone” the oceans.

This morning at 10 a.m., the Natural Resources Committee will hold an oversight hearing entitled “The President’s New National Ocean Policy - A Plan for Further Restrictions on Ocean, Coastal and Inland Activities.” The hearing will examine the job, energy and economic impacts of President Obama’s Executive Order.

Tuesday’s 10 a.m. hearing before the full Committee will be held in Hearing Room 1324 in the Longworth House Office Building in Washington DC, and will be broadcast live via the web at http://naturalresources.house.gov/live. The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) encourages its members to visit the link above to watch as the Congressional Committee skewers this controversial presidential edict which RFA has staunchly opposed for nearly a decade.

“Rep. Sam Farr of California has been pushing this ideological hogwash through the House for nearly 10 years, but every time his doomsday bill gets debated in Committee it is tossed out for being utter nonsense and a bureaucratic nightmare,” Donofrio said on July 20, 2010, after President Obama used presidential privilege to circumvent the legislative process (visit http://www.joinrfa.org to view RFA’s frequent comments both on and off the congressional record with regard to Rep. Farr’s failed “Oceans 21” legislation.)

Donofrio points out that Rep. Farr is first up on the slate this morning to talk about the President’s Executive Order 13547 before the Committee.  “Mr. Farr’s disastrous Oceans 21 legislation had a handful of supporters who truly believe that our government needs more anti-representative bureaucracy, but RFA and others fought hard to defeat this unnecessary bill in the past, and we hope to see strong objection from the Committee to the President’s Executive Order, Congress should be funding this fiasco,” Donofrio said. 

“The Natural Resources Committee never supported Oceans 21, and we applaud Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA) for taking this initiative to task in an open forum for all constituents to view,” he added. 

For saltwater anglers and constituents who wonder how the presidential edict will impact them personally, RFA said Chairman Hastings’ Top 10 Things to Know About the President’s Executive Order and ‘Ocean Zoning’ released in advance of the hearing probably says it best.

1) Lacks Congressional Authorization. In four separate Congresses, legislation has been introduced to implement similar far-reaching ocean policies, and to-date NO bill has passed the House or been reported out of a Committee.

2) Unilateral Action. The Obama Administration has failed to cite any specific statutory authority for the Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning initiative. Instead, it throws up a smokescreen list of all statutes that impact the oceans and claims that is their authority.

3) Imposes ‘Ocean Zoning.’ The Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning initiative is entirely new, mandatory ocean zoning that involves up to 27 Federal agencies and will cost the taxpayers millions, if not billions, in Federal spending. This initiative could place huge portions of the ocean off limits to all types of recreational and commercial activities.

4) Threatens American Jobs. ‘Ocean zoning’ has the potential to damage sectors such as agriculture, commercial and recreational fishing, construction, manufacturing, marine commerce, mining, oil and natural gas, renewable energy, recreational boating, and waterborne transportation, among others. These industries support tens of millions of jobs and contribute trillions of dollars to the U.S. economy.

5) Far-Reaching Impacts Not Limited to the Ocean. This new ‘ocean zoning’ authority would allow Federally-dominated Regional Planning Bodies to reach as far inland as it deems necessary to protect ocean ecosystem health. It specifically mentions the Great Lakes and could potentially impact all activities that occur on lands adjacent to rivers, tributaries or watersheds that drain into the ocean.

6) Creates More Bureaucracy. The Executive Order creates: 10 National Policies; a 27-member National Ocean Council; an 18-member Governance Coordinating Committee; and 9 Regional Planning Bodies. This has led to an additional: 9 National Priority Objectives; 9 Strategic Action Plans; 7 National Goals for Coastal Marine Spatial Planning; and 12 Guiding Principles for Coastal Marine Spatial Planning to be created.

7) Tool for Litigation. The ‘ocean zoning’ initiative involves vague and undefined objectives, goals, and policies that can be used as fodder for lawsuits to stop or delay Federally-permitted activities. This initiative is poised to become a litigation nightmare.

8) New Cost to Taxpayers. This new policy will affect already budget-strapped agencies such as NOAA, Department of Commerce, Department of the Interior, EPA, Department of Transportation, USDA, Homeland Security, and the Army Corps of Engineers. As Federal budgets are further reduced, it is unclear how much funding the agencies are taking from existing programs to develop and implement th

Re: Rig removals

Sen. David Vitter (R-La) filed for legislation today that will prevent rigs and other structures from being summarily removed from the Gulf of Mexico.
In a knee-jerk response to the Gulf oil spill, the U.S. Department of Interior issued a directive in October of 2010 ordering that all non-producing rigs be plugged and any remaining structure removed within five years of the issuance of that directive. Sen. Vitter’s Rigs to Reefs Habitat Protection Act of 2011 seeks to allow those structures to remain in the Gulf as vibrant artificial reefs.
“More than ever we need to create habitat for marine life in the Gulf, not dispose of it,” said Sen. Vitter. “These idle rigs are serving a valuable purpose by supporting our fisheries, and it just doesn’t make sense to remove them. I appreciate the Coastal Conservation Association for bringing this issue to my attention so we can reach a reasonable outcome that benefits the fish and the fishermen.”

“The structures are generally regarded as the largest man-made artificial reef in the world, providing habitat to dozens of species of fish and marine life, many of which are structure-dependent,” said Chester Brewer, chairman of CCA’s National Government Relations Committee. “Sen. Vitter, like all fishermen, realizes the critical connection between habitat and healthy fisheries, and we are grateful for his efforts to have those structures stay in the water as habitat and as popular fishing destinations for recreational anglers.”
There are approximately 3,500 offshore structures in the Gulf of Mexico and the directive, known as the Idle Iron Policy, would impact roughly 650 structures that have not produced oil or gas within five years of the directive issue date of Oct. 15, 2010.
“If nothing is done, a tremendous amount of habitat will be lost and the negative impact would be massive,” said Brewer. “In the aftermath of the oil spill disaster, it is understandable that the federal government felt the need to be seen taking action, but this directive could create far more problems than it solves. Sen. Vitter’s legislation serves as a reasonable approach to address the Administration’s concerns while maintaining this vital habitat.”
The Rigs to Reefs Habitat Protection Act would not allow platforms to be removed until an assessment has been completed to determine whether there are coral populations or other protected species in the vicinity of the platform, and to identify any species that have recreational or commercial value. If it is determined that there is a substantial reef ecosystem around the structure, the decommissioning of the platform will be halted until it can be determined that removing it would not harm the reef ecosystem.
The Act further states that companies are exempt from the requirement to remove platforms from the marine environment as long as the owner commits to converting the platform into an artificial reef either by initiating discussions with applicable state governments regarding potential sites for the artificial reef or by taking steps to provide for “reefing in place.”
For reefing in place, the Act outlines several steps that must be taken, including removal of the top decks, maintaining an anode system and navigation aids, and paying into a Reef Maintenance Fund created by the Act. Those payments should equal the estimated costs associated with the removal of the platform that the owner would have been responsible for if the owner had not elected to reef the structure. The Reef Maintenance Fund is to be available without fiscal year limitation and not subject to appropriation, for the maintenance of artificial reefs established under this program.
“This is a well thought-out solution that works for everyone, but most importantly it works best for the marine environment,” said Brewer. “We look forward to working with Sen. Vitter and with Congress to get this bill passed as quickly as possible and keep those platforms in the Gulf as vital artificial reefs.”