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Fort Bragg   062309   Smash The MLPA! Comments by local area fishers, seaweed harvesters, and businesses after the Ecotrust - DFG MLPA I-Team presentation/public meeting on 062309. Update  09 18 09 The  RDARS August 2009 Report,  (58kb PDF) a primer on the Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF), MLPA-Initiative, MLPA-I Team, The Back Door To Oil, the Revolving Doors and Rubber Stamp Commission, the Arnold Davis Cup Tournament, GOO! July 22, 09 The following are excerpts from one of my FAVORITE writers, and research journalist - fisher - activist! Schwarzenegger, Feinstein and Nature Conservancy Capture Cold, Dead Fish Awards by Dan Bacher Friday Feb 6th, 2009 5:04 PM http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/02/06/18568658.php "The year was highlighted by the continuing decline of California fisheries, with little effectively done by the state and federal governments to halt the collapse of Central Valley salmon and Delta pelagic (open water) fish populations. The recreational and commercial salmon season in ocean waters off California and Oregon closed for the first time in 150 years in 2008, due to the unprecedented collapse of Central Valley fall run chinook salmon that was first disclosed through a leaked memo from the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) in January 2008." "They launched a lawsuit on January 29, 2008, alleging that striped bass prey on salmon, steelhead and Delta smelt and that predation has illegally contributed to the catastrophic crash of pelagic and salmon species populations over the last five years. They failed to acknowledge that salmon, smelt and striped bass have coexisted successfully for over 120 years and that all three species are the victims of increasing water exports and decreasing water quality. For their misguided effort to place the blame on the stripers rather than themselves for the fish species decline, the coalition of the killing are handed the Blame the Stripers award!" "While promoting NO FISHING ZONES as the solution to environmental problems and letting corporate polluters, the timber industry and water diverters off the hook, the administration closed all commercial and recreational salmon fishing in 2008, severely restricted commercial salmon fishing in 2006 and slashed ocean rockfish seasons. For his “scorched earth” policy in regards to our nation’s and state's fisheries, George W. Bush proudly receives 'The Good Riddance, W' award." "One of the biggest enablers of Schwarzenegger's war on fish is Phil Isenberg, a Democratic career politician and former assemblyman who has become one of Schwarzenegger's key environmental hatchetmen. At the same time he did the Governor's bidding as the chair of the Blue Ribbon MLPA Task Force in imposing elitist no fishing zones upon sustainable commercial, sport and tribal fishermen, he also served as chair of the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force." "Although a broad coalition of environmental, fishing and tribal groups has successfully prevented the Triumvirate of Destruction from pushing Schwarzenegger's canal & dams schemes through the legislature to date, you can expect increasing pressure by Schwarzenegger and his staff upon conservation groups and politicians of all persuasions to join the Governor’s “big ditch” campaign. For forming their dark alliance to build the peripheral canal, Schwarzenegger, Feinstein and the Conservancy are each proudly bestowed the 'Cold, Dead Fish' award for 2008!" If you want to get active in the battle to restore the fish populations of California and the West, go to: http://www.restorethedelta.org http://www.calsport.org http://www.water4fish.org http://www.fishsniffer.com MPA's don't protect marine resources from pollution, or oil exploration/drilling, seabed development, aquaculture, industrialization of coastal waters, or militarization, just food gathering. Astral Arts Mendocino registered as a Mendocino County business in the Spring of 2003. All artwork, media, audio, video, projet series names and individual titles are Copyright Protected ©2003 ©2004 ©2005 ©2006 ©2007 ©2008 ©2009 Author: Thomas DiFiore. All business logos and product line artwork, are marks with specific fonts used in the identification of goods or services as used in commerce, and are trademarks of the author or Astral Arts Mendocino.