Bush and Kerry talk fish!!!

[PlatinumHooks]

This is a copy of and article from Sport Fishing magazine "on-line", check it out:

KERRY:

Why Should Saltwater Sportsman Vote For John Kerry?

As the senior Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans, as a sport fisherman, and as one who represents a state with a large commercial fishing industry and many dedicated sport fishermen, I understand the challenges we are facing today with respect to marine fisheries management. Numerous fish stocks have been seriously depleted. As was documented in the recently released Oceans Commission report, pollution, by-catch, habitat destruction and inadequate management continue to jeopardize our coastal fisheries. In short, the management of our marine fisheries has failed to achieve its goals, and we need to take serious steps to reverse some of the alarming trends that are being documented around the nation.

I will work with Congress and through the Department of Commerce to make the changes necessary to ensure a brighter future for sport fishermen. To accomplish this goal, we need to be open to new management techniques, and we need to bring all interested parties into the process of designing better management regimes. One of the first opportunities to enact meaningful reform will be the reauthorization of the Magnuson Act, which Congress is expected to undertake in the near future. Republicans and Democrats alike have an interest in healthy oceans, and we should work in a bipartisan fashion to seek effective solutions to current fisheries management challenges.

As a first step, we need to reform the management system so that the interests of sport fishermen are better represented on the regional fishery management councils. We need to improve our understanding of the ecological dynamics of these fisheries and apply that knowledge to new management regimes. We need to search for ways to reduce the unintended impacts of certain types of gear on bottom habitat and bycatch. We need to be open to establishing new size, gear and limit restrictions where they clearly can improve the health of the fishery. In some cases, where the science supports it and it clearly is in the interests of the resource and the sport-fishing community, we should be willing to consider establishing marine protected areas of limited size and duration, as long as access restrictions are minimized to the greatest extent possible, the areas are constantly monitored by reputable scientists, and restrictions are eased when no longer necessary.

We also must address nonmanagement problems. For example, pollution continues to plague coastal fisheries, and we must look for ways to strengthen the Clean Water Act to better deal with combined sewer overflows, non-point source pollution, and even treated industrial and municipal discharges. Agricultural runoff still presents major challenges, and we must work with Congress, the Department of Agriculture and individual farmers to design incentive-based programs that reward the establishment of buffer zones and the practice of low-input agriculture. Many commercial fishermen, particularly those who are barely getting by and want to get out of the business, should be given an economically viable opportunity to do so. I look forward to meeting these challenges.

- Senator John Kerry


BUSH:

Why Should Saltwater Sportsman Vote For George W. Bush?

Throughout my life, I've enjoyed fishing in America's waters from the lake on my ranch in Crawford, Texas, to the mighty Atlantic off the coast of Maine. I am one of 50 million active anglers who take part in one of our nation's favorite pastimes.

Being out on a boat reminds me of childhood fishing trips with my father and family. Those fishing trips created memories that will last a lifetime the types of memories that millions of American families share. Family fishing trips allow parents and children to spend quality time together. And being in the great outdoors helps us establish a sense of environmental stewardship and a personal connection with our country's natural resources.

My administration is working with sport fishermen to improve the experiences of today's anglers and protect America's natural resources for the enjoyment of future generations. The National Marine Fisheries Service is currently drafting a five-year Strategic Plan for Recreational Fishing, which should be available this fall. Throughout the spring, the NMFS held eight meetings from Atlantic to Pacific to receive public comments on the plan and incorporate the advice of anglers. In addition, federal fisheries officials have modified recreational surveys to collect better information about charter-boat catches. And my administration has increased funding for electronic nautical charts, which are important for ocean navigation.

Rebuilding fishing stocks is a priority of the NMFS. While rejecting efforts to list the white marlin as an endangered species, my administration negotiated with other countries to help rebuild the white marlin population internationally. A stronger marlin population will mean better catches for anglers. Similarly, we have pursued aggressive habitat restoration programs to increase available fish spawning and nursery areas.

We are also working to strike a proper balance between the interests of sport and commercial fishermen. We've implemented time-area closures in portions of the Gulf of Mexico, the Strait of Florida, and off the coast of South Carolina to protect small swordfish from commercial longline fisheries. And we modified the closed-fishing rules in the Gulf of Mexico to allow surface trolling by recreational fishermen.

Of course, the interests of anglers don't stop at the water's edge. All Americans want to be sure that our nation is safe and prosperous. I have made America's national security and economic security a priority. Thanks to the courageous men and women of our military, America is defending freedom and extending the blessings of liberty to millions more people around the world. And the tax relief I proposed and signed over the last three years has strengthened the economy and encouraged job creation by leaving more money in the hands of the workers and small business owners who earn it.

Together, Americans have made our nation safer, stronger and better over the last three and a half years. I've been honored to lead America at such a historic time, and I ask for your vote on November 2.

- President George W. Bush



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Well, all I gotta say is........................JOHN KERRY!!!!!!!!! .......amen.