It seems as though our government wants to interfere and control -- for lack of better words -- in far too many aspects of our lives. New York’s recently announced plans to close or curtail services in a bunch of our state parks. Now the federal government seems intent on telling us how we can utilize our nation’s waters, fresh and salt, as well as public and private, using a United Nations model as the idea core. The Obama administration has ended public input for a federal strategy that could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing some of the nation's oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even some other inland waters.
The feds established the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force that was charged with “developing a recommendation for a national policy that ensures protection, maintenance, and restoration of oceans, our coasts and the Great Lakes.” It will also recommend a framework for improved stewardship, and effective coastal and marine spatial planning. Shortly after the announcement, Bill Cassidy (LA-06) and 67 bipartisan Members of Congress sent a letter to Nancy Sutley, Chairwoman of the President’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, expressing concerns that the Task Force’s Interim Report is not balanced and could be used to block offshore energy development and job creation.
“On the whole, this report reflects an ideology that is at odds with American energy independence and job creation in the energy economy,” said Rep. Cassidy. “Responsible stewardship of our oceans and the responsible use of ocean resources are not conflicting aims. We don’t have to choose one or the other.” This writer also questions how any such policies could be enforced on foreign users of the waters. After all, regulations and laws don’t apply to the “crooks” that ignore them. Sadly, it seems that Washington just keeps coming up with one new tax-eating bureaucracy after another.
The American Sportfishing Association has fears regarding the new agency: “While the goal of improving coordination among the federal and state agencies that manage or regulate our oceans and coasts is a laudable goal and efforts should be made to achieve it, the Interim Framework, however, raises more questions than it answers and appears to call for significant, fundamental changes to both the regulatory structure and statutory authorities that form the basis for nearly every aspect of oceans management and use. Of particular concern is the potential creation of new bureaucracies that would impose top-down regulations, which would impinge on state agencies which have primary jurisdiction for resident fish and wildlife. Without recreational angler input, decisions made under this national oceans policy could be used to unnecessarily close saltwater and freshwater recreational fishing areas.”
Historically, it’s been state agencies that set the appropriate regulations and use policies for our waters, customizing them as studies indicated were necessary. Now apparently Washington feels it can do a better job. The current administration has suggested we use the United Nations principles of zoning of coastal and inland waters. Anything using a UN model almost instantly conjures up rules that bad guys ignore while they're being used to curtail the rights of law-abiding citizens. In this instance, the citizens are anglers.
"Both commercial and recreational fishing are vitally important to this nation," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco told a
