The Ocean Conservancy

[Quicksilver]

So I'm watching the Lehrer Newshour on PBS a couple of days ago and these two spokesmen are going back and forth on the marine fisheries study that was recently released. One guy sounds like he is representing comercial fisherman. I can't pin down the position of the other man, but to me he is coming across as reasonable. During the exchange it was revealed that my reasonable guy is from The Ocean Conservancy. Guess I will do a search tonight to find out more about the organization. I belong to CCA. I looked at the CCA website and didn't see any reference to TOC in the CCA press releases. Anyone out there have an opinion of TOC? I would like to support a group that could have a possitive effect on the enviroment. The fact that TOC was on Newshour carries some weight with me.

[flatts1]

Originally posted by Quicksilver
Anyone out there have an opinion of TOC? I would like to support a group that could have a possitive effect on the enviroment.

If you believe that having a positive effect on the environment is achieved by keeping you from it then TOC is for you.

Some recommended reading...

http://www.surfcaster.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=1333&hl=conservancy&

http://www.basspond.com/cgi-bin/ib/ikonboard.cgi?;act=ST;f=8;t=56

[Quicksilver]

Thanks for the threads, they were great reading. The best education for me would probably be to attend the events that are periodically coming up, like the one at UNH you attended. I took a flyfishing vacation to Alaska last summer. In Alaska the Fish and Wildlife people really affect what is going on with the environment. There is also an awareness with regards to protecting fish that I have never seen anywhere else. If a fish is to be released it is not to come out of the water. Somehow there needs to be a more active management and awareness of the fisheries down here too. There are a couple of issues I would like to see addressed. Commercial bycatch that gets tossed dead back into the ocean seems like a sin against nature to me. I would also would like to see the possibility of anadromous species reintroduced to rivers and streams where they once thrived. Not talking Atlantic Salmon here. To me that has been an exercise in futility, but there are plenty of rivers that I bet once supported herring and shad runs. Maybe these species would thrive if rivers were made a little cleaner and some dams were removed. By nature I am not an optimistic person , but I feel that we as a people are going to address these issues. I also feel that with our political process if a certain group has a big problem with a particular item like MPA's then some solution can be found.