here are some sample letters to send to anyone you know and have them email and snail mail their representatives
There is a Sportsman letter and a Concerned citizen letter
CONCERNED CITIZEN LETTER
To the Honorable __________,
I have been a life long resident of the State of Florida and I have always considered it an incredible place to live. I know that you feel the same way and that is why it is imperative that I bring this matter to your attention. There is currently a proposal , by the The National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (NPS) on the table that concerns Biscayne Bay National Park but effects us all as Floridians. This proposal is discriminatory and not based on any sound scientific research. The suggested plans in the proposal arbitrarily and inaccurately vilifies the spearfishing community and offers only unfounded and outright false statements to support such claims.
This is of GREAT concern to me as a citizen and sportsman. I do not want to think that any governmental branch of this State would be a part of arbitrary and discriminatory law making and I am sure you do not either. As a longtime recreational angler, both with a rod and reel as well as various types of spearfishing, I have always sought to responsibly enjoy our oceans while doing my utmost to ensure a healthy and thriving fish population for many many generations to come. These proposal alternatives, specifically 2,3,4 and 5 and
I urge you to please get involved in this legislation and speak out in opposition of discrimination and reckless protection of our precious marine resources.
Thank you in advance,
________________
SPORTSMAN LETTER
To the Honorable_________,
I am certain that you, like me, know the very significant importance of the Florida Bay as a microcosm of the entire eastern seaboard, predicting and revealing changes in the ecosystem, and I am sure that you know that this marine nursery is home to many many species of animal, some unique in the world.
Given the importance of this area, it is very important that we as citizens do not set a terrible example by implementing unsound and unfair regulations pertaining to this area. The current NPS proposals to limit the area to use by hook and line fishermen is terribly unsound from a scientific standpoint as well as blatantly discriminatory. Hook and line(H&L) fishermen do not have the ability to be selective in their fishing the way that spearfishermen and women do. H&L anglers can only attempt to target a particular species, and often end up with unintended by catch. There is ZERO by catch in spearfishing. Further, H&L fishing produces significantly more waste in the form of lines hooks and lures than any spearfishermen could ever match.
All one has to do is take a recreational dive over our reefs to see the tangles of lines, leaders and wasted lead weights that have become commonplace in the biscayne seagrass.
I am all for informed closures, but they must be general closures to all forms of take and should certainly include commercial fishermen first and foremost.
I believe that rather than closures, the best solution may be to increase size restrictions in the given area.
Thank you for your attention
_________________________
(thread in progress, just want as much info up as fast as possible)
