Opportunity for input on NEMFC seat!!

I have written a letter of support for Mr.John Pappalardo of the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association. This association was successful in suing the giant NMFS over essential fishing habitat, has partnered with Conservation Law foundation, American Oceans campaign and other conservation groups through John's understanding of complex fishing managment issues.
The next big issue with the NEFMC will be ITQ's or Individual transferable Quotas. If these are inplemented you will see the small commercial fleets replaced by huge conglomerates like Tyson Foods etc. as they buy up what small peices they can from the individualists on our coasts.
This is a very complex issue, better left to an individual that understands the commercial fisheries and believes in them. I realize there is a long history of mismanagment in this dragger vessel managed council. I feel the new representative to this council should be there to promote a sustainability to stock managment. it should represent all the user groups, not just the draggers. I feel that John Pappalardo has been successful in this when the RFA and many other recreational groups have not. I have yet to see the magazine Rip publishes to offer any disclaimer or sidebar to the articles that promote chunking techniques for effective ways to kill striped bass. Is it just about 'selling" magazines ? Commercial" takes many forms.
I am very involved in trying to bring the commercial and recreational groups together to manage fishery stocks in a sustainable manner. I believe habitat preservation and bycatch monitoring to be absolutly paramount to this goal. I know that John is committed to this goal. I realize that trying to promote the commercial fishing case is pretty tough on a flyfishing site, but I have seen both sides of this issue and still feel that there is a need for the non fishing public to be able to go buy their "share" of the fishing resource. Hence there still is a reason for "commercial" fishing.

I was at a meeting last night with Paul Howard the E.D. of the NEFMC. The meeting was an informal informative thing pertaining to the development of Ammendment 13 of the groundfish plan. I learned a lot of things, much of it good news. I saw tables and statistics showing the definite turnaround of the groundfish stocks. ( 11 species) Since the bottom in 1994 these species have been steadily increasing. i was told if the rate of recovery continues we will have complete sustainability in 2009 ( taking only one of five fish) Much of this is unknown as the NEFMC has no pr plan or budget.
Barry Gibson's peice in the "Tide" vaguely alludes to this yet he knows the data and info as he also had met with Mr. Howard and has seen the same info I had. It seems he very begrudingly wnats to admit the fish are starting to come back.
On the NEFMC council seat, I learned the seat that is available is a commercial seat. The recreational seats are not up for renewal. I feel that a commercial fisherman that is for a more sustainable fishery, protection of habitat, protection of small boat and community interests, is against ITQ's is better for our fishery managment than a dragger who is for exploiting further herring biomass off our coast and in general status quo. I also heard but was not confirmed (seen the letter) that Jim Donofrio was endorsing Mr. Pappalardo as well.
Bruce