At this time, there is a bill going before the Tennessee legislation which is trying to EXPAND the use of commercial nets to some sacred striper waters in East Tennessee. As a part of the bill, $750K is to be apportioned from the sales of SPORTFISHING licenses to study the effects of allowing the expansion of commercial gill netting. WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN. In this economy, where every penny is needed to maintain the system that is hanging on by a thread, the system which maintains our sport fisheries, the LAST thing it needs is this unnecessary burden!
WE CAN STOP THIS. But you MUST act quickly. All you have to do is send an email. But it must be sent within the next 3 days as the vote is on Jan 12th. Sadly, there have only been 78 comments sent to the TWRC (TN wildlife resources commission) speaking against this misuse of funds and resources to benefit the spread of commercial fishing. I hope every one of you sends your comment, and we fishermen, united, can prevent this loss.
Here is the list of emails, all you have to do is copy and paste:
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lt.gov.ron.ramsey@capitol.tn.gov, sen.mark.norris@capitol.tn.gov, sen.bill.ketron@capitol.tn.gov, sen.jack.johnson@capitol.tn.gov, sen.mae.beavers@capitol.tn.gov,sen.jim.kyle@capitol.tn.gov, sen.lowe.finney@capitol.tn.gov, sen.andy.berke@capitol.tn.gov, sen.beverly.marrero@capitol.tn.gov, speaker.beth.harwell@capitol.tn.gov,rep.judd.matheny@capitol.tn.gov, rep.steve.mcdaniel@capitol.tn.gov, rep.gerald.mccormick@capitol.tn.gov, rep.kevin.brooks@capitol.tn.gov,rep.debra.maggart@capitol.tn.gov, rep.ryan.haynes@capitol.tn.gov, rep.barrett.rich@capitol.tn.gov, rep.vince.dean@capitol.tn.gov, rep.mark.white@capitol.tn.gov,rep.tony.shipley@capitol.tn.gov, rep.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov, rep.craig.fitzhugh@capitol.tn.gov, rep.joe.towns@capitol.tn.gov, rep.mike.turner@capitol.tn.gov,rep.joe.pitts@capitol.tn.gov, rep.gary.moore@capitol.tn.gov, rep.barbara.cooper@capitol.tn.gov, rep.lois.deberry@capitol.tn.gov, rep.sherry.jones@capitol.tn.gov,TWRA.comment@tn.gov
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Here is a suggested body to your letter, or you can choose write your own:
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I’m writing in regard to the recent undertakings of Senator Jim Summerville and Representative Frank Niceley regarding the promotion, expansion and endorsement of commercial fishing in the lakes of Tennessee.
I, like hundreds of thousands of other Tennesseans, am an avid recreational angler. The time that I spend on the water is of immeasurable personal value and I maintain a tremendous appreciation for our beautiful and magnificent lakes.
I’m very concerned and highly disappointed in the actions of Senator Summerville and Representative Niceley as their desire to increase commercial harvest in our waters could prove devastating to our fisheries. Commercial nets are not selective about what species are harvested and they will catch anything that swims, and everything they catch, they kill. The by-catch of commercial netting has devastated fisheries all over America and is only beneficial to those few that engage in the practice. In Tennessee specifically there are approximately 250 commercial fishermen, opposed to over 800,000 recreational anglers. This legislation is glaringly engineered to the benefit of very few, at the expense of many.
I’m writing to ask that you please help the recreational sportsmen and women of Tennessee and help defeat any legislation that expands commercial fishing in our state. The thought of seeing hundreds of thousands of dead “by-catch” sport fish floating on the shores of our pristine waters is sickening, and I’m asking for your help to defeat any legislation that promotes this activity.
With my sincerest appreciation for your time and consideration,
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Please send this quickly. We all need support and we need it fast!
Thank you,