A different look at the costs and benefits of seashore management policies

March 30, 2012 | Editor's Blog | By: Irene Nolan

Ever since Defenders of Wildlife, the National Audubon Society, and the Southern Environmental Law Center took aim on the National Park Service for not have an off-road vehicle management plan, the groups have managed to get their message out masterfully. You?ve got to admire these folks.  They?re well funded, and it shows.  Their public information […]

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What a day.  The above paragraph contains a lot of sarcasm, but there is no other way to write it.  Circumstances are so bad that those in attendance were witness to the truly remarkable.  More than 20 Senators and Congressmen addressed the crowd.  Our lawmakers, Sen. Kay Hagan and Congressman Walter Jones, spoke.  Speaker after speaker made passionate speeches and the truly remarkable part, the part that that gives me great hope, the part that gives me the motivation to keep on fishing is this:  Every speaker from Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., to Congressman Walter Jones, R-N.C., spoke the same language.  It was as though they sang the same hymn from the same book.  Each of them clearly outlined the absurdities listed in the above paragraph and spoke forcefully of the need for change. Democrat or Republican, North or South, the overarching demands were the same — Let America’s Fishermen Fish! I’ll stop with this observation.  When you see Florida Congressman Allen West of the Tea Party and Congressman Barney Frank, the liberal Democrat from Massachusetts, on the same stage saying the same things about the need to protect America’s fishermen, be they recreational, charter/headboat, or commercial, it is a message every American can understand.  And that was the message that was sent out loud and clear last Wednesday in Washington, D.C.  I was proud to be there. (Ernie Foster of Hatteras village owns and operates The Albatross Fleet of charter boats.) FOR MORE INFORMATION See a related story on the rally on the Fishing Page or click here.

March 26, 2012 | Local News

Guest Column: A message every American can understand By ERNIE FOSTER By ERNIE FOSTER By ERNIE FOSTER On March 21, North Carolina Watermen United sponsored two busloads of working watermen who made a long day’s journey to Washington, D.C.  Leaving from both Carteret County and Dare County well before sunrise, the fishermen and women made […]

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