An important message from CFSI Executive Director and Legislative Advocate, Rob Ross:
It is with pleasure that I advise that the CFSI lead coalition of Board members, processors, wholesalers, fishing organizations, local chambers of commerce, ports, harbormasters and other defeated SB 1114 which would have banned nets to take swordfish and shark, tuna, opah, louver and other market species. Even the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, the entity that now manages and regulates the fishery, opposed the bill.
It took time to build the solid opposition, lobby the members of two senate committees, and research and refute the sensational claims made by the Turtle Island Restoration Network, echoed by Oceana and others. In the end, which came sooner than many expected, facts overcame sensation and the industry prevailed. Senators in important policy and fiscal committees helped us tremendously. They lead the way and gave credibility with their opposition which I influenced other senators to oppose the bill.
Special thanks to the members of the CFSI board, many of whom do not deal in swordfish, who contacted key members of the state Senate. Additional thanks to the fishermen who traveled to Sacramento many times to work against the bill.
CFSI President Dave Rudie chairs the Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s Highly Migratory Species Sub-Panel, and Board member Pam Tom is a member of same. Both are well versed on the management of the fishery and the status of the healthy swordfish stocks and they were convincing opponents to the bill and the agenda of bill proponents.
Thank to the efforts of CFSI members who have developed and or maintained relationships with key state legislators and development of an effective coalition we were convincing advocates for resource management, utilization and access to the resources that belong to all Californians. Once again the industry and data and science beat the crisis industry.