Many of us from Virginia Beach and the surrounding Tidewater area hit the road on February 24th, to join thousands of commercial and recreational sportfishing anglers in Washington D.C. to rally for flexibility in the unyielding Magnuson-Stevens Conservation and Management Act. Anglers showed up on Capitol Hill for the “United We Fish” demonstration to show support for reform of the current Act, hoping to add more flexibly in unrealistic deadlines and overly restrictive management regulations, which are negatively impacting the fishing community as a whole. The proposed “Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Acts” (HR 1584 & S.1255), can provide this much needed reform. Most every coastal state was represented at the rally, including Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, California, and Alaska. It was the first time in history that both the recreational and commercial sectors of the fishing community joined forces to push for a common cause in the Capitol.
Hank Sibley Bluewater Yacht Sales 