Immediate Action Request- EEZ Legislation Proposed
Last Year Representative Lee Zeldin of NY tried to pass federal legislation that took waters off Montauk Point NY out of the EEZ managed by NOAA and gave control instead to the State of NY. He wanted to do this because commercial fishermen are not allowed to take striped bass from federal waters. Luckily better thinking prevailed and his attempts were defeated.
Stripers Forever has always opposed efforts to open the EEZ to the keeping of striped bass because we feel that the EEZ closure which has stood since the mid-1980s provides a sanctuary for the large breeders. This is especially important right now because the large stripers are relatively depleted, and these fish are the most important breeders and finest genetic specimens.
Rep. Zeldin is at it again! He has introduced two amendments to appropriations bills that would prohibit NMFS and the U.S. Coast Guard from using any of their budget to enforce striped bass regulations in the EEZ.
You can find the language of the bills here:
- http://amendments-rules.house.gov/amendments/ZELDIN_028_xml825170923412341.pdf
- http://amendments-rules.house.gov/amendments/ZELDIN_029_xml825170924102410.pdf
We are suggesting that our members within the districts of these legislators individually join Stripers Forever in sending an e-mail that opposes these amendments to the following legislators:
- Rep. Zeldin (Eastern LI, NY)
- Rep. Jose Serrano (Harlem & Bronx, NY)
- Rep. Nita Lowey (Rockland & Westchester Counties in NY)
- Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (Morris, Essex, Sussex, Passaic Counties in NJ)
The above links will take you to the online email form for each legislator. You cannot send them an email without using the online email form linked to above. You need to be a constituent of these legislators to e-mail them directly, but anyone so motivated can send them postal mail, which is what Stripers Forever has done.
The hearings on these amendments start as early as Tuesday 9/5, so please do this today.
