SAVE THE WORLD FROM OVERFISHING!

"Two months ago we asked you to tell the Senate to protect our oceans. Thousands of you took action and because of your help we were able to move a good oceans protection bill closer to a vote.Now we need to make sure the House of Representatives follows suit. Please tell your Representative to sign on to be a co-sponsor of the Rahall Bill, which would curb the mismanagement of the fishery management councils; the bodies that govern how much fish can be caught each year.Seals, whales, dolphins, and recreational fisherman who depend on healthy fish stocks shouldn't have to wait another year for the fish populations to rebuild while the House delays. Tell Congress to take action now.Please ask your Member of Congress to support the Rahall bill.To take action, click on the following link or paste it into your browser:http://uspirg.org/uspirg.asp?id=1146&id4=ESBackground:America's oceans play an important role in our economy, recreational opportunities, and in the life of many communities. There are fishing communities in New England where fishermen have gone out to sea since the 17th Century. There are native communities in the Northwest that depend on fishing for sustenance and the continuation of their culture. In the Gulf of Mexico, whole towns depend on fishing. For many of these people, fishing is not just one recreational choice from among many; it is their way of life and livelihood.But, in report after report, year after year, scientists have documented the declining health of our oceans and the continuing depletion of important fish populations. In New England, almost half of all major fish like cod, flounder, and haddock are severely depleted--meaning that populations are at 5-20 percent of their historical size--yet overfishing is still allowed to occur. In the Southeast, all the groupers and snappers are allowed to be overfished and in the Gulf of Mexico, red snapper are depleted. Off the Pacific coast, most rockfish populations are so depleted they are closed to commercial fishing.At the heart of the overfishing problem is a system of regional fishery management councils set up by the federal government to regulate the nation's fisheries. Most of the members of these advisory councils are people who have a commercial interest in catching fish. The U.S. gives most of the authority to manage fish stocks to the same people who have a vested interest in catching more fish--the fishing industry.While there is no comprehensive fishery management bill in the House, there is a bill Sponsored by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), H.R. 1431, which would reform the fishery management councils by broadening representatives to include conservationists and members of the public, prohibiting council members from voting on fisheries they had an economic interest in, requiring the member to receive technical training on these complex issues before they make decisions, and most importantly requiring council members to listen to the advice of their independent scientific advisers on how much fish is safe to catch without depleting populations.Please ask your Member of Congress to support the Rahall bill.To take action, click on the following link or paste it into your browser:http://uspirg.org/uspirg.asp?id=1146&id4=ESSincerely, Gene KarpinskiU.S. PIRG Executive DirectorGeneK@uspirg.orghttp://www.USPIRG.orgP.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.