Petition to restrict gillnetting near Gulf State Park pier

There is 44 miles of coast line in Alabama. As far as I know there's only 1 pier in Alabama on the Gulf coast. The only other pier is on Dauphin Island and it's on dry land. Last year my family traveled the 144 miles to fish about 6 times. We went home empty handed. I have every reason to believe that commercial gillnetting was responsible for the lack of Spanish. I would like to think that if a petition from Recreational fisherman to the conservation department to ban gillnetting within 1 mile of the pier would serve to enhance the fishing opportunities. I encourage everyone to chime in. Respectful.

Sign the Cleland clan up!

Start it, I'll sign it.

While one of those internet petitions might help, it will be hard to enlist enough signatures unless the regulars on the pier get behind it and the State allows a little solicitation of signatures on the pier. The tackle/bait stores could be a big help.

I've been thinking along these lines myself, but I think a letter writing campaign would be more effective. We would need to make up a form letter or declaration for people to mail to their representatives in Montgomery. The fish houses are pretty good at garnering $upport in the Mobile & surrounding areas and Reps for the rest of the state go along because they don't see any reason to do otherwise.

To overcome the fish houses influence letters to Reps and Senators across the state are what is needed to let these people know that local voters care about what is happening at the pier. That's just the way politic$ works. If a Rep in the Tennessee Valley (for example) does not hear from local voters he is going to swap favors and go along with the fish house Reps.

I do still think the Minton nearshore reefs should be included, especially the West reef which is only 2.5 miles south of the pier. The protected zone could stretch from a buffer around the pier to a buffer around the reef zone.

I'm going to be down over the weekend. I'll print something up.

Here is what 4 miles wide looks like.

http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=4929&stc=1

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Originally Posted by ChileRelleno

Start it, I'll sign it.

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Same here.

Think I'll call my cousin Albert lipsconbe, and see if he can help. He's a former Baldwin county Senator and commissioner. Can't hurt.

I am in, just advise where to sign, and/or send a letter.

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Originally Posted by Pop Jiggity

Same here.

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Ditto! Me too.

The state of Alabama or Gulf State Park should include a Marine Life Reserve or Sanctuary closed to commercial fishing.
This would be the way to push for an recreational fishery closed to commercial fishing.
It would be much easier to persuade people that taking the two miles of GSP beach and extending the park out 1-4 miles is a fantastic idea.

And by going after it this way you'd be more likely to garner the support of Joe Schmoe Citizen by being politically correct and environmentally friendly.
Play the game all the way, pictures of poor sea turtles caught in nets, dead and dying by-catch being shoveled over the side and washed up on beaches.
Protected beaches & reefs to keep Alabama's marine life abundant for all sportsmen to enjoy.

Get a strong grassroots effort going and it just might work.

That's awesome Chile! So insightful!

Or you could go another route, using economics. Nobody is gonna use this multi-million dollar pier they built or come to use their beaches to fish if they are not going to catch anything. They can go to spend their hard earned money in Florida or elsewhere, and have a better chance at catching something. Why should only a select few reap the rewards of the bounty. I would avoid bringing in the environmental aspects. Some of them tend to get too extreme. It could backfire, and they might shutdown everything.

Forgive me. While reading everyone's posts, I want to point out that most of the pier goers are tourist. I've seen many regulars many times who let kids and adult's handle a pole with a fish on. Stevie is a classic example. Many more just like him. Me included. It's such a joy to watch them go GA GA over us fighting bigguns. Ya know? They go back home and tell friends and neighbors about that experience and it results in more tourist. That generates more money for the State. That in turn gives us better service.

Be careful will this include ribbon rigs.

Chili is spot on. One bite at a time is how to eat an elephant. Get a Marine Reserve or Sanctuary. That will take time and effort, a little bit from all. When that works, the model is built and the real work starts. For me and my wife, and our friends, that would be commercial netting of game specie Restricted. Recreational fishers would benefit greatly, but that is not what really counts. Expanding the resources is protecting the resources future. My 2 cents.

There is one more pier six miles east of the state pier. I stay at Four Seasons every fall just to fish that pier. Same problem.

Just tell me where to sign and who to start sending letters to. I am completely behind creating a no commercial gill netting or commercial fishing buffer zone around the pier and surrounding reefs. I actually would support outlawing commercial gill netting completely in Alabama waters. Every state along on the gulf coast has banned gill netting except for Alabama. There is plenty of evidence to support a push to have Alabama fall in line with the other gulf coast stAtes regarding gill netting. It only would take recreational fisherman to band together and also enlist the help of tourists and threat to tourism $$ to offset influence of the fish houses.