At the NOAA CINMS Advisory Council (SAC) Meeting, Captain David Bacon and Merit McCrea were both warmly recognized for their significant contributions to the SAC as the Recreational Fishing Seat and Alternate Seat, respectively, for more than 15 years by both men.
Both spoke eloquently, and briefly, and expressed gratitude for the opportunities and for the cooperation they received from all other members as they represented the interests of recreational anglers.
Capt. Bacon drew smiles by when he opened his remarks by saying (loosely quoted) “It might shock many of you to learn that I do not oppose MPAs, because of water quality / removing junk. But I believe recreational anglers should have access to MPAs. Remember, recreational anglers are the original conservation heroes, and we fight for healthy marine ecosystems and abundant fish populations. Recreational anglers are not the problem, we’re part of the solution.
Merit McCrea followed up by suggesting the Council endorse a management approach through the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) then the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) to policy discussions about recreational fishing access.
In response to Capt. David and Merit, Carlos Mireles, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Seat, did not oppose their remarks, but essentially acknowledged that we can have a dialog on the subject.
The entire dialog and tone of the discussions seemed a fitting testament to the effectiveness of the recent CCA CAL 30 x 30 Campaign with State and Federal agencies.
