Discover Pennsylvania's Fly-Fishing Heritage

Meet leaders of Pennsylvania's fly-fishing tradition and experience world-class fly tiers in action as they show fly patterns made famous on Commonwealth waters. The activities are part of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's upcoming fly-fishing program, scheduled for Monday, Jan. 30, from 6 - 9 p.m. at the agency's Harrisburg headquarters on Elmerton Avenue.

 

The program is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Individuals can register online through the Commission's website at: http://www.fishandboat.com/promo/form/register_onetime_2012jan.htm.

During the evening program, participants will be able to view paintings by artist Thom Glace, see the Commission’s new “Pennsylvania Waters” collectible embroidered patches, and purchase a 2012 fishing license. 

The Cumberland Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited will also be recognized by the Commission. 

Space is limited and registration will close on Jan. 27. For more information, contact Ted Walke at 717.705.7813.

The Fishery Management Illusion Continues

by Ted Venker
Coastal Conservation Association

The illusion continues for NOAA Fisheries.

Last year the agency boldly announced it had ended overfishing. This week, the agency proudly announced that annual catch limits are now in place for most federal fisheries. Wonderful news, if either proclamation had roots in fact or could possibly translate into any good result.

Unable to muster the science to manage to the very high threshold specified by the Magnuson Stevens Act, NOAA Fisheries declared victory without even running the race. It ended overfishing and put a catch limit on every stock under management. On paper. And environmentalists cheered.

Recreational anglers are not cheering.

What will happen back in the real world now that the agency has claimed to have ended overfishing and put in annual catch limits without the science to adequately back it up? The rest of us will eventually have to pay the piper. The agency has built a house of cards and set catch limits that are not tethered to reality. When those limits are exceeded — and we are talking about limits on every single stock under management, the majority of which the agency knows nothing about — the agency will be sued.  Sued  relentlessly by environmental groups. With no tools to offer any other alternative, NOAA Fisheries will close stock after stock to comply with illusory catch limits. It is relatively easy to end overfishing and enforce catch limits if you simply don’t let anyone fish. And after every closure the environmentalists will cheer and commend the agency for its proactive stance. Won’t that make a good press release?

Real management is difficult and expensive, but infinitely more beneficial for the nation’s fisheries and the citizens who use and enjoy them. But functional management doesn’t seem to be the goal here. NOAA Fisheries has chosen the easier, but far more unpredictable path. By implementing everything from unfair catch shares to imaginary catch limits to archaic allocations, the agency has almost completely alienated its most valuable constituents — the anglers who actually use the nation’s marine resources and put back far more than they take out. Trust and partnership between the agency and the recreational community are at an all-time low. This community is counting the days until the Magnuson-Stevens Act comes up for reauthorization again. At this point it is hard not to believe the agency will eventually reap what it has sown, and that may not be a welcome outcome for the proper conservation of our marine resources.

The current and likely future situation is all the more regrettable when you consider that the Administration could have implemented the most turbulent provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act in about 100 different ways — 99 of which would not have left scorched earth in their wake. As concerns mount over the strangling effects of over-regulation on the American economy, it is remarkable that the agency has elected to subject America’s anglers and all their economic potential to the singularly most restrictive interpretation of the law possible, never mind the consequences.

This Administration’s attitude towards fisheries management is strikingly similar to the one that gave the public Prohibition in the 1920s, and the results are likely to be the same. Prohibition, which made criminals out of ordinary citizens overnight, didn’t work because nobody wanted it to work except a small, hardcore group of extremists who didn’t drink alcohol. The country turned itself inside out, spent billions of dollars on a misguided campaign and took more than 10 years to correct its course. The current approach to federal fisheries management is on the same path.

Whether by choice or by circumstance, the agency has frittered away the good will of even the most reasonable of its constituents and has elected to hide behind an illusion of management. This is certainly not the agency the recreational community deserves or expects, nor is it one which contains the essentials of good management.

Carl Hiaasen 2012 Angler of the Year

Fly Rod & Reel magazine named Carl Hiassen their 2012 Angler of the Year.  Hiaasen is an avid fly fisher (which only makes sense), novelist and columnist for the Miami Herald.

Read Kirk Deeter's article on Fly Rod & Reel for the complete story:

Carl Hiaasen 2012 Angler of the Year

Stonycreek River Voted Pennsylvania's 2012 River of the Year

The Stonycreek River, flowing through Cambria and Somerset counties, has been voted Pennsylvania's River of the Year for 2012.

For the second year, a public, online vote selected the winning river from among four nominees. Stonycreek River received 2,777 votes among the more than 8,300 ballots cast. The other finalists were the Kiskiminetas, Middle Monongahela and Upper Juniata rivers.

"The Stonycreek has it all -- near-wilderness, pristine trout waters; nationally acclaimed whitewater adventure; and a watershed steeped in natural and historical resources," said Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Richard Allan. "Our newest River of the Year has rebounded from abandoned mine drainage threats of the past to unlimited recreational potential of the future.

"Once again the River of the Year designation raises awareness of the river and its conservation needs, while the public voting format continues to generate local enthusiasm for conservation and recognition of the importance of our waterways."

DCNR and the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, or POWR, administer the River of the Year program. Local organizations submit nominations.

"Each of the waterways that were nominated is special and important in its own way," Allan said. "We extend hearty congratulations to the local groups who nominated their rivers, and rallied support for them not only for this vote, but through all of their continued activities and advocacy."

POWR helps train and organize local watershed associations, as well as the groups who lead a dozen sojourns on rivers around the state each year.

"This year saw record participation in the River of the Year selection process," said POWR Project Manager Joshua Karns. "Congratulations to the supporters of the Stonycreek River, and thanks to the thousands of Pennsylvanians who voted. We look forward to working with the communities in the Stonycreek Watershed to promote and protect their river, and all of Pennsylvania's waterways."

Before emptying into the Conemaugh River in Johnstown, Stonycreek River flows 46 miles across the Allegheny Plateau in southern Cambria County and northern Somerset County. Anglers are drawn to Stonycreek Gorge's nine miles of near-wilderness trout water, while the Stonycreek Canyon offers 15 rapids in four miles -- the longest set of continuous rapids in the eastern United States.

Now rebounded from the deadly effects of abandoned mine drainage, the Stonycreek River carves out a 468 square-mile watershed that is bordered by the Allegheny Front and Laurel Ridge, and contains rolling farmland, active and reclaimed strip mines, woodlands, and classic former coal-mining communities.

The river corridor contains the historic Forbes Trail and Flight 93 National Memorial, Quecreek Mine Rescue Site, Quemahoning Lake, Greenhouse Park and Whitewater Park -- the first constructed set of rapids for boaters in Pennsylvania.

The Stonycreek is among several key landscapes in the Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape Initiative. Led by DCNR, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and others, the initiative seeks to protect the unique character of the Laurel Highlands and recognize its communities as world-class heritage/recreation destinations as well as wonderful places to work and live.

Located an hour east of Pittsburgh, the Laurel Highlands area is defined by three Allegheny Plateau ridges -- Chestnut, Laurel and Allegheny -- and portions of several watersheds. It includes Somerset, Westmoreland, Fayette and Cambria counties.

A number of partner organizations support conservation and recreation activities along Stonycreek River. Primary is the Stonycreek Quemahoning Initiative Inc., a not-for-profit corporation formed by representatives of recreational, sporting, conservation, economic development and historical groups. Its mission is development and presentation of Stonycreek River heritage corridor's assets.

Several events throughout the year will celebrate the Stonycreek's designation, including a sojourn offering canoeists, kayakers and other paddlers a chance to experience life on the river, and encourage greater understanding of its challenges and potential. The Stonycreek River also will be celebrated with an annual Rivers Month poster issued in June. 

Pennsylvania's River of the Year has been presented annually since 1983.

Report Confirms High Value for Wild Atlantic Salmon

Gardner Pinfold Consulting Economists Ltd. of Halifax concludes that wild Atlantic salmon were worth $255 million and supported 3,872 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs in eastern Canada in 2010. The firm’s study confirms that Canadians hold a special place in their hearts, and pocketbooks, for restoration of this iconic species.

The Gardner Pinfold evaluation includes a gross domestic product value of $150 million relating to activities such as recreational and First Nation fishing, tourism, education and spending by governments, universities and non- government organizations. In addition, Atlantic Canadians and Quebecers are willing to contribute tax dollars to support successful restoration programs that would cost up to $105 million annually to ensure that wild Atlantic salmon continue to exist and contribute to ecosystem integrity.

Spending in the recreational salmon fishery in 2010 alone amounted to $128 million. This recreational fishery attracts significant numbers of non-resident anglers from the United States, where there is no fishery for wild Atlantic salmon due to their endangered status. Higher angler numbers are the key driver for growth in spending and even greater economic benefits from this fishery. For example, more anglers participated in the recreational fishery in 2010 (53,883) due to better salmon runs, compared to 2005 (41,737). In 2005, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in its survey that evaluates all recreational fishing in Canada put a value of $62 million on the recreational fishery for Atlantic salmon. The Gardner Pinfold value in 2010 more than doubles this amount. “One of the conclusions of this report is a relatively simple concept,” said Bill Taylor, President of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, “ The more fish there are; the more anglers travel to eastern Canadian destinations and more spending and jobs are generated in rural economies that are very much in need of such a boost .”

The Gardner Pinfold report provides a strong case put forward by the general public in the Atlantic Provinces and Quebec for investment by government in wild Atlantic salmon. More than 80% of the public supports investment in salmon restoration with a willingness to pay in the range of $4.50 to $12.50 annually per tax-paying household on programs that have a high likelihood of success.

Gardner Pinfold randomly surveyed the general public in Atlantic Canada and Quebec during an economic downturn, when the average Canadian was preoccupied with debt and declining incomes. “The results were great,” said Greg MacAskill, an economist with Gardner Pinfold, “Such strong support for wild Atlantic salmon among non-users, against that dire economic backdrop, adds extra weight to the results, and cements the fact that protecting the species rests solidly among the core values of Canadians.”

In our political climate, money talks, and government tends to invest in industries that provide economic benefits and jobs to communities. The Gardner Pinfold report confirms that wild Atlantic salmon support a sustainable green industry that attracts a lot of tourists from throughout Canada, the United States and overseas, and generates income and jobs in rural communities that are often faced with massive job loss in other industries, such as forestry.

For example, the recreational salmon fishery on New Brunswick’s Miramichi River attracts visitors from around the world, supports annual spending of $20 million, and provides 637 (FTE) jobs to rural communities surrounding the river.

An increase in salmon numbers is an important goal of both the general public and the recreational fishing segment. Increased salmon numbers depend on governments taking a lead in implementation of effective restoration programs. Despite its core mandate to conserve and manage wild Atlantic salmon, DFO budgets related to wild Atlantic salmon have declined by nearly 75% since 1985.

Mr. Taylor said, “Gardner Pinfold has provided a legitimate socio-economic value for wild Atlantic salmon, utilizing standard, transparent and comprehensive surveying techniques and analyses that have been the basis of many economic studies, some of which DFO itself has commissioned. The study clearly demonstrates that additional conservation and restoration measures for wild Atlantic salmon will significantly strengthen the economy and quality-of-life of Canadians.”

If DFO adds $15 million annually (a fraction of the $105 million that the general public is willing to contribute) to restore its budget for wild Atlantic salmon to near what the department spent in 1985, Canadians could see a return on investment within six years, according to Gardner Pinfold.

“We are not asking for a hand-out,” Mr. Taylor concluded, “We are asking for a reasonable investment in restoration, conservation and protection that will pay dividends in future wild Atlantic salmon returns to our rivers and economic returns and employment to Canadian communities.”

The Atlantic Salmon Federation is dedicated to the conservation, protection and restoration of wild Atlantic salmon and the ecosystems on which their well-being and survival depend.

Some Cool Pictures from the US Coast Guard

Coast Guard icebreaker escorts tanker through Bering Sea ice

BERING SEA - The Coast Guard Cutter Healy breaks ice around the Russian-flagged tanker vessel Renda 250 miles south of Nome, Alaska, Jan. 6, 2012.
The Healy is the Coast Guard's only current operating polar icebreaker.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.

BERING SEA - The Coast Guard Cutter Healy escorts the Russian-flagged tanker vessel Renda 250 miles south of Nome, Alaska, Jan. 6, 2012.
The vessels are transiting through ice up to five-feet thick in this area.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.

BERING SEA - The Russian-flagged tanker Renda steams toward Nome, Alaska, through a path in the Bering Sea ice broken up by the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Jan. 6, 2012.
The Renda is carrying more than 1.3 million gallons of fuel to deliver to the city of Nome.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by cutter Healy.

BERING SEA - The Russian-flagged tanker Renda carrying more than 1.3 million gallons of fuel for the city of Nome steams through a path in the ice of the Bering Sea Jan. 6, 2012.
The 420-foot Seattle-based Coast Guard Cutter Healy is escorting and breaking a pathway in the ice approximately 19 miles northwest of Nunivak Island for the Renda to safely navigate to Nome.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by cutter Healy.

BERING SEA - A Coast Guard Cutter Healy crewmember takes a moment to watch the Russian-flagged tanker Renda steam through the ice in the North Bering Sea while the cutter crew escorts the tanker to Nome Jan. 6, 2012.
The 420-foot Seattle-based Healy is the Coast Guard'€™s newest and most technologically advanced polar icebreaker and is currently the service's only operational polar icebreaker.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by cutter Healy.

BERING SEA - The Coast Guard Cutter Healy crew breaks ice in the Bering Sea as the Russian-flagged tanker Renda, approximately 19 miles northwest of Nunivak Island, makes their way to Nome, Alaska, to deliver more than 1.3 million gallons of fuel to the city Jan. 6, 2012.
The 420-foot Seattle-based Healy and tanker Renda are approximately 19 miles northwest of Nunivak Island.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by cutter Healy.

$736,000 for One Bluefin Tuna

With numbers like this, it's going  to be harder and harder to curtail the harvest of bluefin tuna.  Just a year ago there was a push to severely limit the catch or close fishing all together in an effort to save over fished stocks. Some experts were claiming the species was at a point of no return and unless the kill was halted extinction was inevitable.

MSNBC reported the price on this bluefin tuna at the first auction of the year at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market. It's a record price too.  It beats out last years record of $416,000 paid for one fish.

If you do the arithmetic, this years record breaking tuna comes to $1,238 per pound.

The record price tuna was caught just north of Japan's tsunami-battered coast.  80 percent of the Atlantic and Pacific bluefins caught are consumed in Japan so it stands to reason that Japan opposes efforts to close or limit the tuna harvest as means of protecting the species and increasing its numbers to historic levels.

More Than $20 Million in Grants to Conserve Coastal Wetlands

The 2012 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program has awarded $20.5 million in grants to support 24 projects in 13 states to conserve and restore coastal wetlands and their fish and wildlife habitat. These grants will be matched by nearly $21 million in partner contributions from state and local governments, private landowners and conservation groups.

The states receiving funds include Alaska, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia and Washington. The money will be used to acquire, restore and enhance coastal wetlands and their adjacent uplands.

Funding is provided by Sport Fish Restoration Act revenue. This is the money generated from excise taxes on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels. Since the program began in 1992, including the current grants, nearly $300 million has been awarded to coastal states to protect habitat.

Coastal areas comprise less than 10 percent of the nation’s land area yet support 75 percent of migratory birds, nearly 80 percent of fish and shellfish and about half of all threatened and endangered species.

A list of projects funded by the 2012 grant program can be found online at: http://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants/index.html.

The Fly Fishing Show and the Clean Angling Coalition Partner to Spread the Message on Inspect, Clean and Dry.

A key partnership between the Fly Fishing Show, worlds largest fly fishing consumer show and the Clean Angling Coalition aims to bring the Inspect, Clean and Dry message to the winter show season.  Aquatic invasive species threaten our fisheries resources and cleaning gear is one of the best tools we have in preventing the spread of these harmful species.  The Fly Fishing Show will be educating anglers on cleaning to prevent the spread of invasive species at its seven venues across the US with the use of the Clean Angling brand and Inspect, Clean and Dry message.

 “It is important that our industry stands together in educating anglers on the importance of cleaning their gear,” says Ben Furimsky, Co-Director of The Fly Fishing Show.  "We are thrilled to be part of the Clean Angling Coalition and sharing the message of Inspect, Clean and Dry. Our commitment is to protecting the fly industry from the impacts of invasive species.” 

The angling community has a keen awareness about invasive species, unfortunately invaders continue to spread. We must teach all anglers to clean so they can help prevent the introduction of invasive species. When anglers repeatedly hear the importance of cleaning gear from trusted industry leaders, this creates a positive momentum for all anglers to take action. 

“The Fly Fishing Show brings strength to the Coalition,” says Leah Elwell Clean Angling Coalition Program Manager. “This is a great opportunity to reach tens of thousands of anglers on cleaning at the largest fly fishing consumer show.” 

The Clean Angling Coalition is a program of the Invasive Species Action Network. The mission of Invasive Species Action Network (ISAN) is to reduce the human-caused spread of invasive species by promoting voluntary behavior change. ISAN programs focus on creating and implementing practical solutions for people, and providing educational resources.  ISAN is a 501c3 non-profit conservation organization based in Livingston, MT. For more information visit www.cleanangling.org. 

The Fly Fishing Show is the world’s largest consumer fly fishing show featuring new industry products, educational venues and celebrity showcases.  The Fly Fishing Show hosts their event in seven locations across the US including Somerset, PA and Pleasanton, CA.  For more information visit http://www.flyfishingshow.com/

New Findings on New York's Adirondacks Aquatic Insects

A whole bunch of new mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies have been cataloged as being found in New York's Adirondacks.  This discovery includes some that are even new to science. Pretty exciting stuff for entomologists and fly fishermen.

But the interest in these aquatic insects shouldn't stop there because as the article in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise explains, these insects are indicators of not only biodiversity but also water quality.