In case you haven’t noticed, there are a lot of incoming missiles that are being aimed or have already been fired at the fishing industry. The lobster industry here and in other states are among the fishing sectors that have been targeted. These missiles are coming from Environmental groups, various government agencies and a wide variety of public and private project proposals. Just in case you’ve lost count, we have threats to close fishing areas, pipeline, windmills and sand mining projects in our fishing grounds, dredging, water quality issues, whale protection initiatives, pressures on our docking and mooring locations and of course, the ever present juggernaut of government lobster management. There may even be a few more, but for now, this will do.

 Trying to handle all this by hiding out on some loran line or on the leeward side of an island isn’t going to shield you from all these missiles. One thing you can do is to stay informed, pay attention. We know you’d rather not and as we’ve heard so often from fishermen, “just go away and leave me alone”. Ah yes, isolationism, a trip to utopia, that’s the ticket! But folks, that’s not reality.

 Just as we all do understand that we don’t catch lobsters by the dozen, all the time in every pot and the price isn’t always $8 per pound and the winds do blow and the engine sometimes breaks, these other issues, these “incoming” conflicts, are also a part of reality.

 One way to pay attention is to let this association keep you informed and if you’re reading this and the rest of all our newsletters, you’re doing the job of trying to pay attention. We do after all monitor all these issues and pour all we know into the newsletter so you will know about it. This leaves you free to go do your thing-go fishing or run your fishing related business. We don’t care if you’re reading this in your truck, on the “John” or in your easy chair. You do have an easy chair don’t you¾-you should have one!? The point is, get the information.

 That having been said, that’s not all this association does and as a matter of fact, that’s not the major part of what we do. We are the ones trying to deflect or shoot down those incoming missiles as best we can, to prevent them from getting to you.  Over the years there have been many attacks but few hits and look at you ¾ you are still fishing, think about that!

 We’ve all heard the saying, “We’re from the Government and we’re here to help you” ¾ Right!  Well we’re not from the Government, we are you, and we really are here to help you.

 Once a year we ask for your support.  We ask you to pay the dues.  We ask this so we can continue our work and we ask you so we can continue to be a large group in terms of numbers.  Numbers register with those entities out there that are loading the missile launchers.  We have been referred to many times as being “a formidable force”.  What does that mean?  It means we matter, “we count”.  It means you count and that is what it is all about.  This Association needs to stay big, the bigger, the better, and we need to be able to continue to fire our missiles at their missiles.

 We fire when we see the whites of their eyes ¾ or before!

 Bill Adler
Executive Director                 

 8/04