Attention
fee for fishing lake operators
THIS IS IMPORTANT !!
If you lost only 10% of your daily attendance, what would that do to your bottom line?
If these unfair proposals are approved, your loss will be a lot more than 10%
As a recreational fishing lake operator you know all to well that the business model of keeping it affordable, and stocking a lot of fish to attract more fishermen, makes for a very slim bottom line. So would you have any reason to stay in business if you could not make a profit? Obviously, NOT!
Urban fee for fishing lakes, have for many years, been the primary gateway to fishing for most fishermen. From these lakes, many anglers broaden their experience, purchase a fishing license and try other types of fishing. If it were not for these lakes, a lot fewer fishing licenses would be sold overall. Urban fee for fishing lakes are the place where families come to fish. A place where Grandpa and Grandma, or Uncle Joe, or Mom and Dad can bring the kids to enjoy the local outdoors and show them how to catch fish, many for the very first time. And a place where the local community can affordably get away for a few hours and experience some pretty fantastic fishing and bring home fresh and healthy fish for their family meal.
All this may come to and end because the Department of Fish and Game "DFG" is proposing new regulations that are a train wreck for private fee for fishing lakes and many private pond owners. Many fishing lakes will not be able to stay in business BECAUSE A LOT LESS fishermen will want to come fishing, or be able to afford to come fishing. This is because the DFG, for the first time in over 30 years, is trying to make everybody purchase a fishing license to catch privately purchased fish on private property and at private fee for fishing lakes!!! How much more GOVERNMENT can we stand in our private lives?
Grandpa and Grandma, or Uncle Joe, or Mom and Dad, will not bring the kids fishing if they are required to purchase a $50 or more fishing license. Many of the local community that enjoy the convenience and affordability of urban fishing, or the occasional angler who will simply refuse to buy a license, and or won't be able to afford one, will quit fishing all together. And for the first time ever, Game Wardens will be patrolling fee for fishing lakes and writing violations to your customers for fish that the DFG did not even stock or pay for!!
Plus, the regulations will also require that anybody who stocks fish in a water of the State, (basically all waters) will need to have a costly pre-stocking evaluation done to get permission to stock fish. This new requirement is to make sure that the fish being stocked will not have an impact on a whole host of various species, many are not even legally protected as a listed threatened or endangered species. Yes, this will be required of lakes and ponds that have been regularly stocked with the same fish for many, many years.
The cost of this survey/evaluation, depending upon the size of the water and its location, is likely to be in the tens, to hundreds of thousands of dollars!! Many people and businesses that stock fish, will simply not be able to afford, or want to go through such a survey of their property, which will result in much of the access enjoyed by so many fishermen being shut down.
If that were not enough, the DFG is also proposing to require that every private hatchery and fish farm go through a yearly disease certification and quarterly invasive species testing to a standard that several respected fish health labs say is likely to be far more rigorous and costly than in any other state. This will simply put many if not most fish farmers out of business and the cost of fish, if you can purchase any, will skyrocket. How necessary is this when California fish farmers already produce some of the best and healthiest fish in the world?
IF THIS HAPPENS, YOU WILL LOSE A LOT MORE THAN 10% OF YOUR ATTENDANCE, YOU COULD LOSE EVERYTHING!!
CARF, the California Association for Recreational Fishermen desperately needs help to save your business and our great fishing in California.
HERE IS HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED AND HELP...
Below is an image of a petition that needs to be distributed to your fishermen. They need to know about this, and will appreciate your efforts to help them save their favorite fishing hole.
1. Please click on the "PRINTABLE LINK" just above the image of the petition and print out a bunch of these petitions for your customers to read and complete.
2. Collect the completed petitions and send them weekly to CARF. We will hand deliver them to the Governor and copy your Legislators so they can also be involved to help. CARF's address for mailing is at the bottom of the petition.
3. Financial support. Hiring the best Lawyers, Lobbyists, Media/Public Relations Firms and Staff requires a huge financial commitment and CARF has them all fighting to help save your business. So think about how much you and your business could lose if CARF is not successful when you make your contribution.
Please visit our website under the "Take Action" tab for more ways to help.
