Obama And Romney On Recreational Fishing

[Guest]

For those of you who want to know where our candidates stand on recreational fishing.

http://www.keepameri...g.org/youdecide

[Quillback]

This topic could open a can of worms...

Personally I don't see either one of them as being a strong advocate for sportsmen.

[Jason R.]

Interesting read. I don't want to get politically charged here, but I like what Romney had to say. In my experience- more bureaucracy equals more waste and red tape and ends up hurting anglers.

[Guest]

I noticed that Romney didn't say that he had ever fished in his life. Also, when he was Governor of Mass., he tried to divert all hunting and fishing license fees to the general fund.

Neither candidate is an outdoorsman BTW, but Obama remarks have much more substance than the Romney answers. It is pandering from both sides for the most part, but at least Obama has fly fished for trout.

[Bill B.]

Romney signed a bill that diverted license money into the general revenue fund. It took a threat from the federal government to get the legislature and the governor to rescind the bill. Here's a line from a 2003 story:

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) notified the Romney administration that failure to restore funds diverted from the Inland Fish and Game Fund would result in the loss of federal wildlife dollars."

This is a situation where the strings attached to federal money produced good results for people who like to hunt and fish.

[Jason R.]

I noticed that Romney didn't say that he had ever fished in his life. Also, when he was Governor of Mass., he tried to divert all hunting and fishing license fees to the general fund.

Neither candidate is an outdoorsman BTW, but Obama remarks have much more substance than the Romney answers. It is pandering from both sides for the most part, but at least Obama has fly fished for trout.

"As a boy, I fished with my dad, and in recent years, I went fishing in Alaska with my son, Matt."

Obama didn't land anything...

[Idylwilde]

Either one of them would fly fish for shark if there was a vote on the shark. Them claim they were life long fly anglers. I think that Obama got his fly rod from a lobiest, and I would bet good money the other guy will have one before this mess is over.

[Feathers and Fins]

I seriously doubt either of them would lift or will lift a finger for fishing and even less for outdoors. Ryan now he may well try working on it to some degree as he is an outdoorsmen. As far as the two candidates go I wasnt sure how i really felt about Romney till yesterday, seein his interview on Live with Kelly kinda made me feel a little more comfortable with him from a human aspect. Obama I dont trust him one bit and nothing he has said in 4 years or done has shown me diffrent in fact the opposite that his actions and words are lies and double talk and he is untrustwourthy.

[Tim Smith]

Well this one is almost certain to buy an "X".

I don't see much direct impact of presidents on local fisheries except for funding the agencies that interface with them.

Obama's budgets have funded the hatcheries up to now despite widespread cuts and he seems to appreciate the value of science.

Probably his biggest mark on fisheries so far was to hire Jane Lubchenko, who has been pushing the catch shares program in offshore fisheries.

Stocks are rebounding all over the place and fisheries are in better shape under her than they have been in a very long time...but the commercial anglers are furious at the changes.

[stlfisher]

I'd agree that neither seems to be a strong advocate for sportsman and neither really seems out to get us either. I weigh other factors come election time.

I do remember the video of Obama casting a fly rod. It was almost as entertaining as Dan Quayle at a spelling bee.