House Action Alert!! Mandatory Reporting of Lost Gillnets

[Salmonhawk]

Thanks to everyone that responded to the Senate version of of this bill,, now we need to let the House of Reps know how we feel, See Below:

Good news! Thanks to the efforts of CCA members like you contacting your Senator yesterday along with the support of several key legislators, SB 5661 was the last bill to pass the Senate last night – it passed by a vote of 47-1!
We want to recognize the efforts of Senators Sharon Nelson (D – Maury Island) – the bill’s primary sponsor, Senator Kevin Ranker (D-Friday Harbor) – who pushed for a floor vote, and Senator Val Stevens (R-Arlington) – who pulled it from the Senate Rules Committee.
As you know, SB 5661 requires mandatory reporting of lost or abandoned commercial fishing gear (primarily gillnets). Current state law merely “encourages” reporting of these “ghost nets” and the system clearly hasn’t work with just a handful of nets voluntarily reported since 2002. During the same period approximately 300 new nets were lost in Puget Sound. Annually this deadly gear kills tens of thousands of fish (including endangered salmon and rockfish), birds and other wildlife and harms important underwater habitat.
With the strong vote in the Senate the bill now moves onto the House, where it will receive a hearing this Friday.
We need you to contact your Representatives NOW and urge them to support the passage of SB 5661. Click the link below to send your message, which we have pre-drafted for you. You are free to edit it, but it is important that you contact your two Representatives today!


Click the link below to log in and send your message:
http://www.votervoice.net/link/target/c ... 4E6Kb.aspx

You have received this message because you have subscribed to a mailing list of CCA Pacific Northwest. If you do not wish to receive periodic emails from this source, please click below to unsubscribe.

[Bucket]

Thanks for YOUR efforts Rob.

[Dan Carney]

I got this reply from my local Rep.
Good news.
L8R
Dan
*****************************
Dear Daniel,

Thank you for your message in support of House Bill 5661 regarding derelict fishing gear.

This legislation received broad, bipartisan support in the Senate earlier this month, and my colleagues and I passed it out of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee unanimously yesterday. It now moves to the Rules Committee and then to the House Floor for a vote. I encourage you to continue to monitor the progress of this bill (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary ... &year=2011) and express your support.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I value the input that I receive and hope you will continue to share your views with me.

Regards,
Kristine

Representative Kristine Lytton
40th District
Serving San Juan, Skagit and Whatcom Counties