STOP Ohio House Bill 609 - Ohio needs commercial fishing!

State Representative James McGregor has introduced House Bill 609 to end commercial fishing in Ohio.

His reason? Eliminating commercial fishing would increase sport fishing license sales that have been declining 45\% over the last fifteen years. His logic is totally ridiculous because commercial fishing has no effect on sport fishing.

What it will do is cost Ohio thousands of jobs, not only in commercial fishing, but also in hundreds of fish markets, pay lakes, restaurants and clubs that use Ohios fish. This would mean the end of the Friday Night Fish Fry at the Eagles, Elks, Moose, Orioles, VFW, AMVETS, American Legion, athletic clubs and many religious groups that eat fish on Friday.

This legislation will create an exclusive monopoly for Canada to sell fish to the United States at a higher price and poorer quality.

Representative McGregor has allocated $4,000,000 dollars to buy the 43 commercial fishing licenses. Some of the license holders have over a million dollars invested in their businesses. The only thing this bill would do is force them into bankruptcy. There is no money appropriated for the employees for training or relocating. These people will lose their jobs and health benefits. The fish processing plants that buy and sell Ohio fish all over the United States will be out of business and no money is allocated for their employees. The hundreds of pay lakes that stock commercial fish for sport fishing will no longer be able to stay in business. This will cause yet another decline in sport fishing license sales.

Ohio revised Code Law 1531.01 states the resource belongs to the benefit of all the people of State of Ohio, not just the few rich enough to own a boat or able to pay for the fuel to operate it. Ninety-nine percent of the people in the State of Ohio do not fish on Lake Erie. Less than one-percent do!

We have lost enough jobs in Ohio, which was once the largest freshwater fishery in the world! I urge you to call or write your State Representative to VOTE NO on House Bill 609. Support the Ohio Commercial Fishing Industry that catches fish for you the 99\% of the people who dont fish but would still like to eat a good fish dinner.