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I was recently asked to include a philosophy statement as part of an application for a fisheries council seat application. This is what I came up with...
"Our marine resources are public resources that should be managed for the greater public good. Stocks should be managed to achieve an abundance level at which both recreational and commercial fisheries can prosper. Recreational and commercial fisheries can and should coexist. Recreational and commercial economic values need to be comparable and those comparisons should be used as a management tool."  The great thing about a philosophy statement is that it is neither right nor wrong, it is what it is. I don't expect all of you to agree with my statement nor should you. But there is one thing we can all agree on. Those

statement. Read them, do your own philosophy statement and compare the two. Once you find a group, join them. Don't be intimidated by others in that group or outside of it. Don't get hung up on the minutia of how the group operates. Focus on the big picture of doing what's right for the resource. Diverse views, open minds and the willingness to speak out are what make democracy work. Sometimes it seems that fisheries issues are not dealt with democratically but they are, we only have ourselves to blame if we don't become part of the process... No matter if its CCA, SF, JCAA, RFA, SAM, TU, NECBA, MPA or any of the other groups out there, get involved. Be part of the process and by doing so you will be putting something back.

who take from a public resource should put something back into that resource. And yes, recreational fishing takes from a resource. Even catch and release fishing has an impact.
We need to get involved with conservation groups that share our philosophical beliefs. There is a bunch of them out there. They all should have some type of mission

BEYOND THE MOON

A Conversational, Common Sense Guide to Understanding the Tides

by James Greig McCully (Baptist Medical Center, USA)

Finally, someone has written a comprehensive, easily readable explanation of the tides on earth that is both simple enough for students and solid enough for their professors. Step by step, by analogy and illustration, Beyond the Moon describes how the cyclical motion of the near solar

system is impressed upon the earth's oceans, and how the hydraulics over the continental shelf and the geography of the coastline orchestrate this rhythm into the bewildering variety of tide patterns seen around the globe. This volume demystifies the complexity of the tides by systematically examining its many constituents and demonstrates that: "Nature is, at once, awesome in complexity and beautiful in simplicity."
Beyond The Moon is available at:http://www.worldscibooks.com/environsci/6015.html

"McCully's dissection of the sciences eases the journey and his prose is very readable, even literary at times ... Helpful graphics, both line drawings and color illustrations, make the journey smooth. But it's McCully's knowledge of the subject and writing skills that make it a fun ride."

David
Lambert
On Water
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