Conference wahoo::fishing

Plastic six pack rings have a habit of finding their way into the water.  This 
is due to their blowing in from costal landfills as well as littering on the
beach and from the sewer system.  

These things are death traps for marine wildlife.  Birds, baby sea mammals (like
seals, sea lions, etc.) and even fish get trapped in them.  If a baby mammal
gets one around the neck, it will eventually sufficate as it grows.  Other
mammals become entangled in them and get trapped under water where they will
drown.  This is due in part because these rings become invisible under water.

A tip:  When you are finished with that six pack, take 6 seconds to cut each
ring with a pair of scissors so that the chances of the rings being caught on
rocks, logs, etc. is minimized and so that any wildlife which becomes entangled
will be able to get free.

Tim

            re-.1
    
    	No Flame.
    
    
    		 Take 1 second and stick it in your pocket!
    
    	CP
    

>            re-.1
>    
>    	No Flame.
>    
>    
>    		 Take 1 second and stick it in your pocket!
 

	but this does nothing should it blow away from the landfill.  
How about cut it and put it in you pocket.

mc    

    In the UK they have upped the litter fine from �100 to �1000.
    
    Also, the government have set up an evironmental body to clean up our
    rivers called the National Rivers Authority.  An amnesty of 18 months
    has been introduced where Sewage farms and such can't be prosecuted
    during that time.  But after this the fines for `green' offenses will
    rise dramatically.  Last year the maximum fine that the water authority
    could inflict on a business was only �400.
    
    There is a big emphasis put on `green' issues in the angling circles of
    the UK.  Of course there was the ban of lead shot and knotted keepnets,
    and now we have barbless hooks and keepnets (where we keep our catch
    before releasing it) that open at the bottom etc.
    
    Personally I think it's all for the best, despite the cost or effort
    involved.
    
    Mattyb

    R chew supposed to take de beer kangs out ob dem??? We always jes pop
    dem tops an drink dem where dey are...Den we trow de whole ting, six
    kangs an all away.
    
    Coonass

Of course you can put it in your pocket (or boat, etc.) but eventually it will
find its way into the environment.  Don't forget the seagul populations at 
landfills.  (I hate them too, but they are protected by federal law)  Cut the
suckers!  I think that whoever manufactures these puppies ought to put a few
perforations in each one.  That way, you can break them easily.  Better still,
removing the can itself would break the ring.

As for Coonass, I guess there is less damage with the cans in place, but they
should be recycled! :-)

Tim

    
    Even better, Just buy your beer in glass bottles loose in a case. They are
    made out of sand and even if they happen to fall overboard they sink to
    the bottom. I know I've found enough of them while diving both in lakes
    and oceans.
    
    Last year a Plastic Rewfuge Law was enacted to protect our waters.
    Anyone caught disposing plastic waste (Rubber worms don't count) in
    U.S. Waters is subject to a $10,000 fine and will have their boat, car
    or whatever impounded by the Feds.
    
    Hopefully this will stop most of the major abuses, like fishing boats
    dumpping damaged nets and poly bait bags into the waters.
    
    Write your congressmen and tell them to BAN DRIFT NET/GILL NET FISHING
    in US waters.
    
    There are plastic nets that break loose and kill fish & mammals. then
    sink to the bottom until the fish decompose & the nets float up again
    to kill some more! Some of these nets are 20 to 30 miles long!
    
                                                    Walt
     

	Another thing to watch out for is monofilament line... like
	when you remove or redo a rig, or remove some tangled line,
	don't toss it overboard!   Put it in a trash can or something,
	like your pocket (cut or not ;-)   

	/Ken

      Can anyone explain to me the following.
    
    I walk 20-30 minutes through woods to get to a nice fishing hole and
    low and behold on the ground is an empty MacDonalds bag complete with
    Big Mac Boxes etc etc all strewn about on the ground.
    
    What Moron brings this crap into the woods and then leaves this stuff
    all over the ground?  What does a moron like that think?  I really
    don't get it at all?
    
    I always bring out what I carried in and take some of this other trash
    out.  The question is why do I have to do this?
    
    the Bassassin
    I am always astounded and saddened that people are so stupid.

    
    
       I'm surprised you don't know who..?? I know who?? and I'll tell you.
    
            In 90% of the cases, these are "part time" partiers who so
            happen to have a pole and a posible tacklebox. What they like
            to do is find any nice spot to park there butt and munch away
            on any food,beer,soda or wine. Don't get me wrong, there will
            be an occasional cast now and again. But for the most part,
            this person or persons don't really care where they are or what 
            they're doing. Just that they are content for the time being.
    
               For most it's just a get away spot, away from everyone   
             to do what they wish.                                 
                                                      
                                                      kiv

    This weekend one of the best spots for bank drifting for steelhead
    on the Snoqualamie River was closed basically because of all the
    thoughtless people leaving non-biodegradable waste, non-extinguished
    fires and human waste, as well as leaving marked paths a damaging
    the property owners yard because the regular path was too long,
    too steep or too muddy.  This is a shame that those of us that pack
    out our own trash (as well as that of others) are now excluded from
    this prime location.
    
    All trash should be removed (best choice) or burned (second best)
    and never left or dumped, even if degradeable.  Remember, everything
    in an outhouse is completely degradeable, but I'n not sure I would
    like to fish near where one was recently in place.
    
    MJS
    

    Some ten years ago many of the most beautifull (= most visited)
    places of our archipelago were littering to the knee. An voluntary
    organisation called "Keep Archipelago Clean" was founded and
    it has worked since then. And they have really made some progress!
    Sites that were like dumping grounds are now back to their natural
    state (almost) and people don't dare to litter them anymore! Talk
    about the effect of bad conscience!
    
    Anyone can join in by bying a sticker (50 FIM) yearly to support
    their job. And every self respect fisherman/boater does just that.
    Even business world has waken up and are donating them. Nowadays
    the organisation has for example a vessel to transport litter/scrap
    compared to early days when these people used their own boats to
    do that.
    
    How about implementing a good idea?
    
    Eki
     

>      Can anyone explain to me the following.
    
>    I walk 20-30 minutes through woods to get to a nice fishing hole and
>    low and behold on the ground is an empty MacDonalds bag complete with
>    Big Mac Boxes etc etc all strewn about on the ground.
    
>    What Moron brings this crap into the woods and then leaves this stuff
>    all over the ground?  What does a moron like that think?  I really
>    don't get it at all?
    
>    the Bassassin
>    I am always astounded and saddened that people are so stupid.

people are stupid, just like you said.

Tim, As much as I sympathize, as author of the Exxon Valdez note, I think 
there are some liabilities with this request that could have repercussions on 
notes file usage, check with Don Mac to be sure.......
	By the way there is no longer a Exxon Valdez note...

Johnny Roach

I could remove the "boycott" part and leave it to each reader's judgement as
to what to do.  I don't see how just the informational part is a problem.  I'll
do this if you want, Don, just let me know...

Tim

    Tim, I had to delete that.  If you want to re-enter with jus tthe facts
    go for it.   don

    I don't know if this deserves a note of its own, but I saw a magazine
    at the newsstand that caught my attention. I only took a brief look,
    but the current issue of (I think) Newsweek has a picture of a hunter
    on the cover and the by-line says something like "Will Hunting be
    Banned? Anti-Bloodsport Activists Take Aim at Hunters..."
    
    I know that a lot of you guys hunt as well as fish (I don't), and the 
    animal-libbers seldom make distinctions between hunting and fishing,
    they just attack hunting first, because it is a more emotionally loaded
    topic than fishing - after all, people get a lot less agitated over a
    kid pulling in a kibbie than a big, bad hunter blasting poor little
    Bambi's brains out, but if they manage to successfully harrass hunters,
    then fishermen will be next on their list, so don't feel safe if you
    are "just" a fisherman.
    
    If I get a chance to read the article, I'll let you know what's in it,
    but beware..!
    
    Ed

    I was fishing Indian Lake this weekend and found two things I need help
    on.    first of all Indian Lake in Worcester is split in two the main
    lake and a small pond filled with lilly pads.
    
    In the main lake I was wading and came across a 2 large 55 gallon drums
    floating on the waters edge, clearly some kind of chemical barrels.  I
    didn't stop to read it, I should have.   The more I think about it the
    more I want to report this to someone, the question is who?  Anyone
    have any ideas?
    
    Also the small pond part is dying.  I noticed that all the pads are
    brown and rotting away with very very few green ones.  I need to report
    that too.
    
    Anyone have any idea who I should contact or what could be causing the
    lilly pads to die?
    
    Brian 

    Look in the phone book, it can't hurt to call a few places, fisheries
    and wildlife, environmental mgmnt, etc...  if you don't do it who will?
    
    donmac

    Call MASS. Department of Environmental Protection in B.town

 I'd try the DEQE.

 It's probably a good thing that you didn't get too close to those barrels.
Some toxic chemicals can poison you without direct contact. It's better to
let professionals, suitably attired, do the dirty work. Get on the horn!

 The Doctah

    I jes got thru talkin wit wun ob my cousins don dere in Cameron on de
    Golf ob Mexico. He wuz tellin me bout dem macro-orgasms dey put don
    dere to eat op all dat spilt oil from dat Narweegun tanker.
    
    He sez dey don eat op all dat oil an don become a menace!! He sez dey
    jes run aroun all day in schools an look for oil. Dey don sucked two
    more tankers dry and will follow mos motorboats an wen dey stop dey
    suck out all de lower unit oil!!
    
    Som folks ban tryin to ketch dem, but so far de only ting dey strike is
    a tube ob hypoid or a motor oil wurm! Chew cant eat dem(too oily), but
    chew kin render dem don an chew kin get enuf oil off a ten pounder to
    fill a truck crankercase.
    
    Wont som ob chew environmuntalest com don an see if chew kin move som
    ob dem op dere to Alaska?? Dey don become a pest!!
    
    Coonass

    I am very distressed.  Saturday I went to one of my favorite small
    ponds, tucked away in the middle of nowhere (union pond in Holden)
    and found a great huge sign that said no fishing, swimming water
    contanimated.  Today I read in the paper that the pond is now sterile
    as well as a couple of others because termite control insecticide has
    been introduced to the tributaries that feed these ponds.  The article
    stated that this insecticide will completely kill aquatic life and did.
    
    The stuff came into the watershed because a professional exterminator
    pumped 200 gallons of the stuff through the basement of a house (normal
    practice to form a termite barrier) and didn't relalize that below this
    persons house was a leech bed put there to control basement water. 
    This leech bed flows directly into a drainage pipe that flows into the
    waterway.  They found the source by following the dead fish back to the
    pipe.  
    
    Since these ponds are now completely void of life, I wonder how long it
    will take nature to recover and for them once again to hold catchable
    bass.  It just made me realize how sensitive the eco systems are and
    how fragile watersheds should be.  This by way flows into the
    wachusetts resevior.
    
    Brian

    I heard the tail end of this report on NPR this morning on the way to
    work.  I hope some kind of action will be taken against this
    exterminator. 
    
    What a drag!
    
    Don

    John, from what I read and what Mr Ota wrote (Leach Bed for basement
    water) This run off was not from the toilet, but actually a storm drain. 
    In other words Run off From Rain/Snow (plain H2O). Of course this could
    change tomorrow. 

    Rich

    Rich is right, it was a drainage bed beneath the house designed to keep
    water out of the basement and drained into a storm pipe.  All of this
    was legal.  As for the exterminator, he was using a standard, legal
    form of barrier protection.  The EPA is reviewing the case to see if
    anything was violated, but it doesn't look like it.
    
    What is more important is how fragile the aquifers are and why it is
    critical we do not allow more watershed to be converted into housing
    tracts etc.
    
    Does anyone have any idea how long it takes a waterway to recover and
    begin breeding fish again.  I can attest to the fact that even after
    the fact that they removed all the dead fish, there were still lots in
    the water so I assume they are right in stating the ponds are sterile.
    
    Brian 

    
          HEY H-C BABY !!
    
                Who are you today? I've got a confession to make.
    
          Yesterday I spent the hole day at the Quabbin Res. What a 
          beautiful place we caught a bunch of smallies and a good time
          was at hand :^0  I guess the point i'm trying to make is, after
          I ate one of my cucumber sandwiches the g.d. bag blew out of the
          boat!!! At that point I turned the boat around and begain
          my search. After about a half hour of looking I couldn't find
          my bag :^(   Do you know what happends to a "GLAD ZIP LOCK" OVER
          a period of time??
    
                                                         thanks in advance
                                                            
                                                        Tom Bosley/kiv 

    
    	Tom,
    		I gotta give you credit for looking as long as you did
    for the bag.  I went fishing with someone one time who threw the 
    plastic over the side from a six-pack!  His response was "it's only
    plastic"!!  Needless to say the plastic was back in the canoe, and
    that guy had a new A*&hole.  
    
    - Rob

    OK, folks, here's another opportunity to do something worthwhile with
    your aquatic concernsunderwater skills!
    
    On June 15, the Divers' Environmental Survey and the Shawsheen
    Environmental Action Team are taking their show to Andover, MA.
    
    This will be the third of six towns on the Shawsheen to witness the
    results of a DES/SWEAT collaboration. This is a key part of doing what
    NObody has done yet: the restoration of a river.
    
    It's a 9-year effort (or so I project it to be), and this is the
    beginning. Join us. When the salmon return for the first time in 55
    years, YOU may be able to turn to your child or grandchild and say,
    "I was there at the beginning, and my two hands helped make the
    difference."
    
    We've figured out what has to be done, and we're out to prove to the
    world that you DON'T have to be satisfied with a 75% restoration.
    
    This is the real thing (and it's a fun way to spend a Saturday morning,
    too). 
    
    
    How about it?
    
    
    John H-C