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[djkimmel]

http://www.greatlakesbass.com/conservation/index.php/2016/01/28/oppose-great-lakes-fish-farming

Check out the latest conservation article above about supporting bills that will ban fish farming from the Great Lakes and other valuable waters. And opposing bills the would make commercial fish farming aquaculture legal in our Great Lakes putting them at risk for the financial gain of a very few. I need you to write an email or make a quick phone call opposing commercial fish farms in the Great Lakes.

Both bass federations are supporting bills HB 5255 and SB 526 to ban commercial fish farming. We are opposing bills that would allow the misuse of our Great Lakes as net pen farms for non-wild fish stocks polluting our Great Lakes and potentially introducing more species and disease into them. I'll be speaking in favor of HB 5255 Tuesday morning at the House Natural Resources Committee.

If we all help a little bit we can put this issue to bed before it even has a chance to become another exotic nightmare to add to the mess we already have in our Great Lakes from manmade introductions. Please check out the article for details. And thank you.

[TimH]

Thanks for posting this Dan.  I just contacted everyone on the House Natural Resource Committee and reached out to several other Reps that I know well.  I'm hoping we can stop this threat before it becomes a reality.  The Great Lakes face enough of a threat everyday as it is.  I would hate to see something in our control ruin such a great resource.  Thanks Dan for all your diligence with all fishing and natural resource legislation issues.

[djkimmel]

Thank you TimH for following through! That will make a big impact. We are firing on many cylinders right now. I will be anticlimactic when I just testify that we support HB 5255 and don't want commercial aquaculture in the Great Lakes but it needs to be said.

It was also very nice of Rep. Bumstead to send us the bill in draft form to comment on before it finalized and submitted to the State House too! Makes us feel special over at Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation. I got to thank him at the last Michigan Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus breakfast last week.

[TimH]

How did everything go at the committee hearing on Tuesday?

[djkimmel]

There were so many people wanting to testify that they delayed until the next House Natural Resources Committee tomorrow morning at 9am again. I can't attend that one because I have a meeting with the Fisheries Chief at 9:30am nearby.

I'm hoping they pass HB 5255 out of committee tomorrow with support. It won't be unanimous because one of the committee members is a sponsor of one of the opposing bills that would not only make fish farming in the Great Lakes legal but simplify their path to doing so with little oversight only from the Department of Agriculture and simplify a permit process so it is easy to get a permit.

I got to speak in favor of HB 5255 for Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation last Tuesday so I'm covered for that one.

Those opposing bills HB's 5166 5167 5168 also had their committee hearings extended because of the large number of people who came to speak against them. I'm expecting that House Agriculture committee to meet again Wednesday and I have to go back because I did not get to speak last Wedsnesday. I don't know what will happen with those bills but we are hoping to keep them from leaving committee.