|
|
"Some of the hottest journalistic action is still in following the money. But don't look to your local newspaper, newsmagazine or public radio station for enlightenment, because the money trails today often radiate from a handful of the nation's wealthiest "charitable" foundations, and end with those media outlets themselves." (Robert Fritchey - author of Wetland Riders) |
|
|
|
|
|
To be kept up-to-date on what's happening in or about the commercial fishing industry, to get notifications when new FishNet issues and Another Perspective columns are available, visit the Commercial Fishing - The Rest Of The Story blog by clicking here and subscribe via email or RSS feed. |
|
A directory of all past Another Perspective columns and the earliest editions of FishNet USA are available here. For information on who's getting what to control fishing in U.S. waters, visit the "Big Green Money Machine" website here. Massachusetts' Scott Brown addresses the Senate regarding the latest NOAA disgrace, calls on President Obama to remove Jane Lubchenco from her leadership position at NOAA. His address is available here. The report of the DOC Inspector General is available on the SavingSeafood.org website here. We have to join Senator Brown in asking President Obama how long he is going to allow the deplorable conditions in NOAA/NMFS to continue? |
|
Recent Editions |
Why we're here |
Current Edition |
(click logo for more information) |
|
Oceans are large, they are constantly changing, they are affected by all sorts of human activitivities and natural phenomena, and most of what goes on in them is hidden to us. Unless you're someone who makes a living dealing with the oceans at some level, your primary source of information vis a vis fishing, habitat degradation, etc. is the popular media. Unfortunately, today's journalists, producers and editors are poorly equipped, either via education, background or budget, to appreciate how complex ocean and fisheries issues actually are. Hence reporting on ocean issues - and the vast majority of the public's understanding of them - suffers greatly from today's soundbite culture. Poorly documented (or completely undocumented) press releases, supposed independent researchers bought and paid for by agenda-driven foundations, recreational fishing columnists who are little more than industry shills, short-sighted politicians whose interests extend no farther than keeping narrowly focused pressure groups happy, and competition among user groups are all conspiring to obscure what's really going on in the world's oceans today. Our goal is to present the "other side" of the picture, to do the research that isn't being done, and to - in the words of Watergate's Deep Throat - "follow the money." We need rational ocean policies, and we're never going to have them if our decision makers, and the public they are serving, don't fully appreciate what's going on. |
|
"But, and this will
come as no surprise to anyone with a knowledge of the hundreds of millions of
dollars that a handful of charitable foundations have been shoveling into the
coffers of what can only be described as anti-fishing ENGOs (for an idea of
their contributions, visit The Big Green Money Machine at http://www.fishtruth.net),
there were isolated voices raised both pre- and post-rally distorting the purpose
of the rally and the single unifying message of Keep Fishermen Fishing. There
was also a paucity of coverage in the main stream media, which might be
understandable considering there were no crises involved (other than the
manufactured world crisis in fishing), no angry confrontations and no civil or uncivil
disobedience. Just a bunch of hard working people who invested their own time
and money into trekking to Washington to voice their dissatisfaction with
job-killing federal fisheries policies and their elected officials who have
taken their dissatisfaction seriously and intend to do something about it." (http://www.fishnet-usa.com/Their
Masters Voice.pdf)
|
