Commercial crews have again begun placing nets. Sent this off to the Iowa DNR today.
Sirs,
Other than being confrontational (as happened at the Muscatine dam and surely is going to happen at the New Boston dam) what can any one individual do to get this commercial rape of a public resource stopped on the Mississippi River?
I understand that the commercial crews are now placing their nets again (as per the email I just forwarded you). With no barge traffic they will have the channel completely covered.
Don’t you feel that your efforts to improve the sport fishing are all for naught now? I am at a total loss as to how the state can endorse this practice of allowing a very few individuals to control the river for personal profit. There is simply no way I can rationalize the allowing of this practice. It is perfectly diametrical of all conservation efforts imaginable.
Would writing my legislator help? Who pays for the commercial harvesters lobbying efforts? Whom do they lobby to? How can I get the same consideration? Is enforcement being done? All regulations complied with? How many man hours have been spent on enforcement? Who does the enforcement? Is enforcement done from the water or the ramp? Are time periods between regulated net checking times being monitored? How much does the state gain from commercial licenses as opposed to sport license fees? How many commercial licenses can the river support? These are not rhetorical questions – I would really appreciate specific answers.
Neil Toland
