The Potomac Highlands Watershed School 

Stream Cleaner Environmental Forum 2007

Points of View & Thoughtful Questions - Watermen

If you landed here via a search engine, this page is part of Cacapon Institute's web school.  Our home page is here.

 

Watermen POV & TQ Navigation

CTJCJ  Rageing Rapids  Fishing and Boating Industries (F.B.I.)

FuRiOuS FiShErMaN  Kickin Bass  The Frantic Fishermen  Frightened Fisherman

Crusty Crabbers The Fishers Daniel Carl Craig  High Flyers

Navigation to other POV pages

 Bay Ecosystem  •  Recreation/Tourism  •  Farmers  •  Watermen  •  Local Governments

Homeowner  •   Developer  ▪  Chesapeake Bay Program  ▪  Others

Comments to All Watermen

 

  From:    Team Happy Fish! North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                                                                                                                              3/28/2007

                                                                                                                            11:36:00 AM

         YAY WATERMEN!!  I am so glad someone is stepping up to the challenge of cleaning the

         Bay.  The watermen are dependent on the health of the Bay, and for that reason they are

         willing to make sacrifices to save its health.  The other stakeholder groups have been

         passing the blame and victimizing themselves; EVERYone is partially responsible for the

         Bay's current health and EVERYone needs to contribute to its recovery.  Bravo,

         watermen!!

  From:    Happy Campers North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                                                                                                                              3/28/2007

                                                                                                                            12:09:00 PM

         I understand that watermen make their money from the Bay, what is your stake in

         helping clean the Bay though?

  From:    Farmer Friends of the Bay North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                                                                                                                              3/28/2007

                                                                                                                             12:10:00 PM

         You come with a valid point as far as the runoff killing your fish and other catch goes.

         Therefore, it will cause you to not be able to sell anything and eventually not being able

         to support your families. How do you plan on making the bay a better place to work and

         an environment for the fish?  

 

 

Watermen

 

CTJCJ Hampshire H.S. / Moore

March 12, 2007

7:46 AM

     We are the fisherman of the Chesepeake Bay.  Our lives revolve around the fishing trade.  All the generations before have fished the bay for most of their lives.  We have a stake in the wellbeing of the Chesepeake Bay watershed.  If all of the fish, oysters, shrimp, and crabs die from the problems of the Bay area, then we will not be able to continue our way of life.  Therefore, we will no longer be able to support our family, because fishing is all we know.

     There are many ways that we can help to make the Chesepeake Bay area better for the enviornment.  We need to reduce runoff from the poultry plants in the Chesepeake watershed.  These plants are responsible for the increase in nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment in the bay.  If these nutrients were not put into the water by man, then the bay would be a healthier place. 

 

 

Ask this stakeholder a Thoughtful Question or Respond


Thoughtful Questions

 

   From:    Blankenship Development Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School / Newcomer

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                               6:14:00 AM

          Though you propose a valid argument for the Chesapeake Bay fishermen, we feel that

          you have not considered what harms you are contributing to the Chesapeake Bay through

           over harvesting.  Over harvesting significantly depletes marine wildlife populations. 

          What do you as fisherman plan to do to control your own negative effects on the

          Chesapeake Bay?

 

   From:    CTJCJ Hampshire H.S. / Moore

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                               6:18:00 AM

          What ways do you suggest to reduce the runoff from poultry farms?  Also, how will you

          measure the success of this?

 

   From:    Fishing and Boating Industries (F.B.I.) Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School /

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                              6:27:00 AM

          What are the ways you are going to improve the bay?

 

   From:    CTJCJ Hampshire H.S. / Moore

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                              6:30:00 AM

          You mentioned that the fish, oysters, crabs and shrimp are dying from problems in the

          bay: What are some specific examples of the existing problems in the bay that are

          affecting the fish, oysters, crabs and shrimp?

 

   From:    T.A.L.K About the Bay Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School / Newcomer

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                              7:04:00 AM

          Yes, pollution runoff needs to be reduced, but over fishing also contributes to the death

          of fish, oysters, shrimp, and crabs. What are some ways that you, as watermen, can help

          improve the health of the bay? Also, what can you do to decrease the runoff from

          poultry farms, since you are not the ones who own and work those farms? 

 

   From:

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                              7:28:00 AM

          You have not mentioned how you are going to help. All of the stakeholders need the bay

          and the watershed to make a living. You did not mention how the groups can work

          together for solutions.

 

   From:    Chesapeake Homeowners Association Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School /

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                              7:52:00 AM

          In the grand scheme of things regarding the Chesapeake Bay, fishermen are the ones

          that are arguably being hurt the most because of the fact that the Chesapeake is their

          way of life.  While they are affected the most they aren't completely innocent in

          contributing to the pollution of the bay.   Along with reducing the amount of run off

          from poultry farms, are there any other methods to reduce the amount of pollution in the

          bay?

 

   From: Fishing is Good Clean Fun!!!! North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                3/22/2007

                11:25:00 AM

                i like this!!  It addresses all the things it was supposed to, without being 5 pages long. 

                Your arguments were good as well

 

  From:    Crusty Crabbers North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                                                                                                                              3/28/2007

                                                                                                                             11:51:00 AM

         You only said one thing that you would do...are there any other things that you would do

         to help save the bay?

 

 

Watermen

 

Rageing Rapids Hampshire H.S. / Moore

March 12, 2007

8:39 AM

We are the watermen who provide fish for the U.S. We strive to produce good quality fish for the customers.  We are having trouble accomplishing that because the Chesapeake Bay is contaminated with a lot of pollutants. 

Who wants to eat nasty fish? 

This problem of contaminated water effects us because the quality of our product is decreasing as well as the amount.

To solve this problem we think that the people around the watersheds should take more care of the watersheds, so a less amount of pollutants will be draining into the Chesapeake Bay.

Examples of ways to keep the watersheds cleaner is to enforce the rules more for the development of houses. Another restriction to be enforced is applying fertilizers on lawns and fields.

 

 

Ask this stakeholder a Thoughtful Question or Respond


Thoughtful Questions

 

   From:    Fishing and Boating Industries (F.B.I.) Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School /

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                               6:12:00 AM

          What are some steps you as fishermen can take, in order to help improve the quality of

          the Bay?

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                              6:24:00 AM

          Are there any practices that you as watermen could do to help the Bay?  Maybe you

          should talk to the development and home-owner stakeholders to see what they are doing.

 

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                              6:26:00 AM

          What are some examples of how you want the people around the watersheds to take care

          of the watersheds.

 

  From:    T.A.L.K About the Bay Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School / Newcomer

                                                                                                                              3/21/2007

                                                                                                                             6:55:00 AM

         It's great that you see that other people around the Bay effects your way of life. But,

         what can you do as watermen to help the Bay? Are there practices that you need to do so

         that the public doesn't eat "nasty fish"? Also, you don't have any authority to make rules

         for developers or about applying fertilizers on lawns and fields. What are you planning

         to do in order to get these laws and restrictions enforced?

 

  From:    Anonymous North Harford H.S. / Oleary

                                                                                                                              3/22/2007

                                                                                                                            12:04:00 PM

         You've got suggestions for the homeowners but what are you going to do? You could

         maybe start by not overfishing certain species and then by educating people around the

         bay area about how much they affect your work. These are the things that might help the

          fishermen out in the longrun.

 

 

Watermen

 

Fishing and Boating Industries (F.B.I.) Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School / Newcomer

                                                                                                                                   3/14/2007

                                                                                                                                  7:44:00 AM

 

We are the Fishing and Boating Industries and are one of the stakeholder groups that craft a

livelihood out of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  We represent the fishermen and watermen

of the Potomac watershed which runs its course to the Bay.  Most of our businesses have been

passed down from generation to generation and have a lot of sentimental value to us all.  Due to

 harsh, though necessary, regulations enforced by the federal government and state legislations

 of Maryland and Virginia, we are forced to find part time jobs on land and, occasionally, leave

 the bay area altogether in search of stable employment.  We are an important role to the

Chesapeake because we were once the major providers of food and economic stability for the

Bay.  Fishing, crabbing, and harvesting oysters not only fed the inhabitants of the Eastern

Shore but also provided the majority of their incomes as well. 

 

Since pollution has become extremely prevalent in the Bay and its watershed, there have been

numerous fish kills.  This is due in part to thermal pollution and fertilizer runoff.  These

circumstances have often induced algal blooms blocking sunlight from the Bay and causing the

Bay to become eutrophic.  Algal blooms have also resulted in a decline in the price of blue crabs

 because of the abundance of food for the crabs.  Supply was much higher than the demand and

 many crabbers were forced to leave the Bay in search of a sustainable income.  These

populations fluctuate so much that our businesses are often affected by some problem. 

Currently, the blue crab population is down 34% since 1990 and commercial landings of oysters

 declined from over 6 million bushels in the 1950s to fewer than 200 thousand bushels in 1993.

 

We realize that we too have done our part to cause the Chesapeake Bay to be degraded to the

pitiful state it is in now.  We do want to make amends and try our best to restore the Bay as

much as possible.  Our objectives are to help stabilize the fish, crab and oyster populations as

well as decrease the amount of pollution in the watershed.  Fish such as the sturgeon were over

fished in colonial times.  Similarly, during the 1970s, rockfish followed the same disastrous

problem.  But, with the help of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Maryland Watermen’s

Association we believe that we can help to avert further degradation from occurring.

 

We plan on accomplishing our objectives by reducing the amount of fish, oysters, and crabs

that we harvest for a cycle or two in order for the declining populations to make a comeback

and become more sustainable so our future generations can survive here and continue our

legacy.  As fishermen and watermen, we understand that doing so would greatly jeopardize our

own livelihoods.  To compensate for the vast income lost, we are pushing members of our

organization and our supporters to motion and vote for legislation that would pay fishermen

and watermen who are unable to make a sustainable income to clean up pollution and build

needed cleaning facilities.  We hope that, not only will the declining species have much needed

time to repopulate and regain sustainability, but also we will be actively cleaning and improving

 the environment for these species’.  Fishermen and watermen will be able to still live in the Bay

 area as well.  We realize that the government may not grant us such legislation if only the

Fishing and Boating Industries push for it.  Therefore we are hoping that all stakeholders that

support the Bay’s economy and culture will aid us in pushing for this legislature to pass in the

near future.

 

If this solution works and such legislations are passed we will experience some monetary loss

and know that the government will not be able to fully compensate us for all of the profit we

would make if we continued our harvest without conserving resources whatsoever.  There will

be the marginal fishermen that will not be able to continue their way of life out here in the

Chesapeake Bay.  We regret even this small loss of our brethren.  However, we realize that

without a few sacrifices, fishing and crabbing will no longer be a business for anyone.  We

also hope to use the money given to us by the Green Fund to help improve the Bay so that we

may be reimbursed in future years for our conservation methods.  The Green Fund will offer

$130 million to clean up the bay.  This money will come from taxes on homeowners who choose

to build outside the designated growth areas in Maryland.  The Green Fund has not yet been

passed but we hope for support from other stakeholders of the Bay to push it through.  This too

will not only help clean the Bay, but will also keep building to minimum which is also beneficial

to the species inhabiting the Chesapeake Bay.

 

These solutions will benefit the Fishing and Boating Industries as well as other inhabitants of

the Chesapeake.  We think that with government support and public information out in the

open, fishermen and watermen will see the need to conserve resources and realize that it will

pay off in the end.  Hopefully our plan to pass our brainchild law and the Green Fund will be

passed within this next year.  We will know whether or not it has been successful if we are

able to restart fishing and crabbing in the next five years without a decrease in our original

incomes.

 

If this is not the case and this plan proves ineffective.  We will repeal the act and hope that

the members of the Fishing and Boating Industries will be able to make a living with what little

resources we will have.  Thankfully we are not the only organization attempting to pass laws

and conserve our way of life.  The state of Maryland has enacted emergency regulations with a

 goal of reducing harvests of female crabs by 20%.  Unfortunately, these laws only hurt us. 

The Fishing and Boating Industries is hoping for as much support as possible from all of the

Chesapeake stakeholder groups.  It is up to all of us as a community to make this ecosystem and

this economy work.

 

Works Cited

 

Blankenship, Karl. "Virginia to allow fisherman to keep, sell some shad by catch." Bay Journal.

April 2006. 14 Mar 2007 .

 

"Health Officials: Some Swimmers Should Avoid Chesapeake Bay." Rare Bacteria Kills

Maryland Fisherman. 14 Mar 2007 .

 

Horton, Tom. "Why can't we save the bay?" National Geographic. June 2005. 14 Mar 2007 .

 

"Maryland Watermen's Association." Waterman's Gazette. March 2007. 14 Mar 2007 .

 

 

Ask this stakeholder a Thoughtful Question or Respond


Thoughtful Questions

 

   From:    Conkreat Jungul Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School / Newcomer

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                              7:36:00 AM

          The paper over all is well thought out and is concise. I have a couple questions: Are

          there two bills in legislation?  I understand the Green Fund bill, but the brainchild law is

          what is confusing me.  If as I understand it the brainchild law bill will help compensate

          fishermen that use BMP’s and other conservation methods while fishing.  Where is the

          money coming from?  Is this legislation in front of the House of Delegates or in front of

           other State governments?  I don’t expect you to answer all these questions, but I hope it

           will help you improve your paper.

 

         Response from  Fishing and Boating Industries (F.B.I.) Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School /

                                                                                                                                  3/26/2007

                                                                                                                                 6:25:00 AM

                In response to Conkreat Jungul's question, neither of these two bills are in legislation.  The

                 Green Fund is being voted on as we speak in state delegations (Maryland since that is the

                 state that would be taxed).  Our "brainchild bill" was an invention of our own that we

                thought would be a good idea; no such proposed bill has been introduced into any

                legislation that we are aware of.  The idea is not to reward fishermen for using BMPs but to

                 decrease the amount of harvesting they do for a few seasons and then compensate them

                the money they would lose by employing them to actually clean up pollution and build

                structures that are helpful to improving the environment for the fish.  If you are familiar w/

                the CCC of Roosevelt's New Deal, our idea is reminiscent of that. 

               

                The money for the Green Fund would come from taxes on Maryland homeowners for

                building homes outside of designated zones.  The money for the brainchild bill would also

                come from taxes.  Hopefully the government will balance the economy when the crab and

                oyster populations are stable and tourists will actually be eating seafood from the bay

                (currently all see food in the Chesapeake is imported).  They will no longer have to pay

                other areas for their goods.

 

   From:    Chesapeake Industrial Corporation Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School /

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                               7:41:00 AM

          Reducing the number of fish harvested is a good idea to help improve the Bay's

          population. However, even with the Green Funds help would the farmers be able to

          sustain their families solely on this new income plus the reduction in income from

          fishing. The farmers therefore would have to find a second job to support themselves.

          Also, Green Fund divides their $130 million to give to other programs, so how much

          would they be willing to give to all waterman? Would all watermen be willing to do this in

          the name of saving the environment?

 

         Fishing and Boating Industries (F.B.I.) Response

                                                                                                                                  3/21/2007

                                                                                                                                 6:07:00 AM

                Most waterman already have second jobs because of the pollution in the bay.  The Green

                Fund would give a small portion of money to waterman.  A second job would still be

                needed to survive.  If legislation is passed, the waterman would have no choice but to

                participate in saving the environment.

 

    From:    Blankenship Development Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School / Newcomer

                                                                                                                               3/19/2007

                                                                                                                               8:01:00 AM

          We commend you for your efforts in trying to do your part to help the Chesapeake Bay,

          but some of your ideas need to be further expanded.  The idea of reducing harvesting is

          valid, however, simple legislation cannot force people to stop harvesting.  Even with the

          reduction of harvesting licenses, people will continue living their lives.  Also, it is

          important to take into consideration that crabbing is a large tourist attraction that

          provides a lot of money.  We also feel that allowing crab populations to stabilize will

          cause problems.  If we prevent fisherman from harvesting for a certain amount of time,

          when they return to harvesting, there will be no limitations to how much they can

          harvest, and thus, the population will reach a devastated state once again.

 

         Fishing and Boating Industries (F.B.I.) Response

                                                                                                                                  3/21/2007

                                                                                                                                 6:16:00 AM

                In response to your questions on our P.O.V. paper, I understand your concern on our idea of

                 restricting harvesting. I know that there will always be people who will break the law, but

                we have to keep in mind that the majoraty of fishermen have invested interest in the bay.

                They live simple lives, respect the bay, and want to help it flurish for future generations.

                Restrictions are already in place in the bay, and are showing improvements in fish, oyster,

                and crab populations. Also, after the populations have raised to more stable numbers, are

                plan is not just to let the fishermen free to fish as much as they want, because your right,

                that would cause problems. Our plan is to slowly decrease the restrictions allowing

                fishermen to beable to harvest more and more over the next few years. As far as crabing and

                 tourism, if you are worried about not getting your sea food when you go to the bay, you

                may be surprised to know that already sea food is being imported to resturants because the

                bay cannot support the economy. But if you were worried about tourists wanting to catch a

                few crabs to get the experience, that is not going to hurt the population enough. Tourists

                are not going to go do the big harvesting, they just catch a few at a time (not enough to

                make a difference).

 

  From:    Anonymous Moorefield H.S. / Gillies

                                                                                                                              3/23/2007

                                                                                                                             9:46:00 AM

         The state is making laws against your boating industries and they are only hurting you.

         Well, what kind of laws are you talking about, besides the one about reducing the catch

         of female crabs by 20%. And by reducing all those fishies of yours, won't that cause a

         big uprise in the prices in all the markets and people that sell them.

 

         Response to all from  Fishing and Boating Industries (F.B.I.) Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School /

                                                                                                                                  3/26/2007

                                                                                                                                 6:26:00 AM

                We understand that by creating new legislation that restricts our industry, our profits will

                decrease. However, we have been living by the bay for many generations and we want our

                children to be able to enjoy the same life we have been able to. In order to do that we need

                 take protective measures now so that in the future the bay will be healthier. Also, most of

                us already have other jobs, we are going to take some time to work on cleaning the bay and

                 hopefully gain some government grants for our work.

 

 

Watermen

 

FuRiOuS FiShErMaN Jefferson H.S. / Gipson

                                                                                                                             3/20/2007

                                                                                                                            6:23:00 AM

      If its not furious its not fisherman! I believe that the fish should be created equal just like

humans. They shouldnt be abused like they are with oil and other manmade chemicals. Our

solution is to clean the bay and promote the common welfare for all fish.

      We need to inform people about deseased fish that can not be eaten because of the health

problems.

 

 

Ask this stakeholder a Thoughtful Question or Respond


Thoughtful Questions

 

  From:    Fishing and Boating Industries (F.B.I.) Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School /

                                                                                                                              3/21/2007

                                                                                                                             6:34:00 AM

         You said that, "[you] believe that the fish should be created equal just like humans." It is

         hard for me to understand that because as fishermen  our job is to catch the fish to eat.

         If we are treating fish like humans, then are we not supposed to catch them? Wouldn't

         that create over population and hurt our economy?


 

  From:    T.A.L.K About the Bay Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School / Newcomer

                                                                                                                              3/21/2007

                                                                                                                             7:03:00 AM

         Overall, great job and a very creative group name, but we have a few questions and

         comments.  Equality for fish is great idea, but is a difficult concept to grasp since the

         majority of the human race has yet to see equal rights in most aspects of life, from the

         business world, to sports, and even simple racial equality.  At the same time it is easy to

         agree with the points that fish should not have to suffer from harsh chemicals and other

         pollutants, which not only harm the fish, but also impair the humans that find themselves

         eating those fish.  People should be informed about diseased before the various health

         risks become an even larger problems. 

 

  From:    diligent developers =] North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                                                                                                                              3/22/2007

                                                                                                                            11:47:00 AM

         alright, you furious fishermen you. time for some explaining. i understand you are

         concerned about our bay and the inhabitants, your treasured fish. although i am rather

         confused. you say you are " concerned about the fish's common welfare". it is true you

         should be concerned about pollutants being put in the bay, and how it is affected your

         "import" so to say, but isn't catching fish damaging to their "common welfare" as well? i

         believe so.i am just saying, as we should watch how many pollutants we are putting in the

         bay, the fisherman should also watch how many fish they are catching. perhaps, you

         should take part in some of the programs that introduce fish into streams to repopulate

         them? this would solve the dimenishing fish problem as well as counter acting what

         effects you are having. maybe you should also mention in your POV a few ways you

         would help the bay.

 

  From:    Chesapeake Homeowners Association Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School /

                                                                                                                              3/26/2007

                                                                                                                             6:25:00 AM

         First off, we'd like to inquire as to what exactly you mean by creating the fish equally,

         "just like humans?" As the F.B.I. said, wouldn't that imply that we aren't supposed to

         catch them and eat them because we dont catch humans to eat them? While it's good that

         you want to clean the bay so the fish aren't abused by chemicals and oil, how do you plan

         to start the cleaning up process? We suggest that you give some solutions to begin the

         cleaning instead of saying your solution is to clean up the bay.

 

 

Watermen

 

Kickin Bass Moorefield H.S. / Gillies

                                                                                                                             3/20/2007

                                                                                                                            7:25:00 AM

   Fish are important because they are a source of food for many people. They are also a source

 of income for fisherman. Pollution affects the fish in our rivers which then affect our

watershed. Any improvement in the water can have a major affect on the fish. The cleaner and

less polluted the water the better the fish population will thrive and grow. If nothing is done to

improve the water the fish population will continue to drop. Pollution also affects the way fish

are. Pollution affects the hormones of the fish. When algae in water dies and decays it lowers

the oxygen levels which in turn begins killing off fish.

 

 

Ask this stakeholder a Thoughtful Question or Respond


Thoughtful Questions

 

From:      Fishing and Boating Industries (F.B.I.) Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs

                                                                                                                              3/21/2007

                                                                                                                             6:28:00 AM

         Yes I agree that pollution of the bay does have a correlated effect with the fish

         population, but what are youk as fishermen doing to cut down on the pollution of the

         Chesapeake Bay? Please use specifics.

 

  From:    Team Happy Fish! North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                                                                                                                              3/22/2007

                                                                                                                             12:13:00 PM

         Well, you made it seem as though pollution was the only source of the decline of the fish

         population. You as watermen are removing many of the fish yourselves by overfishing.

         Yes you have to follow a strict standard of size, but you are taking away the breeding

         males and females that would repopulate the waters! How are you as fishermen planning

         on keeping the waters populated?

 

         Response from  Kickin Bass Moorefield H.S. / Gillies

                                                                                                                                  3/27/2007

                                                                                                                                 7:43:00 AM

                Yes, I agree pollution is not the only thing that affects the fish but its a major part of the

                problem. What do you think is the biggest problem with the watershed. And how would you

                reccomend fixing it?

The Moderator suggests that instead of asking Team Happy Fish! to solve their problem, perhaps Kickin Bass could read what all their fellow Watermen say on this page, maybe do a bit more research, and propose an answer yourself.  All the information you need can be found within the Stream Cleaner Forum pages.

 

  From:    Team Awesome Broadway H.S. / Rissler

                                                                                                                              3/22/2007

                                                                                                                            12:36:00 PM

         Yes fish are good and help our economy and are important.  Also pollution is bad we

         should stop pollution and controll all the factors that create pollution.  Isn't that a bit

         difficult?  What do you recommend we do to cut down on the pollution?  Would this

         affect the environment, people or animals in negative ways?

 

  From:    Anonymous Hampshire H.S. / Moore

                                                                                                                              3/27/2007

                                                                                                                            11:24:00 AM

          In response to your paragraph we agree with some of the things you have stated, but we

         have some questions for you.Pollution is effecting the fish population, but in what ways

         are you effecting it? Do you believe that your overing fishing also effecting the fish

         population? Are your boats and boat motors contributing to the decrease in population in

          the watershed? What ways do you suggest cutting down pollution in the Chesapeake

         Bay?

 

  From:    diligent developers =] North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                                                                                                                              3/28/2007

                                                                                                                            11:37:00 AM

         so basically your main point in your point of view, is that pollution is killing fish, right?

         well yes pollution is a big problem, but so is taking every thing out of the bay that

         populates it. perhaps you should mention some ways you are going to help preserve some

         of the fish in the bay other then what you are doing. clearly what everyone is doing now

         isnt enough. . .so any ideas?

 

 

Watermen

 

The Frantic Fishermen Moorefield H.S. / Gillies

                                                                                                                             3/20/2007

                                                                                                                            7:47:00 AM

WE as the Frantic fishermen remain a bit concerned about the pollutants that are being washed

 into the Bay and damaging our food market. We’re concerned about not only the bigger

companies but the smaller family also. Its important to us because our lives and our family

generations rely on us making a study income. We as the Chesapeake Bay area are not allowed

to eat seafood more than once a week due to the pollutants that are being put into the fish. As a

 solution we could take all of the sick fish we catch and the dead fish we find in the bay and

compost them in a safe area; also we could sediment ponds throughout the area.

 

 

Ask this stakeholder a Thoughtful Question or Respond


Thoughtful Questions

 

  From:    Fishing and Boating Industries (F.B.I.) Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School /

                                                                                                                              3/21/2007

                                                                                                                             6:30:00 AM

         After reading your P.O.V., I have a few questions.  Why is the Chesapeake Bay area

         only allowed to eat seafood once a day?  Are there laws in place?  Also, how will

         composting fish help control pollutants running into the bay? 

  From:    Chesapeake Homeowners Association Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School /

                                                                                                                              3/21/2007

                                                                                                                             7:37:00 AM

         You proposed to place all the dead and dying fish you find in the Chesapeake Bay into a

         “safe area” which would seem like a good idea, but where is the safe area going to be? 

         Don’t you think you should fix the pollution of the bay first so that the number of sick

         and dead fish won’t accumulate in you’re “safe area” causing even more pollution

         problems? 

 

  From:    Anonymous North Harford H.S. / Oleary

                                                                                                                              3/22/2007

                                                                                                                             12:11:00 PM

         Storing healthy fish in a safe area is a good idea but what would you do with the

         unhealthy fish, would you just kill them and them die or what? If you mix the two

         together then the good fish could become bad fish because the disease would spread.

  From:    Anonymous North Harford H.S. / Oleary

                                                                                                                              3/22/2007

                                                                                                                             12:14:00 PM

         I like the idea of taking the sick or dead fish out of the water and composting them.

         ALso maybe you could think of some ideas on how to make the fish healthier instead of

            just getting rid of them and you could cut down on pollution

 

         Response from  The Frantic Fishermen Moorefield H.S. / Gillies

                                                                                                                                  3/23/2007

                                                                                                                                 7:36:00 AM

                We plan on compostintg the dead fish and placing sediment ponds to hold the unsanitary

                runoff do to the dead fish.We really put thought to the idea because it is easy to make a

                mistake or leave something out. We also plan on trying to treat the dead fish before

                automaticly composting them.Fertilizer will also be made from the composted fish which is good

                     for the farmers and their crops.

 

  From:    The First Rich Farmers Moorefield H.S. / Gillies

                                                                                                                              3/23/2007

                                                                                                                             7:37:00 AM

         What are you as fisherman doing to help reduce pollution? Is there alaw in place that

         sets a limit on how much fish you can eat? Where did you get your informtion from???

 

 

Watermen

 

Frightened Fisherman North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                                                                                                                             3/20/2007

                                                                                                                           10:41:00 AM

The fishermen in Maryland are very important to the life and culture of what makes Maryland

what it’s known for. Here in Maryland fishing is a huge economic benefit as a food source for

this state and also a strong source of income for many people. There is also the problem of

algae blooms causing a lack of sunlight from penetrating into the Bays floor and helping to

grow underwater aquatic life. Polluted waterways add to the destruction of the bay and all of

its important contents. Pollution from construction, buildings, personal people, and even

farmlands of excess nutrients causes a problem in the bay for our fishy friends. There needs

to be strict laws about pollution and even stricter laws on what it allowed to enter the bays.

Having these laws and strict guidelines it will help to reduce the chance of pollution of the Bay

and help prevent the chance of polluting the fish. Pollution from roads and drains are one of

the top sources of pollution that get dumped into a bay. This problem could be solved by having

a regulation on what is passed through or even a small type of filter. These are some of the

solutions that could help reduce the chance of pollution in our bay so we can keep fishing!!!

 

 

Ask this stakeholder a Thoughtful Question or Respond


Thoughtful Questions

 

  From:    Team Awesome Broadway H.S. / Rissler

                                                                                                                              3/22/2007

                                                                                                                            12:24:00 PM

         What laws would you place and who would you place them upon in order to reduce the

         pollution that is entering the Bay? Where exactly would you place a filter and what

         would it be filtering?

         Response from  Frightened Fisherman North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                                                                                                                                  3/28/2007

                                                                                                                               11:45:00 AM

                WE WOULD HAVE STRICTER LAWS ON POLLUTION AND RUNOFF LIMITS OF FARMS

                WHO WORK ON FARMS NEAR WATER BODIES. ALSO WE WOULD PUT IN PLACE

                FILTERS IN AREAS WHERE WATER FREELY COMES INTO THE BAY TO HELP REDUCE

                THE AMOUNT OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM ENTERING. HOPEFULLY THIS WOULD HELP

                LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF POLLUTION.

 

 

 

Watermen

 

Crusty Crabbers North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                                                                                                                             3/20/2007

                                                                                                                           10:43:00 AM

We are Commercial Fishers that are concerned about the bay and its fish population. If the bay

 continues to be polluted and dirty with grime and algae it could kill most of the fish and other

things such as crabs, and that would leave us with nothing to fish for which would put us out of

our jobs and the community wouldn’t have any kind of fish products such as food, cat food, etc.

  Pollution in the bay is becoming a huge problem and it is going to affect everyone that is

involved with the bay in some way shape or form. With the bay being polluted it causes the fish

 to have diseases and us fishers do not realize that the fish are diseased and that could harm

the people/animals that eat the fish. Over 70% of the Bay Rockfish are infected with skin

lesions caused by mycobacteriosis. Many things could be done to save the bay or at least do

something that will somewhat fix it. One main thing that we can do to help is clean up the bay.

By this I mean clean up all the trash around the coast of the bay and in the actual bay itself.

Another thing to do is stop runoff from housing developments, Parking lots in bay area,

Construction runoff into streams that connect to the bay, etc. There are many things that are

polluting the bay and it will be really tough to stop all of the pollution but if people would

actually try to stop it, it could actually work. Not only will cleaning up the bay affect us but it

will also affect many other people that need the bay in their lives such as, homeowners,

hunters, DNR, Recreational Fishers, etc. So this is a big deal not only for us but for also many

other people. If the bay is saved then instead of the fish dieing the population could actually

grow and this could make it a whole lot better for us and for the rest of the community. Since

the Chesapeake Bay is polluted, not only will the fish die and physical problems will happen to

the bay but Economic problems will also occur. They will loose money because tourism will talk a

 slow stop because no one will want to visit a dirty bay. This is how the pollution of the bay

affects us and some things that we could do to prevent all of these problems.

 

 

Ask this stakeholder a Thoughtful Question or Respond


Thoughtful Questions

 

  From:    Blankenship Development Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School / Newcomer

                                                                                                                              3/31/2007

                                                                                                                              7:31:00 AM

         You have a good view of the Bays’ problem; it is not only your problem, but everyone’s.

         You acknowledge that the Bay needs some serious cleanup in order to save the fishes,

         but you do not say how that should be implemented. How are you going to convince people

          to go out and pick up other people’s gross trash?

 

 

 

Watermen

 

The Fishers Jefferson H.S. / Gipson

                                                                                                                             3/21/2007

                                                                                                                             7:10:00 AM

We could have people volunteers come help clean up the Cheaspeake Bay. Then if we want the

people to come to help clean it up we could serve free lunch!

 

 

Ask this stakeholder a Thoughtful Question or Respond


Thoughtful Questions

 

  From:    Happy Campers North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                                                                                                                              3/22/2007

                                                                                                                            11:49:00 AM

         First off, no offense, I don't really see an issue outlined by you or your point of view

         regarding the Bay. And second, don't you think it'd be easier to prevent pollution then

         constantly be cleaning it up? Also, where is this free lunch coming from?

  From:    Team Awesome Broadway H.S. / Rissler

                                                                                                                              3/22/2007

                                                                                                                             12:18:00 PM

         Cleaning up the Bay will require more than one day or even a year, and definately more

         than one free lunch! What plans would you suggest volunteers to undertake in order to

         help clean the Bay and what are the main issues they would be dealing with?

  From:    The First Rich Farmers Moorefield H.S. / Gillies

                                                                                                                              3/23/2007

                                                                                                                             7:37:00 AM

         I agree with the person before me. how is your paper addressing the issue of the

         Watershed? Wouldn't you rather stop pollution all together than worry with getting

         enough people to help you clean things up?

        

         and the free lunch is soo off topic. its crazy!

 

  From:    Kickin Bass Moorefield H.S. / Gillies

                                                                                                                              3/27/2007

                                                                                                                             7:50:00 AM

         Yes, people should volunteer to help out as much as possible. But as far as passing out

         free lunch, I dont see how that is relavent to the sitiuation, and i dont see how that would

          help. What other things do you think would make a difference?

 

  From:    Crusty Crabbers North Harford H.S. / OLeary

                                                                                                                              3/28/2007

                                                                                                                            11:56:00 AM

         You didnt point out any specific problems with the bay and you also didnt say anything

         that you would do to help save the bay. Are you even concerned?? You didnt mention

         what would be in the free lunches either. If you honestly want people to help you you can

          give them a good free lunch....The bay is important so get your act together

 

 

Watermen

 

Daniel Carl Craig James Wood H.S. / Fordyce

                                                                                                                             3/26/2007

                                                                                                                            8:20:00 AM

We think there are many ways to prevent pollution of the Chesapeake. We think if you we build

 walls to prevent the dumping of things in the ground that will effect the water. We think if you

 can keep the big ships out, you can prevent pollution. You could put up thousand dollar fines

for people whom like to pollute. The restrictions on large ships would help and a wall possibly

would prevent erosion of unwanted materials in the Chesapeake. If the water would be polluted

and there would not be any reason to be there because we would not have any jobs. We think

fisherman in the Chesapeake are very important because they give food, jobs and money to the

community the fishermen of the Chesapeake keep the fish population from growing to a level

where they would eat all their food sources and die off . If the water is polluted the fish can’t

be eaten or sold because of any pollution and this is very bad for the fishing industry. If the

Chesapeake was to get polluted all the groups as well as fisherman would suffer and the

economy and the environment would suffer. The groups such as farmers, landowners and

fisherman have to work together to prevent pollution of the Chesapeake, preventing oil spills

and mercury pollution and unwanted earthly materials from entering the bay this means

restrictions on the kinds of boats that can move about the Chesapeake and we think only

allowing small fishing boats should be permitted to move amongst the Chesapeake. We think it

would be good for the bay and the costs would be minimal, in fact the government would make

money off the fines they give people for polluting the bay.

 

 

Ask this stakeholder a Thoughtful Question or Respond


Thoughtful Questions

 

  From:    Blankenship Development Massanutten Reg. Gvnrs. School / Newcomer

                                                                                                                              3/31/2007

                                                                                                                              7:41:00 AM

         Okay. Building walls to prevent litter? I think you will have a lot of trouble convincing

         the general public to build such walls that block their view. A lot of the Chesapeake Bay

         area is hot Tourism areas; people come to SEE the ocean. You would still have those

         people who just want to try and defy the laws and would throw things over the walls.

         What would happen to the industries that rely on the waterways to transport their goods

         if large ships are no longer allowed into the Bay area? Are you going to pay for them to

         find alternative shipping routes? One last thing, How do you plan to catch people that

         pollute? Are you talking about large industries or individuals who lets say, leave their

         chip bag on the pier? You do have some good points about the Bay cleanup needing to be

         a community effort

 

 

 

Watermen

 

High Flyers Hampshire H.S. / Moore

                                                                                                                             3/27/2007

                                                                                                                           11:08:00 AM

We the High Flyers represent the watermen and the fisherman of the Chesapeake Bay

Watershed. Since pollution has become a bigger problem over the years due to thermal

pollution, fertilizer runoff,and waste plants.

 

 

Ask this stakeholder a Thoughtful Question or Respond


Thoughtful Questions