News

Please join us in expressing protest and outrage against Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's request for federal disaster relief to help Florida's shark fishing industry.

Are you kidding me? They are asking for our tax dollars to pay to continue the livelihood of an industry that has helped decimate the shark populations in an unsustainable manner. Personally I am appalled over the concept. The shrinking shark populations have been well documented. Many species have been reduced to less than 10% of what the populations once were. Researchers and scientists have been warning the fishing industry for many years, informing them that sharks are being harvested unsustainably. Now they expect our tax dollars pay to support the ailing shark fishing industry when they predictably run out of sharks to catch due to dwindling stocks and the subsequent regulations further limiting the practice? Allowing this to happen would be a travesty and would send the wrong message regarding sustainable fishing practices.

Send a message to FEMA and your local elected officials. Let them know that aid for the shark fishing industry allows others to continue to devastate our planet with the hope that one day when there's nothing left, that the government will bail them out ... with our tax dollars! We can not allow this to happen!

From the St. Petersburg times website:

"Gov. Charlie Crist asked for federal disaster relief Friday to help Florida's shark fishing industry, which has been crippled by troubled stocks and regulatory restrictions.

Once a cheap alternative at seafood counters, shark has essentially disappeared from the commercial marketplace in recent years. Sharks are slow growing, bear only a few young at a time and are particularly susceptible to fishing pressure. This year, federal regulators have banned all shark fishing at least through August as they consider new quotas."

Please contact FEMA (below are many contacts), and also contact your senators and congressmen, and even your favorite presidential candidate. Let them know that there are concerned citizens who demand not to allow are tax dollars support unethical and unsustainable practices!

Pamela Mack – Headquarters Cadre Administrator
E-mail: pamela.mack@dhs.gov
Telephone: (202) 646-4651

Brenda Garcia – Special Projects
E-mail: brenda.m.garcia@dhs.gov
Telephone:  (202) 646-2600

Sharon Johnson – Administrative Officer
E-mail:  sharon.d.johnson@dhs.gov
Telephone: (202) 646-2955

Butch Kinerney – Mitigation/NFIP Liaison
E-mail: butch.kinerney@dhs.gov
Telephone: (202) 646-3228

Alexandra Kirin – News Desk Manager
E-mail: alexandra.kirin@dhs.gov
Telephone: (202) 646-4526

James Mclntyre – Media Relations
E-mail: james.mcintyre1@dhs.gov
Telephone: (202) 646-3922

Ashley Small – News Desk
E-mail: ashley.small@dhs.gov
Telephone: (202) 646-2853

Cindy Taylor – Communications Deputy Director
E-mail: cindy.taylor@dhs.gov
Telephone: (202) 646-4600

Brenda Truman – Administrative Support
E-mail: brenda.truman@dhs.gov
Telephone: (202) 646-4600

Aaron Walker – Press Secretary
E-mail: aaron.walker@dhs.gov
Telephone: (202) 646-2749

Debbie Wing – Response Liaison
E-mail: deborah.wing@dhs.gov
Telephone: (202) 646-3572