ESPN Corrects Fishing Myth- Field and Stream call the myth a Farce.

[The True Adonis]

http://blog.syracuse.com/outdoors/2010/03/obama_intent_on_ending_recreat.html

Obama intent on ending recreational fishing in America? Column generates a strong reaction -- and a correction.

By David Figura/The Post-Standard
March 13, 2010, 9:29AM

I've received more than a dozen emails from concerned local outdoorsmen this past week saying Pres. Obama is intent on ending recreational fishing in this country -- directing my attention to an ESPN.com column written by Robert Montgomery of ESPN Outdoors, entitled "Culled Out. Public input for federal fishing strategy has ended."
The Field and Stream web site, however, described Montgomery's piece and the message it carried as "a farce."
In addition, the ESPN.com editor this week issued an apology and posted a correction concerning Montgomery's column.
Montgomery's piece begins: "The Obama administration has ended public input for a federal strategy that could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing some of the nation's oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even inland waters.
"Fishing industry insiders, who have negotiated for months with officials at the Council on Environmental Quality and bureaucrats on the task force, had grown concerned that the public input would not be taken into account."
One reader said he heard Glen Beck mention the column this week on his show.

ESPN Outdoors Executive Editor Steve Bowman's statement in regard to Montgomery's piece follows: "ESPNOutdoors.com inadvertently contributed to a flare-up Tuesday when we posted the latest article in a series of stories on President Barack Obama's newly created Ocean Policy Task Force, a column written by Robert Montgomery, a conservation writer for BASS since 1985. Regrettably, we made several errors in the editing and presentation of this installment. Though our series has included numerous news stories on the topic, this was not one of them -- it was an opinion piece, and should have been clearly labeled as commentary. And while our series overall has examined several sides of the topic, this particular column was not properly balanced and failed to represent contrary points of view. We have reached out to people on every side of the issue and reported their points of view -- if they chose to respond -- throughout the series, but failed to do so in this specific column."
The Obama administration has since issued a statement saying it has no such plans to end recreational fishing..
And Trout Unlimited, the Field and Stream web site reported, on Friday issued the following statement:

"Dear TU Supporters:
"We wanted to take a moment to respond to a number of you who have written to us this week concerning an ESPN piece that appeared on the ESPN Outdoors website about the draft proposal recently published by the President's Ocean Policy Task Force. The first sentence in the piece said the following: "The Obama administration has ended public input for a federal strategy that could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing some of the nation's oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even inland
waters."

"...The confusion over the ESPN article led the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the coordinating entity for federal environmental efforts, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), to issue the following statements (from Eric Schwaab, NOAA's Assistant Administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service)

"The Ocean Policy Task Force has not recommended a ban on recreational fishing. The draft reports by the Ocean Policy Task Force do not contain a zoning map and do not establish any restrictions on recreational fishing, nor make any judgments about whether one ocean activity or use is better than another. Instead, the reports set up a policy and framework for effectively managing the many sustainable uses of the ocean while upholding our responsibility to be stewards of our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes. As a member of the task force, NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco, has said, and I echo her on this, that saltwater recreational fishing is vital to this nation and NOAA is committed to building a strong partnership with America's saltwater anglers to ensure that Americans have opportunities to fish sustainably for generations to come."
"Saltwater recreational fishing matters to me on a personal level as a recreational fisherman, it matters to millions of Americans who enjoy this great sport and it matters to our economy. Our most recent economic report shows it supports a half million jobs and generates $82 billion in sales each year. NOAA is committed to adopting policies that will ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to enjoy the great tradition of recreational fishing."

"In our view, there is no evidence that the Obama Administration intended to use the work of the Ocean Task Force to undercut marine sport fishing."

The Field and Stream web site concludes: "At least one good thing might have come out of this farce: if the administration wasn't paying attention to the concerns voiced by recreational anglers before, you can bet it is now. And that's a good thing regardless of who's in office."

[The True Adonis]

Hope this helps.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/saltwater/columns/story?columnist=bowman_steve&id=4982359

From the editor

By Steve Bowman
Executive Editor ESPNOutdoors.com

Firestorms get started in a variety of ways, especially on politicized issues.

ESPNOutdoors.com inadvertently contributed to a flare-up Tuesday when we posted the latest article in a series of stories on President Barack Obama's newly created Ocean Policy Task Force, a column written by Robert Montgomery, a conservation writer for BASS since 1985. Regrettably, we made several errors in the editing and presentation of this installment. Though our series has included numerous news stories on the topic, this was not one of them -- it was an opinion piece, and should have been clearly labeled as commentary.

And while our series overall has examined several sides of the topic, this particular column was not properly balanced and failed to represent contrary points of view. We have reached out to people on every side of the issue and reported their points of view -- if they chose to respond -- throughout the series, but failed to do so in this specific column.

This series started in October and has included several updates on how the creation of the task force and its actions could impact recreational anglers. ESPNOutdoors.com should have made it clear to all readers that this was part of a larger series, and -- even though this was Montgomery's opinion, and those of the sources quoted in the column -- we should have taken more care to fairly represent opposing arguments.

We do feel it is our duty to cover issues surrounding outdoor sports to the best of our abilities, and given the nature of this task force and the potential impact on all fisherman, this was an appropriate topic to address for our audience. We take seriously the tenets of journalism that require we take an unbiased approach, and when we make mistakes in the presentation of a story or a column, it is our responsibility to admit them.

Any confusion on that part rests entirely on my shoulders as the executive editor of this site.

We have appended the original column to note that it was in fact a commentary, and we will institute more rigorous editing safeguards in order to prevent such issues in the future.

[BM OUT]

But you claimed the tea party people were stupid because they believed it.Once again,it shows how we shouldnt believe ANYTHING the mainstream media puts out.

[The True Adonis]

But you claimed the tea party people were stupid because they believed it.Once again,it shows how we shouldnt believe ANYTHING the mainstream media puts out.

Why did you believe the obvious myth?

[BM OUT]

Why did you believe the obvious myth?

Well lets see,Obama put in a taning tax to kill that for people.He is slowly trying to ban salt in processed food.He took over the auto industry.He dictates CEOs PAY.Will dictate what kind of cars we drive.Wants congress to force college football to put in a playoff system.Why wouldnt I believe he would take over fishing as well.