Just for fun, I thought I would repost my April Fool's Day "press release" about the California Department of Fish Game announcing their historic contract with Blackwater to enforce the alleged "Yosemites of the Sea" and "underwater parks" created under the privately-funded Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative.
"It's time to get tough with anglers who cross the line into our pristine National Parks of the sea," said Chuck Bonham, Department of Fish and Game Director. "Blackwater is renowned for its no-holds barred enforcement style and we want every angler to know that they will treat violators of these marine reserves with no mercy."
Department of Fish and Game News Advisory: For Immediate Release, April Fool's Day (April 1), 2012
Media Contact: Joey Destructo, DFG Communications, 916-NOT-THER
Blackwater to enforce 'Yosemites of the Sea'
Department of Fish and Game Director Chuck Bonham on April 1 announced a new, no nonsense approach to dealing with those fishing without a license or sturgeon report card - and unveiled the beginning of a historic partnership between Blackwater (now Academi Corporation) and the DFG to enforce marine protected areas created under the landmark Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative.
Click the you tube link below to view the video taken on a recent trip on San Pablo Bay by Gordon Hough, captain of the Morning Star, that shows you the new "get tough" policy in action: http://www.youtube.com/...
While the penalties are severe for catching a sturgeon without obtaining a sturgeon card, anglers are advised that the penalties are even worse if you are caught fishing in one of the new marine protected areas, created under the visionary oversight of an oil industry lobbyist, that went into effect in Southern California waters on January 1.
The Western States Petroleum Association, Walmart, Safeway Corporation and the Resources Legacy Foundation, all avid backers of the MLPA Initiative, have generously offered to pay for the costs of enforcement.
Bonham announced that the Academi Corporation – previously known as Xe Services LLC, Blackwater USA and Blackwater Worldwide – will be enforcing these "Yosemites of the Sea" and glorious marine parks in an innovative public-private partnership with the California Department of Fish and Game.
"It's time to get tough with anglers who cross the line into our pristine National Parks of the sea," said Bonham. "Blackwater is renowned for its no-holds barred enforcement style and we want every angler to know that they will treat violators of these marine reserves with no mercy."
"However, oil companies, municipal polluters, corporate aquaculture operations, the U.S. military, and wind, wave and nuclear power companies don't need to worry, since only fishing and gathering are prohibited in these wonderful new underwater parks," emphasized Bonham.
Bonham added that volunteers from the Orange County Coastkeeper, Heal the Bay and other NGOs will help the DFG and the Academi (formerly Blackwater) in their surveillance of fishermen.
"The visionary public-private partnership between the state of California and the Academi corporation will hopefully pave the way for the wholistic protection of our marine waters through the removal of all fishermen and Tribal gatherers," said Leon Panetta, longtime backer of the MLPA Initiative, former CIA Director and the current Secretary of Defense. "Their removal will allow the military, private contractors, oil industry and ocean industrialists to restore the historic bounty of our oceans by bombing, drilling and exploiting them. Protection is destruction and destruction is protection."
Panetta also announced that the CIA has graciously agreed to offer its drones to assist the private contractor, DFG and volunteers in the surveillance and apprehension of violators of the "Yosemites of the Sea."
"This unprecedented cooperation between the federal government, DFG, private corporations and volunteers in the enforcement of marine protected areas marks a new dawn in environmental protection," said Governor Jerry Brown, the recent recipient of the “Ocean Champion Award” at a gala dinner sponsored by the Monterey Bay Aquarium at the Sutter Club in Sacramento. "If the public-private partnership between the state and Blackwater turns out to be as fruitful as we predict it will be, we anticipate using Blackwater and other private contractors to remove pesky Delta farmers from their land to make way for the construction of my peripheral canal to deliver water to needy San Joaquin Valley farmers such as Stewart Resnick of Paramount Farms."