forget the excuses

Our fisheries face unprecedented climate-related challenges from drought, heat waves, floods, wildfires, storms, and rising seas.

LEAVE THE EXCUSES BEHIND!

  • It’s not my fault; it’s [fill in my least favorite country, politician, TV star].

  • I’m just one person; I’m not going to make a difference.

  • I’m doing my part, it’s those other #*!! people.

four actions

Regardless of where you live, what you care about, and what your talents are, engagement begins with these four steps:

  1. Volunteer and support organizations working to protect fish and their habitats

  2. Make your voice heard. Vote for fish.

  3. Recruit others to the cause. Make fisheries conservation infectious

  4. Become an advocate (keep doing #1-3)


  1. Volunteer and Support

Match you location, fishing passions, and skill set with one or more organizations doing good things for fish and habitat. Here is a starting list of regional resources and organizations working on behalf of fisheries and habitat restoration.

Below is a sampling of organizations where you can engage locally, regional and nationally. For a comprehensive listing by state go to Patagonia’s Action Works and search for ways to engage.

COASTAL & MARINE FISHERIES

TAKING THE OCEAN INTO ACCOUNT IS CRITICAL FOR SUCCESSFULLY ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE

ANADROMOUS FISHERIES

Climate change is becoming an increasingly significant threat to the future of wild salmon and steelhead.

Freshwater Fisheries

coldwater Species need cold and clean water, and healthy habitats to thrive.

2. make your voice heard

Courtesy of Protect Our Winters

ACTION #1. Join the Herd to be Heard.

Add your voice to those of others who care about what you care about. Consider adding your voice to one or all of the following organizations who are magnifying the voices of anglers, hunters, and outdoor enthusiasts. This is just a partial list of organizations. Find one that and engage.

  1. Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) - working to unite and amplify their partners’ voices to advance America’s legacy of conservation, habitat, and access.

  2. Protect Our Winters (POW) - focused on legislation regarding climate change; striving to turn outdoor enthusiasts into climate advocates.

  3. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) - ensuring North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife.

  4. Ocean Conservancy (OC) - working to protect the ocean by creating evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it.

ACTION #2. RAISE YOUR VOICE FOR FISH.

One of the most basic actions, in a democratic society, is to make your voice heard at the local, state, and federal level. If you have never done it, do it now! If you’ve done it before, keep doing it!

Democracy.IO - Democracy thrives when people’s voices are heard. The easier it is for us to contact Congress, the better. It’s that simple. By clicking on the link below you can easily email a single message to your two senators and representative.

Ballotpedia - Find ballot measures regarding hunting , fishing by state.

Protect Our Winters (POW), as part of its CRUX Academy, has developed an online course on “Finding Common Ground: How to Be a Climate Activist.” The course is broken up into eigth lessons and 28 videos— bite-sized pieces that will take the user through video presentations on Climate Science, Civic Engagement, Climate Change Solutions, and more.

ACTION #3. Use Your Vote for Fish.

As the bumper sticker says, we fish and we vote. In local, state, and national elections, make sure to cast your vote. If you are unsure of your voting status or how to vote, check out one of these resources.

USA.GOV-How To Vote - Guide to the How, Where, and When to Vote

VOTE.ORG. Everything you need to know to vote.

HOWTO.VOTE - How to register and vote in your state.

To gain a sense of where your Congressional representatives stand on matters of climate, Vote Climate U.S. PAC provides a Climate Scoring for current U.S. Senators and Representatives.

 

Photo courtesy of Flickr-Hiveminer

 

3. Recruit Others

We might like to keep our favorite fishing holes a secret, but effectively addressing climate change to ensure healthy and abundant fisheries requires all hands on deck.

4. Become an aDVOCATE

An advocate is an individual who works to bring about social and political change. To be effective advocates, we must be seen as responsible citizens with a cause. We are respectful of others but clear in our message that Tomorrow’s Fish depends on effective action today.

The critical action is to keep supporting efforts to address climate change on behalf of fisheries.

Join/Speak Out/Recruit Others/Repeat.

Give me More!