Comment Log Display

Dear Governor Newsom, 
 
As a nurse I want to thank you for your support to nurses and the
medical community these past very trying 2 years.  I know things
have been very rough on all of us, you included. It means so much
that you are in our corner and I appreciate your efforts on our
behalf.
 
Besides my passion for my patients, another thing near and dear to
my heart is sport fishing, a tradition in our family for many
years.  I understand that some things are being considered with
regard to changes to sport fishing boats to make them compliant
with emissions regulations. My concern is that many of the boats in
the California fleet and specifically San Diego where I live, are
unable to be safely modified in the way that is being proposed in
this legislation. I believe these modifications would make the
boats unsafe for passengers because the weight and orientation of
the new engines could compromise the safety of the vessels by
making them unstable.  
 
Please reconsider this legislation for the following reasons:
 
1)      This will severely impact many small family businesses. Not
just the boat owners and their employees, but the small businesses
in the coastal communities that rely on sport fishing for their
subsistence.  San Diego is a world class fishing destination and
anglers bring much needed revenue to these communities.
2)      It's impossible to safely retrofit the existing fleet with
these new engines. The many, many boats that go out of business
because they cannot be modified will essentially become "paper
weights" and will have no resale value. I can't imagine that cars
would be expected to change out the engines as is being
proposed...why sportfishing boats? It's hard to imagine that any of
these small family operations will be able to come up with the cash
to buy new boats.  Especially with the financial hit that COVID 19
took on all of us in the last two years.
3)      If these boat owners are able to miraculously come up with
the cash to purchase new vessels, the cost will have to be passed
on to the consumers. These consumers will be priced out of sport
fishing. Who could possibly afford the doubling or tripling of the
cost? We couldn't.
4)      Fishing licenses and fees support conservation of our
precious ocean resources...No anglers? No revenue there.
5)      It's so important to have a sport that appeals to so many
diverse groups. People of all races, ages love to fish and love to
eat fish for that matter. More and more women are getting into
fishing.  It's something that parents can enjoy with their teens
(impossible to hold a cell phone and a fishing pole at the same
time!), and a great outing for any group of friends.  We need more
things that bring all kinds of people together in positive ways.
 
 
Thank you so much for your consideration in this matter.  This is
the first email I have ever sent regarding legislation...not sure
if anyone will actually read it, but to me it was worth taking a
chance in the hopes that you have a heart for the Sport Fishing
community.
 
Sincerely,
 
Susan Toth
2112 Vintage Place
Escondido, CA  92027