Take Back The MDC
A Gathering Point for True Sportsmen
Mothballed Aquarium
Thursday, August 16th, 2007
We have recently seen the MDC notice that its mobile aquarium will no longer be at MDC events.
"While the Mobile Aquarium always drew a crowd, we believe that a more personal approach to recruiting future anglers is needed."
-MDC Website
Link Here
Did the mobile aquarium drawing large crowds not do enough to recruit new anglers?
In fact the Missouri Department of Conservation stated just last year in its annual report about the Aquarium:
"The Show-Me Missouri Fish-Mobile Aquarium program reached an estimated 1,148,115 Missourians who attended one of the 20 events where the aquarium was featured. Scheduled demonstrations about fish or fishing are held periodically at each event and these attracted an estimated audience of 34,323. The aquarium was displayed for 94 days in seven of the eight MDC regions."
- 2006 Missouri Department of Conservation Annual Report.
Link Here
Sounds like a pretty popular and effective way of introducing and education Missourians about fishing to us.
Rumors going around speculate that the MDC was threatened with a lawsuit from an animal rights organization and the department backed down. We have been digging for more info on these rumors but have so far come up with no REAL definitive proof of this. The folks who know don't wish to come forward and give us any real reasons for the canceling of the aquarium and are keeping quiet.
This has happened before. In 1998, the Humane Society of the United States and the St. Louis Animal Rights Team filed a lawsuit to end the otter trapping season in Missouri. Fortunately the case was thrown out and the trapping season went forward. It's a different department these days as current leadership is willing to cater more to political correctness and lend an ear to outsiders who are trying to attack our outdoor sporting activities.
"It's a big tent and all are welcome."
- Director John Hoskins
The aquarium has since 2000 been a real crowd pleaser in showing kids and adults alike the joys of fishing as well as fish identification. It was a very valuable learning tool and will surely be missed by many people.
If the department was threatened, instead of backing down to demands of a fringe group, why not inform the public of the ill-intent and let the people come and backup the department with their voices. People I know would love to come to an open forum and voice an opinion that would surely support the use of the Mobile Aquarium at MDC events. Instead it's being rumored that they made a rash decision again without talking to us first. Us being the ones who love our MDC and their involvement in hunting and angling education and who are willing to go to the ends of the earth to defend it.
The MDC needs to understand that the hunting and fishing community are more than willing to do battle against those who would seek to slowly tear down the activities we love and share.
We don't know the real story behind this yet but we are going to keep digging until we find it. The sugar coated reasons given for its cancellation on the MDC website won't suffice.
Here are some pictures of the Mobile Aquarium in action.
When referring to the attempted court case in 1998 to ban otter trapping, the department responded with the following:
"...just because you're not a trapper doesn't mean this doesn't concern you. After trapping is banned, hunting and fishing will be next. This is how states lose their ability to conduct the kind of rational, science-based wildlife management programs that have made Missouri the envy of the nation."
- MDC Spokesperson
We would hope that current MDC leadership would respond with the same tenacity against any attempts to attack our sporting activities today as they did in 1998.
We shall see.
Please call Director John Hoskins and ask him to please reconsider the continued use of the MDC Mobile Aquarium.
(573) 751-4115 ext 3212
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Sen. Dan Clemens Remarks
Just last month State Senator Dan Clemens made remarks on the Missouri Senate Floor expressing his concerns with the current leadership at the MDC. Please read his remarks and forward them on to others who may wish to read them. Click Here
Report to Elected Officials
Please download and pass on the Take Back The MDC report to elected officials concerning the current state of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Please call your state elected representatives and senators and tell them that you are concerned with the Leadership at the MDC. Tell them you want change!
Download HERE
