The best source on the sport/commercial conflict remains New Moon Press’s “Wetland Riders,” which includes an extensive bibliography of printed materials. A few of the following websites may provide additional information on that specific issue while, collectively, they offer a broadened perspective on commercial fishing and other renewable resource-based industries.  

www.consumerfreedom.com – The Center for Consumer Freedom educates on food issues, and reveals funding sources and PR ploys of animal rights groups, environmental organizations and other “non-profits” that mold public opinion.

www.crcl.org - The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is dedicated to the restoration of South Louisiana’s rapidly eroding coastline.

www.fishingnj.org - Maintained by Nils Stolpe--industry wonk and director of the Garden State Seafood Association--this site is a clearing house for information on fish and the seafood industry.

www.fishpreserve.org – A joint effort of Cortez fishing families and anthropologist Michael Jepson, the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH) maintains a preserve of over 100 acres of fishery habitat, and educates the public on commercial fishing via its maritime museum.

 www.iwmc.org - Eugene Lapointe’s IWMC World Conservation Trust is a global voice for sustainable use of the planet’s wild resources and the preservation of the cultures and traditions that depend upon them.

www.linc.us – Based in Tampa, Florida, and founded by environmental photojournalist Carlton Ward Jr., the Legacy Institute for Nature & Culture is a group of “conservation photographers” and other communicators who have got it right: “Shrinking numbers of people live close to the land, and there is a widening divide between popular perceptions and the realities of the natural world.” Among other projects, LINC collaborated with the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH) to produce the post-net-ban documentary “In Their Own Words: Perseverance and Resilience in Two “Florida Fishing Communities.”  

www.louisianaseafood.com - The Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board is a division of the state’s wildlife and fisheries agency. LSPMB offers educational packages for teachers and consumers that include “Living on the Edge,” a one-hour documentary that takes viewers onto the boats of Louisiana’s commercial fishermen.

www.nationalfisherman.com - National Fisherman is the trade magazine for America’s commercial fishermen.

www.ncfish.org – The North Carolina Fisheries Association advocates on behalf of the state’s family fishermen in one of America’s most prolific fishing grounds.

www.nfi.org - The National Fisheries Institute is the nation’s largest seafood trade association, and represents a wide spectrum of firms, from small family-owned businesses to multinational corporations. NFI is a great source for information on nutritional benefits of seafood.

 www.ruralheritage.org - The National Trust for Historic Preservation supports the efforts of rural communities across the country “to preserve and live with their heritage.” To date, there is no mention of fishing communities, but the group assists folks who are preserving farmland and rural heritage areas via easements, zoning and the designation of special districts.

 www.seagrant.noaa.gov – Sea Grant is a government program that promotes university research on coastal issues. Extension agents in each state disseminate the results to the public and seek practical applications.

www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu - A wealth of unbiased, scientifically-based information on Louisiana’s fisheries, by Louisiana Sea Grant and LSU Agricultural Extension Service.

www.southeasternfish.org - The Southeastern Fisheries Association represents the commercial fishing industry in the southeastern United States. The Florida-based trade group offers some materials on that state’s 1994 net-ban vote.

www.st.nmfs.gov/st1 - Commercial and recreational fisheries landings data, directly from NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.

 www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/recreational/queries/catch/time_series.html - A direct link to NOAA’s recreational fishing database.