[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 120 (Wednesday, September 29, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1724-E1725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO RANDY FRY (1954-2004)

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM SAXTON

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 2004

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, the recreational fishing community is 
mourning the loss of a dear friend, Randy Fry of Auburn, California, 
who died while free diving for abalone off the Mendocino coast as a 
result of an attack by a great white shark on August 15th. He had often 
said that if he had to go, he wanted to go in the water.
  While the international media has focused on the awful details of 
this tragedy, his friends and fellow members of the Recreational 
Fishing Alliance (RFA) choose to remember him for his tireless 
dedication to the interests of West Coast fisheries and recreational 
anglers and divers everywhere. At the time of his death, he was working 
full-time as the West Coast Regional Director of the RFA.
  Randy Fry grew up in the Fresno area and his dad, now deceased, was 
an insurance salesman. His mother, Velora, lives in Auburn. He leaves a 
brother and two sisters, an ex-wife, a grown son and Natalie, his 
girlfriend he wanted to marry.
  He became involved in fisheries management issues when he became 
concerned about the diminished stocks of rockfish (sebastes) and other 
nearshore groundfish that are so important to recreational fishermen in 
California.
  Randy took the bull by the horns and started getting people organized 
to fight recreational fishing closures. He seemed to know everybody, 
and if he didn't know them personally, he was buddies with someone who 
did. He was a former SCUBA diving instructor who led diving charters in 
the Philippines, and he became an avid free-diving spearfisherman who 
competed in club competitions. He was active in the NorCal Skindivers 
Club and the Central California Association of Dive Clubs (CENCAL).
  He had the perfect personality for this work: he liked people, he was 
passionate about the ocean and he loved to talk fish politics. He was 
also always willing to make the sacrifices necessary to get the job 
done. He was truly one of a kind.
  In 2003, Fry was appointed to a fishery management panel on 
groundfish, which included important species to the recreational 
nearshore fishery. Randy was also instrumental in building support for 
the appointment of Darrell Ticehurst, a private recreational angler, to 
the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC)--one of the eight 
regional fishery management councils. He was a champion for reasonable 
public access to public resources and fair and equitable regulation of 
recreational fishermen.
  Randy went to bat for sportfishermen at scores of meetings of 
government agencies. Some of the issues Randy worked on include:
  Building support for the ``Freedom to Fish Act'' to prevent the 
implementation of arbitrary no-fishing zones.
  He bird-dogged the California Department of Fish & Game over the use 
of license fees and fishing tackle excise tax revenue, making sure it 
was used in the best interests of fishermen.
  He worked to introduce a bill to make commercial-scale abalone 
poaching a felony in California.
  Randy sheltered low-impact fishing opportunities, like bank angling 
and spearfishing, from seasonal closures designed to protect shelf 
rockfish species.
  He worked to make ``reasonable and satisfying'' recreational fishing 
seasons a priority in California management decisions.
  Worked toward improving recreational catch data systems, to replace 
the failures of the past.
  Worked to keep the National Marine Sanctuaries out of fishing 
regulations.
  On a personal level, Randy was a fun guy to be around. He was a 
storyteller and a jokester. He loved to fish for salmon, dive with a 
spear gun or go bird hunting. He was a realist, and one of his favorite 
phrases when he had to deliver bad news about next year's fishing 
regulations was, ``I'm just tellin' ya how the cow eats the cabbage.'' 
He was an excellent public speaker who wasn't afraid to criticize the 
California Fish & Game Commission when necessary, but he always tried 
to turn his opponents into friends. He didn't have a mean bone in his 
body.

[[Page E1725]]

  Randy was one of those all-American strivers who attended seminars on 
salesmanship and negotiating skills back when he was a real estate 
broker and contractor. He was an avid reader and was constantly honing 
his skills to be a more effective and knowledgeable representative. He 
brought many disparate fishing groups together in consultation on 
important decisions, yet he was able to take charge when necessary and 
show leadership in times of crisis.
  A few days before the ``Fish Fry for the RFA at Noyo Harbor,'' 
Randy's friend Jim Martin left a message on Randy's phone saying that 
he needed a pep talk because of some setbacks he had. A few minutes 
later he called back and said:
  ``Oh, Cowboy Up, Pardner.''
  Jim busted out laughing. It was perfect Randy: short, sweet and to 
the point. It was all the pep talk he needed. Four words, and Randy set 
him straight.
  Randy Fry was a warrior, a champion for the ocean and fishermen 
everywhere. He is sorely missed by his family, friends and colleagues.

                          ____________________