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Angler's
Profiles
by Hugh Markey
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| A series of articles introducing RISAA members to the rest of the club. |
| (From the November, 2003Newsletter) Peter Palumbo |
 It
is after three in the afternoon, and the legislator has just returned
from a bill signing at the State House. Such signings are
somewhat routine in the life of a state representative. The governor
strides into the room, surprisingly close to being on time.
Smiles and handshakes all around. In seconds, he quickly gets
down to business as the flashbulbs go off. The ceremony may seem impressive to a newcomer, but it is business as usual for the representative. “Sometimes I think the governor is just surrounded by cardboard cutouts at these things,” he says. “He comes in, signs the bill, gets his picture taken, and he’s gone.” He’s not complaining though, since he readily acknowledges the governor has a tight schedule. Plus, this is not just any bill. The governor has just signed the most important piece of legislation for recreational fishermen in Rhode Island to come along in many years. The bill is the Rhode Island Freedom to Fish Act. The legislator is the man who was the original sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives: RISAA member and Cranston State Representative Peter Palumbo. NO FISHING ALLOWED
As most members know by now, the Freedom to Fish Act came about in response to an
alarming trend in several parts of the country: the practice of
declaring hundreds of miles of ocean off-limits for fishing.
Driven by a misguided attempt to preserve fisheries, the practice was
disturbing for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that the
closures took place with no evidence that the fish depletion came as a
result of recreational fishing. When it came time for RISAA to
push for the creation of the Freedom to Fish Act
to prevent such capricious closures and protect the recreational
fisherman, Palumbo seemed a natural choice for a
sponsor.  “I
have a penchant for fishing,” Palumbo says. “I grew up in Rhode Island,
and I have two boys I would like to be able to take fishing one
day.” Palumbo was impressed with the way RISAA efforts were
organized, and readily moved to sponsor the bill. “To some extent, you’re molded (as a legislator) by the issues you work with. (RISAA President) Steve Medeiros and the rest of the group worked so hard, they almost made me feel inept! They devoted so much time to the cause. They really were a wealth of knowledge that was instrumental in being able to get this bill passed.” THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
Peter has fond memories of boyhood trips to Galilee where he would fish
off a dock with a box of clamworms by his side. From there he
became a shore fisherman, and still counts hunting for bass and blues
among his greatest pleasures. Still, it was a trip on a tuna boat
which brought Palumbo a considerable surprise and his favorite
fishing memory.“We were out at The Dump looking for bluefin and yellowfin. It’s just such an amazing experience out there, seeing porpoises, sea turtles, and whales. Anyway, I hooked into a giant! There I was with just a 5/0 reel, with no chair, just a harness. We spent nearly four hours chasing that thing for twenty-some odd miles.” As the adventure unfolded, the boat kept in radio contact with others in the general area. “That thing threw me all over the deck. I had burn marks on me!” Gradually, though, the men began to realize that a greater force was going to intervene in the pursuit. Gathering storm clouds telegraphed the impending arrival of bad weather. “The other boats were contacting us to see if we were okay,” Palumbo recalls. “The clouds were really rolling in.” Eventually, the group was force to face the inevitable choice if the trip was to remain a safe one. “We had to cut the line. I would have loved to have seen him after all that. I guess you could say that was the greatest fish I’ve never caught!” THE FAMILY GUY
Aside from being a state rep, Peter Palumbo has other talents. “I
cook my own catch,” he says proudly. “My wife’s a good cook, but
when I come home from fishing, I’m the guy who cleans it and cooks it.”
No doubt having the cooking duties taken over is a pleasant break for Palumbo’s wife Amie. “She puts up with my fishing, which is pretty good. She fishes with me in Florida, just for the freshwater fish like bass.” Fishing aboard a tuna boat isn’t likely to be on Amie’s list of top amusements, though, as she grows a bit green around the gills on the high seas. Peter still holds out hope for family-type company on the water. He is the father of two boys, four-year-old Elliott and two-and-a-half-year-old Christopher. “Elliott will like to fish!” he jokes as he speaks of his hopes of getting his son going interested in the hobby next year. MEANWHILE, BACK ON CAPITOL HILL…
Although Palumbo intends to run for reelection, he is unsure how much
further he’d like to take his political career. The demands of
his job, working with his father-in-law at the family’s concessions at
Scarborough and Misquamicut beaches, combine with his political
obligations to reduce the amount of time he’d like to be with his
family. Sometimes, what he calls “the in-fighting in Cranston”
adds to the disinclination to keep returning to the political
arena. For now, though, Peter Palumbo intends to stay with it.His experiences with the Freedom to Fish Act process taught him that getting a bill passed is far more complicated than it may appear. “There were some forces working against this bill,” Palumbo says. “At one point someone had slipped in a note (to the committee) that the bill was already dead. That just wasn’t true.” It appears the wheeling and dealing are what keep Palumbo both frustrated and interested. “You always have to keep your eyes and ears open.” |
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