As an avid outdoorsman and owner of a sport fishing operation I would like to be able to be announcing that ABC’s World New Tonight was preparing to do a positive story about our industry. Sadly that is not the case.

Monday evening, Dan Harris of ABC World News Tonight is scheduled to report on Child Sex Tourism in the sport fishing/peacock bass fishing industry. This is said to include undercover video of fishing trips being sold that include minors as part of the package.

In 2008 when we signed “The Code” (www.thecode.org) with ECPAT–USA (www.ecpatusa.org). We did this in the hope that we could help stop this cancer that is taking over our industry and that others would follow our lead and speak out against the abuse of children by sportsmen. This has not happened. I have asked the Safari Club International (www.scifirstforhunters.org) to join in this fight with no positive results.

It is my hope that this report and the others that have run will help clean up our industry and protect those who have been /are being abused and exploited by it.

We all have the responsibility to stand up for the less fortunate. If we sit back and do nothing when we see a crime being committed we are just as guilty as those perpetrating the crime.

Sincerely,

Philip A. Marsteller
Founder
Amazon Tours, Inc.
(972) 304-1656
www.amazontours.com

Note: you can view the reports done by Fox 5 Atlanta’s Dale Russell here:

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/i-team%3A_brazil_sex_tourism_112309

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/i-team%3A-sex-tourism-pt.-2-011110