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First off as I've said countless times I am not opposed to small coastal based and heavily monitored commercial fishing....I actually feel bad for these guys and the position they've been put in by their brothers "sins of the past."
But what I'm really sick of is recs being restricted further and further (to the point of being locked out of a fishery
) in order to share the remaining 'leftovers'.... I have the opportunity to talk to a lot of recs and constantly hear the same thing- "I pay for a boat,dockage,fuel,tackle,bait etc. and then am made to feel like a criminal for catching a few fish"....It is freakin ridiculous!!
now we are being told to "unite" to "keep fishing"......with the ultimate goal (I guess) of larger "quotas"..... we already have one commercial fishermen on the barn saying the first thing he wants to do (after marching with thousands of recs) if the petition/march is successful is open up the EEZ. Do you think thats a good thing??.......I'm not sure....Anyway- Ill still probably sign and march, but want to talk to a certain Captain/RFA member before I do....
Oh- What are the "sins of the past" I'm talking about?? Here's a start:
Commercial Fishermen did what?
They did nothing but wipe out the fish that we all like to fish for.
The poster board they stand behind? "we represent the public who has no access to the resource"
We represent the public "who no longer has anything to fish for"
Ok lets start at the top
1) Mackerel - who is responsible for COMPLETELY wiping out a very healthy viable stock of fish here?
2) Whiting - Yes they can still be found smoked in a fish market, - but I have not seen one in the ocean for a quite a long time.
3) Blue FIn Tuna - they are close to becoming extinct. I'M SURE 5 PURSE SEINE BOATS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. In fact it was mostly recreation use, before the commercial guys started killing them for Cat Food.
4)Weakfish - Yes us Recs have major sins on our soul from late 70's with these fish, but I still think it was constant pounding on these down south, not to mention pair Trawling here at mouth of the Delaware Bay that caused their decline to where it is today.
5) Fluke, - I witnessed real carnage on these stocks starting in early eighties , with the Draggers working these fish to the point of collapse. They fished all winte long, out on the edge, the fish never got a break. I still don't think the stocks of Fluke are anywhere close to where they were, I now have to run way offshore to fish for these, there is no longer any major inshore run of fish.
6) How about Ling? Porgies? both had great stocks 30 years ago.
7) Herring, where they all go?
8) Menhaden, the lowly Menhaden. With some measures to keep the industrial fleets out of State Waters, it is still possible to enjoy fishing in and around a school of these baitfish instead watching Pogy boats try to catch every last one.
9) No bigger disaster than the collapse of Codfish. I too witnessed and particiapated in this fishery in early eighties. They were pursued relentlessly by our fleet, all the while refusing to curb their effort, resulting in the eventual commercial collapse on entire east coast.
10) Blackback FLounder, - Yellowtail Flounder an oldie but goodie, Atlantic Halibut, if your guessing?
No it was not the recreational fisherman who fished any of these in almost non existance.
But what I'm really sick of is recs being restricted further and further (to the point of being locked out of a fishery
) in order to share the remaining 'leftovers'.... I have the opportunity to talk to a lot of recs and constantly hear the same thing- "I pay for a boat,dockage,fuel,tackle,bait etc. and then am made to feel like a criminal for catching a few fish"....It is freakin ridiculous!!now we are being told to "unite" to "keep fishing"......with the ultimate goal (I guess) of larger "quotas"..... we already have one commercial fishermen on the barn saying the first thing he wants to do (after marching with thousands of recs) if the petition/march is successful is open up the EEZ. Do you think thats a good thing??.......I'm not sure....Anyway- Ill still probably sign and march, but want to talk to a certain Captain/RFA member before I do....
Oh- What are the "sins of the past" I'm talking about?? Here's a start:
Commercial Fishermen did what?
They did nothing but wipe out the fish that we all like to fish for.
The poster board they stand behind? "we represent the public who has no access to the resource"
We represent the public "who no longer has anything to fish for"
Ok lets start at the top
1) Mackerel - who is responsible for COMPLETELY wiping out a very healthy viable stock of fish here?
2) Whiting - Yes they can still be found smoked in a fish market, - but I have not seen one in the ocean for a quite a long time.
3) Blue FIn Tuna - they are close to becoming extinct. I'M SURE 5 PURSE SEINE BOATS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. In fact it was mostly recreation use, before the commercial guys started killing them for Cat Food.
4)Weakfish - Yes us Recs have major sins on our soul from late 70's with these fish, but I still think it was constant pounding on these down south, not to mention pair Trawling here at mouth of the Delaware Bay that caused their decline to where it is today.
5) Fluke, - I witnessed real carnage on these stocks starting in early eighties , with the Draggers working these fish to the point of collapse. They fished all winte long, out on the edge, the fish never got a break. I still don't think the stocks of Fluke are anywhere close to where they were, I now have to run way offshore to fish for these, there is no longer any major inshore run of fish.
6) How about Ling? Porgies? both had great stocks 30 years ago.
7) Herring, where they all go?
8) Menhaden, the lowly Menhaden. With some measures to keep the industrial fleets out of State Waters, it is still possible to enjoy fishing in and around a school of these baitfish instead watching Pogy boats try to catch every last one.
9) No bigger disaster than the collapse of Codfish. I too witnessed and particiapated in this fishery in early eighties. They were pursued relentlessly by our fleet, all the while refusing to curb their effort, resulting in the eventual commercial collapse on entire east coast.
10) Blackback FLounder, - Yellowtail Flounder an oldie but goodie, Atlantic Halibut, if your guessing?
No it was not the recreational fisherman who fished any of these in almost non existance.
