Hello all, I'm a newbie here so be easy on me. I live here on the Outer Banks and would like to respond to a couple comments I've read on this board recently:wall:. I've been an avid Striper fisherman since 1992. That's when the Rock first reappeared here on the OB since they dissappeared in the 60's. My first ocean caught Rock was 53 lbs, and I was instantly addicted. I haven't topped it since and I've caught thousands! The REALLY BIG problem as I see it is commercial waste. I mean either Rock being caught as bycatch by the Omega Protein types or as DISCARD by the trawlers. The quotas established for commercial fishing are being caught many times over but many never make it to market. For years we've seen it down here and recently it has been horrible. The trawl boys are only allowed 100 fish per vessel which is absolutely ridiculous! How do they expect a trawler to set a net and only catch 100? They catch up to 10,000 in a set, pick the biggest 100 and THROW THE REST OVERBOARD....DEAD!!!!!! Let's just say it was only 3000, that's a 300% overcatch/bycatch ratio!!! For every fish kept, 300 DEAD & WASTED! It's happened a couple times here over the past 2-3 weeks. 3 weeks ago I got a report from a friend working on a drop net boat fishing Sea Mullet (Whiting) who witnessed a trawler dumping THOUSANDS of dead Stripers right on the edge of the EEZ, it made him & his captain sick. Many of the other commercial captains & crews were pissed off by the sight as well, not to mention the charter captains & recreational anglers who saw it. They're not all bad guys, they're just trying to make a buck like everyone else & most play by the rules, but some morally corrupt dirtbags like the captain of the trawler in question just don't care!!! It happened again weekend before last INSIDE of Oregon Inlet in the area known as Hell's Gate which is west of Oregon Inlet on the way to Wanchese (the comm. fishing port). THOUSANDS of dead Stripers were seen from the sea buoy all the way up the channel into Davis Slough. The phone was ringing all day as we tried to get pics or video of the offending vessel with no luck. Thing is, I found out IT'S NOT ILLEGAL!!!! The law says that fish isn't caught 'til it's in the hold. The rules need to be changed NOW. If they're going to allow trawling, they need to lift the 100 fish limit and make it mandatory that all fish caught need to be kept and that poundage is applied to the quota. If they want to keep a limit of 100 fish per vessel to keep the market price up, make them fish hook & line. Either solution combined with better enforcement would prevent TENS OF THOUSANDS of Stripers from being WASTED. The beach seiners share their over-catch with the others who haven't caught their limit, why can't the trawlers? My dad taught me at at a very young age: "IF YOU KILL IT, YOU'VE GOTTA EAT IT". I'm also an advocate of tighter limits on recreational catches as well. I say issue tags much like we get for deer hunting to limit how many are caught and of what size. Make it mandatory to report your catch so the quota could be monitored and possibly issue 1 trophy tag per person per year so you can keep that fish of a lifetime. Just my 2 cents worth. Lawful recreational fishing is not the problem!

STOKES

Hello all, I'm a newbie here so be easy on me. I live here on the Outer Banks and would like to respond to a couple comments I've read on this board recently:wall:. I've been an avid Striper fisherman since 1992. That's when the Rock first reappeared here on the OB since they dissappeared in the 60's. My first ocean caught Rock was 53 lbs, and I was instantly addicted. I haven't topped it since and I've caught thousands! The REALLY BIG problem as I see it is commercial waste. I mean either Rock being caught as bycatch by the Omega Protein types or as DISCARD by the trawlers. The quotas established for commercial fishing are being caught many times over but many never make it to market. For years we've seen it down here and recently it has been horrible. The trawl boys are only allowed 100 fish per vessel which is absolutely ridiculous! How do they expect a trawler to set a net and only catch 100? They catch up to 10,000 in a set, pick the biggest 100 and THROW THE REST OVERBOARD....DEAD!!!!!! Let's just say it was only 3000, that's a 300% overcatch/bycatch ratio!!! For every fish kept, 300 DEAD & WASTED! It's happened a couple times here over the past 2-3 weeks. 3 weeks ago I got a report from a friend working on a drop net boat fishing Sea Mullet (Whiting) who witnessed a trawler dumping THOUSANDS of dead Stripers right on the edge of the EEZ, it made him & his captain sick. Many of the other commercial captains & crews were pissed off by the sight as well, not to mention the charter captains & recreational anglers who saw it. They're not all bad guys, they're just trying to make a buck like everyone else & most play by the rules, but some morally corrupt dirtbags like the captain of the trawler in question just don't care!!! It happened again weekend before last INSIDE of Oregon Inlet in the area known as Hell's Gate which is west of Oregon Inlet on the way to Wanchese (the comm. fishing port). THOUSANDS of dead Stripers were seen from the sea buoy all the way up the channel into Davis Slough. The phone was ringing all day as we tried to get pics or video of the offending vessel with no luck. Thing is, I found out IT'S NOT ILLEGAL!!!! The law says that fish isn't caught 'til it's in the hold. The rules need to be changed NOW. If they're going to allow trawling, they need to lift the 100 fish limit and make it mandatory that all fish caught need to be kept and that poundage is applied to the quota. If they want to keep a limit of 100 fish per vessel to keep the market price up, make them fish hook & line. Either solution combined with better enforcement would prevent TENS OF THOUSANDS of Stripers from being WASTED. The beach seiners share their over-catch with the others who haven't caught their limit, why can't the trawlers? My dad taught me at at a very young age: "IF YOU KILL IT, YOU'VE GOTTA EAT IT". I'm also an advocate of tighter limits on recreational catches as well. I say issue tags much like we get for deer hunting to limit how many are caught and of what size. Make it mandatory to report your catch so the quota could be monitored and possibly issue 1 trophy tag per person per year so you can keep that fish of a lifetime. Just my 2 cents worth. Lawful recreational fishing is not the problem!

STOKES

If this is really going on It could and should be documented with video cameras......lets see the proof of thousands of bass being dumped as dead by-catch......then something can be done about it......

Hello all, I'm a newbie here so be easy on me. I live here on the Outer Banks and would like to respond to a couple comments I've read on this board recently:wall:. I've been an avid Striper fisherman since 1992. That's when the Rock first reappeared here on the OB since they dissappeared in the 60's. My first ocean caught Rock was 53 lbs, and I was instantly addicted. I haven't topped it since and I've caught thousands! The REALLY BIG problem as I see it is commercial waste. I mean either Rock being caught as bycatch by the Omega Protein types or as DISCARD by the trawlers. The quotas established for commercial fishing are being caught many times over but many never make it to market. For years we've seen it down here and recently it has been horrible. The trawl boys are only allowed 100 fish per vessel which is absolutely ridiculous! How do they expect a trawler to set a net and only catch 100? They catch up to 10,000 in a set, pick the biggest 100 and THROW THE REST OVERBOARD....DEAD!!!!!! Let's just say it was only 3000, that's a 300% overcatch/bycatch ratio!!! For every fish kept, 300 DEAD & WASTED! It's happened a couple times here over the past 2-3 weeks. 3 weeks ago I got a report from a friend working on a drop net boat fishing Sea Mullet (Whiting) who witnessed a trawler dumping THOUSANDS of dead Stripers right on the edge of the EEZ, it made him & his captain sick. Many of the other commercial captains & crews were pissed off by the sight as well, not to mention the charter captains & recreational anglers who saw it. They're not all bad guys, they're just trying to make a buck like everyone else & most play by the rules, but some morally corrupt dirtbags like the captain of the trawler in question just don't care!!! It happened again weekend before last INSIDE of Oregon Inlet in the area known as Hell's Gate which is west of Oregon Inlet on the way to Wanchese (the comm. fishing port). THOUSANDS of dead Stripers were seen from the sea buoy all the way up the channel into Davis Slough. The phone was ringing all day as we tried to get pics or video of the offending vessel with no luck. Thing is, I found out IT'S NOT ILLEGAL!!!! The law says that fish isn't caught 'til it's in the hold. The rules need to be changed NOW. If they're going to allow trawling, they need to lift the 100 fish limit and make it mandatory that all fish caught need to be kept and that poundage is applied to the quota. If they want to keep a limit of 100 fish per vessel to keep the market price up, make them fish hook & line. Either solution combined with better enforcement would prevent TENS OF THOUSANDS of Stripers from being WASTED. The beach seiners share their over-catch with the others who haven't caught their limit, why can't the trawlers? My dad taught me at at a very young age: "IF YOU KILL IT, YOU'VE GOTTA EAT IT". I'm also an advocate of tighter limits on recreational catches as well. I say issue tags much like we get for deer hunting to limit how many are caught and of what size. Make it mandatory to report your catch so the quota could be monitored and possibly issue 1 trophy tag per person per year so you can keep that fish of a lifetime. Just my 2 cents worth. Lawful recreational fishing is not the problem!

STOKES

very interesting, thanks for some local input !

Somebody needs to go out with the express purpose of documenting this crap that will cost us our bass AGAIN!:af:

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Sounds as thru your state is run by the same officials as RI ....................... money talks ;;

otherwise how the %$%$%$%$ could state & federal agencies continue to let this slaughter continue ;;;;:wall:

Somebody needs to go out with the express purpose of documenting this crap that will cost us our bass AGAIN!:af:

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Woody my friend and friends on this board... Please go to galilee grocery and spend $12 on the truth video itll open your eyes.. YES BYCATCH happens and it used to be just that bycatch YOU COULD LEGALLY SELL... AGAIN I say thank NMFS and the bunch of retards that are the biggest pool of the smartest kids with down syndrome... If WE COULD LEGALLY LAND IT, IT WOULD NOT BE WASTE NOW WOULD IT?????? I DONT BELIEVE ANY COMMERCIAL GUY GOES AND TARGETS FISH TO WIPE OUT ITS OUR LIVING...:wavey: We dont want to destroy our living.. The Magnuson-Stevenson act and the way its interpeted by the grand old NMFS is the cause the boats can make a single tow for target fish make a check but are REQUIRED BY LAW TO THROW BACK WAY MORE DEAD THAN KEEP WHAT WE CATCH.. THERE IS THE REALITY THE NMFS AND NOAA MAKES US DO THIS CRAP. THEY SAY WE ARE DISCARDING TO MUCH SO RESTRICT MORE AND CAUSE MORE DEATH.. SORRY BUT THIS IS BEYOND RETARDED THE AMERICAN FARMER AND FISHERMAN ARE BEING TAKEN OUT OF THE WORLD AND NO BODY PAYS ATTENTION... Now I know the term "overfished" is in every text book in the world.. but how do explain scallops SIX FEET DEEP DEAD CAUSE THEY ARE KILLING EACH OTHER BY THEIR WEIGHT ON TOP OF EACH OTHER OH AND WAIT SOME ARE THE SIZE OF DINNER PLATES THE OVAL ONES NO LIE... Fluke that dont fit in a 18" tube??? what??? a fluke yea seen it first hand.. but what do I KNOW??? I only go out there like so few others now a days and work and risk my life to catch fish.. that we cant keep... so again I say if any of you lived with the restrictions we do for work you wouldnt be so happy.. NORTH EAST COMMERCIAL FISHING IS THE MOST REGULATED INDUSTRY IN THE WORLD THAT IS A FACT... WE CANT LEAVE THE DOCK WITH OUT SUBMITTING A REQUEST AND SAYING WHERE WE ARE GONNA FISH FOR HOW LONG AND EVERYTHING ELSE.... ALL BOATS ARE GPS TRACKED BY FEDS TOO SO IT WOULD NOT BE HARD TO "TARGET THIS BOAT" WITH THEIR HELP... AND FISH ARE NOT CAUGHT UNTILL IN THE HOLD AND ARE NOT "LANDED" UNTILL ON THE DOCK.. IF YOU CAN GET THEM THERE WITH OUT COAST GAURD AND GREEN COPS UP YOUR COLON... Sorry guys dont blame the workers blame the correct people the " managment" which is nothing more than MIS-MANAGMENT......

What's it called?
Where's the store?

...hope the original message wasn't a troll......

video info
TITLE:

TRUTH: Fishing crisis or Government mismanagment

STORE:

Galilee grocery the deli at the point...

PRICE: $12 a copy I have a copy if some one can burn em for cheaper lol

Take RT. 108 to "escape Rd." the road you take to get to the Block Island ferry at stop sign take right go to Rd. on right and turn into parking lot of Galilee Grocery...

JMAC I hope your right also.... My blood pressure is just fime its not blowing 40+ with 20 footers or better while im trying to work... lmao:buds:

Endangered Species: The Commercial Fishermen of Point Judith (http://markhamstarrphotography.com/ES1.html)

click the gallery look for the boat "Persaverence" in one of the pics we just lost her to fire othe rnight but all men on board are alive and ok after a rescue from another fishing vessel close by....

Sounds as thru your state is run by the same officials as RI ....................... money talks ;;

otherwise how the f uck could state & federal agencies continue to let this slaughter continue ;;;;:wall:

NMFS destroying fishermen and their communities since 1976.. HATE TO BREAK IT TO YA CLAMMER THEY RUN THE WHOLE SHOW 3 MILES OR MORE OUT MAN... they are the ones with the regs and all that federal....

YouTube - TRUTH: Fishing Crisis or Government Mismanagement (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ4UjAOBauU)

an excert from video...

Stokes...if you saw the boat you should have its name...If you have the boat's name I may have the funding to arrange for you me and a lawyer to take this very very formal. Unless you are just another internet hero.

Are you ready to testify to what you are reporting to law enforcment, a federal judge, maybe a senate committee on capital hill in DC?

Is so PM me...no bull %$%$%$%$ here...don't play games!!!

This happens up and down the whole coast. I talked to a captain last year that said when they are dragging around here its not uncommon to have 5-10 thousand lbs of bass in ONE tow as bycatch, all go back dead. Just think that is one tow by one boat extrapolate that to the entire coast and the number of fished killed as bycatch by draggers/trawlers is astronomical.

This happens up and down the whole coast. I talked to a captain last year that said when they are dragging around here its not uncommon to have 5-10 thousand lbs of bass in ONE tow as bycatch, all go back dead. Just think that is one tow by one boat extrapolate that to the entire coast and the number of fished killed as bycatch by draggers/trawlers is astronomical.

I refer to my first post on this thread...........

THE RULES NEED TO BE CHANGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's not the fisherman, it's the morons making the rules with no grip on reality. They are clueless as to the real-world results of the dumba$$ rules/laws they come up with. Reality is: Only keep so much-nevermind all the WASTE!!:wall:

This happens up and down the whole coast. I talked to a captain last year that said when they are dragging around here its not uncommon to have 5-10 thousand lbs of bass in ONE tow as bycatch, all go back dead. Just think that is one tow by one boat extrapolate that to the entire coast and the number of fished killed as bycatch by draggers/trawlers is astronomical.

That's not uncommon at all. We've seen 20 to 40# striped bass floaters as far as the eye could see on the way in from fall tuna fishing. It happens when the pair trawlers are scooping up herring inshore. IIRC, there have been videos posted on the internet showing this.

And, it's not illegal, it's just obscene.

I haven't actually seen them doing it myself but I have seen the aftermath. I've heard many first hand, eyewitness reports though.

Woody my friend and friends on this board... Please go to galilee grocery and spend $12 on the truth video itll open your eyes.. YES BYCATCH happens and it used to be just that bycatch YOU COULD LEGALLY SELL... AGAIN I say thank NMFS and the bunch of retards that are the biggest pool of the smartest kids with down syndrome... If WE COULD LEGALLY LAND IT, IT WOULD NOT BE WASTE NOW WOULD IT?????? I DONT BELIEVE ANY COMMERCIAL GUY GOES AND TARGETS FISH TO WIPE OUT ITS OUR LIVING...:wavey: We dont want to destroy our living.. The Magnuson-Stevenson act and the way its interpeted by the grand old NMFS is the cause the boats can make a single tow for target fish make a check but are REQUIRED BY LAW TO THROW BACK WAY MORE DEAD THAN KEEP WHAT WE CATCH.. THERE IS THE REALITY THE NMFS AND NOAA MAKES US DO THIS CRAP. THEY SAY WE ARE DISCARDING TO MUCH SO RESTRICT MORE AND CAUSE MORE DEATH.. SORRY BUT THIS IS BEYOND RETARDED THE AMERICAN FARMER AND FISHERMAN ARE BEING TAKEN OUT OF THE WORLD AND NO BODY PAYS ATTENTION... Now I know the term "overfished" is in every text book in the world.. but how do explain scallops SIX FEET DEEP DEAD CAUSE THEY ARE KILLING EACH OTHER BY THEIR WEIGHT ON TOP OF EACH OTHER OH AND WAIT SOME ARE THE SIZE OF DINNER PLATES THE OVAL ONES NO LIE... Fluke that dont fit in a 18" tube??? what??? a fluke yea seen it first hand.. but what do I KNOW??? I only go out there like so few others now a days and work and risk my life to catch fish.. that we cant keep... so again I say if any of you lived with the restrictions we do for work you wouldnt be so happy.. NORTH EAST COMMERCIAL FISHING IS THE MOST REGULATED INDUSTRY IN THE WORLD THAT IS A FACT... WE CANT LEAVE THE DOCK WITH OUT SUBMITTING A REQUEST AND SAYING WHERE WE ARE GONNA FISH FOR HOW LONG AND EVERYTHING ELSE.... ALL BOATS ARE GPS TRACKED BY FEDS TOO SO IT WOULD NOT BE HARD TO "TARGET THIS BOAT" WITH THEIR HELP... AND FISH ARE NOT CAUGHT UNTILL IN THE HOLD AND ARE NOT "LANDED" UNTILL ON THE DOCK.. IF YOU CAN GET THEM THERE WITH OUT COAST GAURD AND GREEN COPS UP YOUR COLON... Sorry guys dont blame the workers blame the correct people the " managment" which is nothing more than MIS-MANAGMENT......


Your kidding right!

Your kidding right!

Kiddding about what???? Ok sorry I keep forgetting Im the enemy in all this.. So I must be your all right we just whine and cry so we get attention... So everyone else can go to the store and buy seafood... yup were the raping devils.. Whatever man we take the fall for bs from this all when ITS NOT US... but whatever that book says thats how it is right????? All people remeber one thing...

NO FARMERS = NO FARMS CORRECT???? NO FISHERMAN = NO FISH.....
Wow who woulda thought but its ok that every 1$ of fish landed generates 4$ after the fact for the economy but hey we are all liars right

My opinion.

By allowing the sale of bycatch many fisherman would purposely start targeting that species.

Bycatch happens to every specie but it always seems so dramatic when stiped bass are involved:smash:

A sustained fishery can't keep up with modern technology. Better fishfinding gear, better bigger nets, boats etc. is just too much of an advantage.

I always said go back to hook and line. You can't tell me a comm bottom fisherman that has a 30-40 foot boat couldn't make a living with 3-4 auto jiggers on the rail. Reducing bycatch or at least improving the mortality rate of it.

Sure, no comm fisherman will say they want to catch every last fish and kill there way of life, but when your trying to put money on the table who packs it in for the day when you had a killer set and the fish are still there......I know when the big bass are around and I still have live pogies in the well I don't get home when I planned tooooo.

The regs can certainly be improved for the better but there is no regulation(s) that everyone will be happy with, that is just human nature.

MSBA has taken the information provided by Stokes and forwarded it to the proper athorities. I can tell you that ASMFC is interested in this issue however there is only so much that can be done until we get courageous fishermen that start taking pictures, writing down vessel numbers and noting exact locations.

FYI...Vessell numbers are not always about busting the operator. Truth is regulations can not be corrected if the truth is not verified. This is why we are about to re launch our www.honestbycatch.comm (http://www.honestbycatch.com) web site. I will be at the MSBA & RISAA shows and other evets to help educate the puclic on how we can make a difference.

Evidence counts!!!

I will be fishing on Sunday (hopefully) I will have my camera & handheld GPS to get lat/lon in the pic as well. Stokes informed us all of something I didn't even think about last time out there were a group of about a dozen trawlers working 3-6 miles off the beach all in a pretty tight area, I should have known what they were targeting.

179, I'll be out there on Sunday as well, however the trawler season closed this past Monday as they've met their quota (and probably killed way more than that). Stay vigilant and get as many people informed as possible. They'll be back out there at some point, we all need to keep our collective eyes peeled!:fishin:

......since commercial discards and Rec/charter dead release are part of the mix...I'll create a non-profit org/business that gathers the dead stripers from both user groups....process and distribute the filets to soup kitchens, food banks, state institutions, etc.........hey give me a hefty administrative salary, expense account, and let us begin to utilize this resource:wall::smash::soon::)

What is rec/charter dead release? If I kill it, I eat it! :uhuh: But the theory sounds great. All the overcatch/bycatch landed should be donated to feed the hungry AND applied to the respective quota. Think if they HAD to donate it, overcatch/bycatch/discard would be far less than what it is now!!!

.......the commercial discard.....recreational/charter release mortality..numbers are already applied to the resource removal pie-factored in for management plan...........no need to use such numbers to fill com/rec take numbers.............my point is to do a partial utilization of said dead fish to feed people........food is honorable use of striped bass(and other fish for that matter).............

.......the commercial discard.....recreational/charter release mortality..numbers are already applied to the resource removal pie-factored in for management plan...........no need to use such numbers to fill com/rec take numbers.............my point is to do a partial utilization of said dead fish to feed people........food is honorable use of striped bass(and other fish for that matter).............

:agree::agree::agree:

Okay folks keep up the pressure!!!!

This is from the Chesapeake board.
Joint federal effort nets large haul of illegal striped bass

OREGON INLET, N.C. - Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration personnel combined efforts Tuesday to stop illegal striped bass fishing off Oregon Inlet and found one vessel with illegally caught fish that had more than 2,900 pounds of fish aboard.

The economic pressures being felt nationwide and the meteorological conditions driving the striped bass population farther off shore into warmer waters have set the stage for a situation that may entice fishermen to break the law, as evidenced by recent reports from members of the maritime community.

However, in an effort to ensure the longevity of the striped bass population and maintain a level playing field for all fishermen, federal authorities are taking action. Tuesday, in response to multiple reports of commercial and recreational striped bass fishing within the Exclusive Economic Zone, the Coast Guard and NOAA conducted a joint effort to curtail this illegal activity.

Fishing for striped bass is permitted within State waters, but catching or possessing striped bass outside three nautical miles from shore is a violation of federal regulations. In an effort to catch fishermen participating in this illegal activity, the Coast Guard mounted a patrol within known fishing grounds off Oregon Inlet using Station Oregon Inlet’s small boats with the assistance of additional boarding team personnel from Station Hatteras Inlet.

One of the boarding teams sighted the fishing vessel Lady Samaira as it was heading back into port. It was within the Exclusive Economic Zone when the team boarded the vessel to ensure compliance with both fishery and vessel safety regulations. Their investigation revealed more than 150 striped bass aboard the vessel. The boarding team documented their findings and relayed all pertinent information to NOAA for further guidance as they are the regulatory agency for this type of violation. As a result of the boarding team’s findings, NOAA asked the Coast Guard to direct the Lady Samaira to port where NOAA agents met the vessel. When the vessel moored in North Carolina there were less fish aboard, approximately 100 striped bass. The fish, weighing in at almost 3,000 pounds, were abandoned by the vessel’s captain to the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement.

Typically, if less than 10 illegal fish are discovered, in addition to having to abandon their catch the master is levied a $100 fine per fish and the matter is closed. A violation of this magnitude, though, far exceeds the threshold whereby these simple fines can be levied. The NOAA OLE investigation continues, and the final action to be taken against the master and/or vessel has yet to be determined.

This case, while significant, is just one example of illegal striped bass fishing activity recently interdicted by federal, state, and local authorities. Operations driving additional enforcement efforts continue in the interest of maintaining the viability of the striped bass fish stocks and also supporting legitimate fishermen operating within the law.

"Times are tough for many in today’s world, but we must ensure we’re working together and within existing regulations in order to be fair for all," said Tim Brown, Coast Guard 5th District deputy chief of enforcement.
There's a fine line between crazy and insane-I've got a foot on either side. Skip

You should post that on a new thread so more people see it!

I haven't actually seen them doing it myself but I have seen the aftermath. I've heard many first hand, eyewitness reports though.

Jeez.....if I had a dollar for evey time Iv'e heard/read that....I would not have to go to work anymore........

There was a video on here I think last year that show a bunch of floaters in the cape.Obvious dumped bycatch from some type of dragger.The video had bass floating as far as the eye could see.Thousands of dead bass.This is going on up and down the coast.It's not illegal is what I'm hearing but, should it be is what I'm thinking ? I think so.:wall: