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Dave Peros- I heartily agree with your stand against charter captains being able to sell any extra fish that their clients don't want. It all boils down to greed and this greed will spell the end of stripers just as it has done with the Gulf of Maine cod. As the old quote goes the squeaky wheel gets the grease so the group that makes the most noise is going to get what it wants whether it is good for the fishery or not- just to shut them up and maybe get their vote.
If the science was followed then striper fishing would not be targeting the breeders but the males or prebreeders and the environment would be improved to aid in the recruitment of the species from the breeders which are allowed to breed. I being a recreational fisherman and under the new regulations I would only be able to possess one striper per day unless I wanted to obtain a commercial license. I prefer to fish for enjoyment not money and have the ability to take an occasional fish for the table. Why should someone not actually hooking and landing a fish be able to sell a fish which might also be thrown out by the wholesaler if it becomes too old to retail. Besides when the fishing is good the price drops so how are the commercial fishermen really gaining anything. I have seen this happen in the shellfishing industry in RI and now there isn't enough for any one to make a living off of. The same is happening to the cod fishery. If we on't learn from history then we a doomed to repeat the same mistakes. An alternative explanation of insanity.
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