|
"Game Fish Status" is seriously misunderstood.
As a game fish, striped bass would not be commercially fished and not sold in restaurants.
Recreational anglers including charters would still be able to fish for and KEEP striped bass. Game Fish Status only removes commercial fishermen from the equation.
To the commercial fishermen's credit, they are documenting every single bass caught and have remained at a flat-lined level of harvest for quite some time.
In regards to the economy surrounding striped bass, yes there is an entire vertical economy that does not center around any single contingent of fishermen. Commercial boats pay for slips, gas, maintainance, create jobs, and supply restaurants / markets with a food commodity. For-Hires offer people the opportunity to go fishing and experience the ocean and the fish without having to own or lug around any fishing gear. The average recreational angler is hands-down the largest factor in the fishing economy, they own boats just like charter capts. do, but there are a lot more of them... then you think of the lowly shore anglers... with their rod, reel and plug bag, and at the surface yes they don't appear to spend much money. Then you go to their house and realize their garage or basements are nearly complete tackle shops. I'm not trying to say that every angler spends un-godly amounts of money on fishing, but I am trying to say that every component of those that make up this fishery, comm, rec, for-hire, make up equal parts. So to give one segment special treatment because their business model is to kill two fish, I sorry but that is absurd.
|