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I/we all have been to so many of these meetings, it's always the same .
I don't mind sacrifice, IMHO,I have done my share without totally giving up fishing, I stopped selling bass, I gave up my( part time) charter business. Small things, maybe , but no more pictures, unhook the fish while it's still in the water, barbless circle hooks or barbless plugs with single hooks where it's practical, yet, this state ( Ma) and a few others still sees if fit to allow the harvest of egg bearing age females, it's not about the fish, it never has been, it's all about the all mighty dollar - I am so tired of hearing this B.S. about the recreational fisherman being mostly responsible, every one that fishes is culpable ( including me if I fish), they have no way to measure it with out every recreational fisherman filling out a catch and harvest log - as John said, that debate is unpopular, but because the commercial harvest is their only measure, the rest is purely speculation for recs. - I'd be more than happy to fill out a harvest/catch report every season -
just another note about the commercial season, IMHO, there should be no part time commercial license, either you are a commercial fisherman or not, if you fish shellfish, use fish traps, fish lobsters and other species for your living, you are a commercial fisherman pinhookers ( of which I was one for many years) need to be out of the equation if the commercial harvest is to be continued.
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