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Thatsa doozie!!! Well, as Fisherwoman said, its basically time to put the fish before the rest of us. I agree with most points although I am not personally sold on the game fish status. More on that later. One thing I do agree on is that there is not enough protection of the fish and their forage species'. Having fished on numerous occasions with the Fisherwoman and her lesser half <img src="/Images/biggrin.gif"><!--e7--> I can attest to the fact they caught all of those fish and released them properly and I believe that they were never approached. I have never been approached by anyone either, other than a small informal club survey. So I believe that much greater resources need to be provided to determine as accurate a biomass status as possible. Certainly if the wheels of fisheries management can be engaged into investigating the marketability of trash fish, they can also make a concentrated effort with my tax dollars on determining how good or bad it really is out there with the Striped Bass Management Miracle.
Fishing in the EEZ? No way. Not only do you cross the jurisdictional boundaries between federal and state waters (not that my state has an exemplary prior record) but we put further pressure on a fish that we are already being asked to reduce that pressure. I have no problem with an even higher minimum recreational size limit. I release most of my keepers anyway (kept a few more than three). I do not have a problem with a slot limit. Personally, my only problem with the current regs, other than the fish being on the small side to keep, is that if happen to catch your personal record sized fish, it goes back if you already have one.
Back to the EEZ. The only way I would support an EEZ opening would be coupled with a strong decrease in the commercial allowable catch to forward a reduction in the overall fishing pressure.
Save the future generations of this Striped Bass population with a responsible management plan. That way this natural resource will always be available. If the current and near future management of these stocks is handled like previous initiatives or as with all of the other stocks that have plumeted, people like me that are not against <b><i><font color="cc0000">RESPONSIBLE </b></i><font color="00000"> commercial fishing will be pulling for game fish status. I am not there yet but will be if this is not turned around now.
As far as buyouts? What is there to buy out in commercial striper fishing?? As for other fisheries?? No way. I'm tired of seeing money continously thrown out! After several rounds it has proven that it does not work. I did not recieve anything beyond unemployment insurance when I lost my job. I paid for my own education to learn another way to make a living. I have since entered a much more enjoyable and lucrative employment. Senator Kennedy did not call me when I lost my job.
Not against commercial fishing for stripers, don't do it myself, but the more things continue to get stupid, the more appealing game fish status becomes.
Enough for now...