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"Striper tubes" are used a lot in the landlocked SB fishery. They enable anglers that want to weigh in fish and then release them to actually do so without killing their catch. I for one have harvested fish that I wish I could have weighed ad released. The tubes currently will only hold fish successfully up to I beleive 36". This is why FLW installed the slot limit for their tournament. We can not complain about kill fish tournaments and then criticize the first organization that wants a 100% catch and release tournament.
I also know that fisheries managers are interested in the use of these tubes but do not have the money to study that use in oceanic SB. I think it is a no brainer to grant the exemption to FLW and require them to make information gathering for the purpose of reveiw by MA DMF Biologists a part of that exemption.
Acting on behalf of MSBA and as a member of the DMF SB Advisory Panel , I encouraged that an exemption be given to the FLW tournament for more than the above reasons.
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