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Old 04-18-2010, 08:37 PM   #33
stripermaineiac
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Buxton, Maine
Posts: 1,727
Well Pat the sad part is that the foreign fleets are still there catching those same fish we try to protect and our poleticians give them the green light to do so while our boats have quotas and limited seasons. It's like me releasing fish up here so the comercials down there can catch them. So far I have 8 American Litoral tags from nice fish I landed and tagged returned by part time comercials. So much for my catch n release.
We need to deal with the whole problem not just our fishermen. The international boats do way more damage than ours cause they have no rules and all the exceptions like the 7 meter rule that alows small boats to catch all they want. They then go back to their 1000 ft plus mother ship to unload. Like those damn Russian factory ships that were off the coast of Maine in the 80's.The problem is that we tell our fishermen to go by the rules but oooppps we do nothing about their competition.Yup we need strong rules and enforcement but those fish don't just swim in our coastal waters.The enforcement can't just be on our fishermen, it has to be on all.
As far as making meetings well it would be a nice thing but having to work makes it very hard especially when they keep screwin with our pay to give more to those that don't won't work.Many of us can only do them up here where they;re held at night so workin people can make them. The poleticians had to be reminded up here they work for us not the other way around.
I agree it's good to be zealous about these things but we need to deal with the whole problem otherwise it gets like the striped bass. Complain about the comercial rod n reelers then the next day go to New Jearsy or Verginia and go out on a charter boat and catch striped bass in the EEZ an lie about it.Make nice pics till they tell you that you need to throw them overboard cause that speed boat comin your way is the marine police. The whole pic needs to be fixed including these back room treaties the take away from our fishermen no mater who they are for the foreign fishing fleets.
As far as the plant goes well it's done so more jobs are too. Still won't stop the importing of herring caight by foreign comercial boats within eye sight of our own fisherman.
But keep fighting we all do our part hopefully something changes for the good soon or it will all be moot.
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