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The bait boats out of Fall river are not the cause of lack of pogies
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No one is saying they are the problem in the BIG PICTURE.....that problems stems from the fishery down South. But when there are close to 4 million pounds (RIDEM stats) of menhaden the begining of the week, and then 2 boats work for 4 days, and then by the end of the week Bay fishermen are having problems finding bait, while one boat sits all morning at the Hurricane Barrier seining every school coming out of the Upper River with the tide....then I say, yes, there is a problem.
The heigthened pogie controversy this year really started 2 years ago....with the addition of another seiner (from Gloucester); for years the Fall River boat has worked together with the RI fishing community (not without some give and take); I don't believe he really needed to fill his boat every day. But with competition came the fear that one or the other were going to end up on the short end of the stick; so they seem to be racing each other to make sure they get their share....and damn anybody that get's in their way.....simple econonmics. And RIDEM, in their infinite wisdom, sits by trying to institute a plan that just can't work in an expeditionary fashion..because they are not on the water like the fishermen who see the dwindling stocks every day.
And with the removal of the bait, so go the bass/blues....I've seen it since 1974 in the Bay....it is such a basic, simple relationship.
In NJ, since the menhaden fishery was banned in the inshore Bays (I believe menhaden seining is not allowed within 3 miles of the coast line), their inshore bas/blue fishery is the best it's been in years...Cowhunter (from NJ) can attest to this.
So yes, the Bay menhaden seining is the problem...it's a"rite of passage" every spring ...