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Originally Posted by Nebe
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New Discovery TV Show: Herring Wars
In recent weeks, Ballou said, his department has received several complaints from local fishermen alleging the out-of-state trawlers are wreaking havoc on their fixed gear.
“Some of them just don’t care,” said Roule.
On Jan. 11, Roule, towing off the town beach in Narragansett, got tangled with a pair of large out-of-state vessels.
“They came up behind me. I’d done a tow that I had been making for three weeks, straight off the Pier. They had set to the south and then they turned behind me,” said Roule.
“They caught me and almost broke the boat in half. They didn’t know they had me.”
Roule estimated he lost $10,000 a day for a week while he was unable to fish, in addition to the $8,000 he forked over to repair his net.
Roule documented the incident with the U.S. Coast Guard, but said the other trawler refused to acknowledge the mistake.
“That stuff happens. Difference is I’ve written checks to pay for that stuff,” said Roule. “That was a big hit.”