Why is fishing on the Race so bad?

[piemma]

Originally Posted by tattoobob

they are all moving down from Chatham to get food there are so many seals in Chatham that there is no food for them and they are moving south next we will see them heading to BI & long Island sound

I'll tell ya. There are some in Narragansett Bay but not a lot. If they move in force there will be measures taken. I have been to many CRMC meetings and the Commercial Fishermen's lobby is very very powerful. There is a strong commercail Bass, Fluke, Tautog and shelfish industry that is centered around Narragansett Bay. You put 5000 guys out of work to save the Seals and there will be "blood on the tracks" so to speak. Just my opinion

[Water Treater]

Fished Montauk (Lighthouse area) from shore last weekend (Thursday-Saturday) September 28th-30th. Tons of small bait and early/late day blitzes of bass/blues that were mostly under 30 inches.

Saw a seal one morning just after sunrise. A harbinger of things to come?

[Karl F]

if you saw one, and there are bass, bait, flunder, fluke, scup, or even sand dabs around.. he will tell his friends.. slowly, you will next notice two.. then three.. oops five..then.. the following year or two.. twenty.. Wow, folks wil say,. them seals are cool!.. and so cute..
thirty.. oh look that one has a fish in his mouth, and he is showing it off, who has a camera.. they are so cute.. fifty, and what is that over there, oh look another pod of thirty..
the following year.. Wow, look hundreds of them.. the next year, an article in the paper saying how nice it is that you now have a healthy population of about fifteen hundred, and there will be locals offering "Seal Tours", pressure will be put on officials to educate all beach users on how to NOT harass the resting seals..

Long story short.. yeah.. That seals name was Harbinger.. For sure...
You have my sympathy....

[tattoobob]

Originally Posted by piemma

I'll tell ya. There are some in Narragansett Bay but not a lot. If they move in force there will be measures taken. I have been to many CRMC meetings and the Commercial Fishermen's lobby is very very powerful. There is a strong commercail Bass, Fluke, Tautog and shelfish industry that is centered around Narragansett Bay. You put 5000 guys out of work to save the Seals and there will be "blood on the tracks" so to speak. Just my opinion

Paul you are so right and there should be something done about the seals on the outer beaches, not to mention the beaches closed 6 weeks because of stupid birds it is so out of control. I just don't get it

[Karl F]

That is one tough nut to crack.. Federal Protection..

and they (seal) have the damn "Cute" thing going.. plus the fact that there is a "Seal Tour" industry in bed with the environazis... and we all know how friggin great a job the Feds are doing with the fishing fleets. and here in Mass, this State, with environutz, and how they treat any kind of fisherman.. well...

[tattoobob]

I think if the cape wasn't such a tourist trap we could have a chance.

[Blitzseeker]

I agree. If you saw a seal you've got about two years before you fishing is finished. You've got too much bait and fish there for the seals not to flourish once they've found it.

That is sad, but I'd bet you anything it will happen to Montauk as well.

[gone fishin]

Just wait until they decide to take up residence on the docks - like they do in COlifornia. I think we will see some vigilanti action.

[Pt.JudeJoe]

Bob Barker says" Don't forget to have your seals spayed or neutered."

[BigFish]

Don't you mean "slayed" or "skewered"?

[Pt.JudeJoe]

Seriously , if the seals have made the Race a new feeding ground because of the abundance of fish ,wouldn't it stand to reason that the seals enemy ,the great white shark ,will come to take advantage of a concentration of seals. If this does happen , I bet the powers that be won't think the seals are so cute anymore .