Anybody else notice?, that in every single . . .

[baldwin]

Just don't tell the wife that, she won't see the point in you going out on the boat with such dismal prospects! But seriously, you're right. Our fisheries aren't in the best shape. Just a random fact: National Marine Fisheries Service is a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, which is overseen by the Department of Commerce. Thus...the Department of Commerce oversees our fisheries, with emphasis on maximum harvest.

[BassyiusMaximus]

I don't want to sound like an alamist or a fatalist or even like Chicken Little in that "The sky is falling, the sky is falling . . . " however, I can't help but get depressed when all I read about in every magazine, month after month after month and how there are just less and less and less fish. They are becoming much like the land based examples of the Native American or the Buffalo.

I had read one fine Philosopher who was quoted in OTW way, way back, he said "I would fish, even if there were no fish." I'd probably be the same way.

[Joe]

If you're really concerned about the state of the fisheries, go "hookless" on all your plugs.
That way you can experience the thrill of the bump and know you could have caught fish, if you had hooks on.

[Bill L]

Check out the Book "The Fishes of the Sea" by Dave Preble, one fishery after another driven into the ground

[MartinD18]

So help me out here. If the magazines DIDN'T tell you that various fish species are in trouble and we could all go along on our merry ignorant way, what do you think people would say about that?

[fishsmith]

I can't wait to eat the next fish I catch.

[Joe]

Part of it is because an article about conservation that is not alarmist in nature is exceedingly boring. Conservation measures are slow to produce results and editors don't like slow. That, and the fact that the magazines are part of the recreational side of the continuing rec vs comm battle.

I'm not saying that there have not been declines and collapses in many fisheries, but an article about the incremental gains of the groundfish fishery, complete with indices and charts, is not going to sell many magazines.

[Rockport24]

Originally Posted by Joe

If you're really concerned about the state of the fisheries, go "hookless" on all your plugs.
That way you can experience the thrill of the bump and know you could have caught fish, if you had hooks on.

[jimmy z]

We can't be ignorant of the facts anymore. We have to be conscious of how we can wipe out what there is. I too remember when there was a ton of flounders, all over. But I also remember back in the 70's when the bas were almost nil. We just have to be aware, we're not in this alone.

[BassyiusMaximus]

Sure, go hookless. Like suggesting a hunter go and take a picture instead of an arrow or a bullet, "I could have shot it but I have a picture."