purse seining

[bobber]

again- please excuse my ignorance on this, but aren't the regs subject to change year to year?? couldn't the seiners be targeting small-mediums next year too??

[NEXT2NUN]

The seiners want sushi grade giants to send to Japan, they don't give a hoot about smaller fish because there is no market for them. The seiners have an Gentlemans agreement not to set in CC bay unless they have to, to try to fill there quotas, which they haven't done in a few years. There are only five federal permits for seining giants on the eastern US., three are owned by the same family based in Fairhaven. I'm sure there just trying to catch enough fish so they don't lose there share of the quota. Twenty years ago those permits were worth millions now they aren't worth squat.The New Bedford based boats was sold last year, the New Jersey based boat is for sale now. Raider Ronnie is right without herring the giants will not stick around they swim north to Canada(check there landings). Last year when they threw the mid water boats out of the Gulf of Maine the regs did more harm than good because they pushed the midwater boats out to the banks and let the seiners stay, so more guys bought seiners. So it's gonna get worse for big fish.

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by NEXT2NUN

. Last year when they threw the mid water boats out of the Gulf of Maine the regs did more harm than good because they pushed the midwater boats out to the banks and let the seiners stay, so more guys bought seiners. So it's gonna get worse for big fish.

Different seiners. The guys seining herring don't have the permits (and can't get them) to seine for GBFT.

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by bobber

again- please excuse my ignorance on this, but aren't the regs subject to change year to year?? couldn't the seiners be targeting small-mediums next year too??

Yes it is theoretically possible, but the regs haven't changed in years and years. These boats never targeted school or large school fish, only mediums and giants.