Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeToole
The weakfish stock is listed as depleted to an all time low. While ASMFC is saying over fishing isn't the problem, it is the only thing they have immediate control over. So how does ASMFC address this.
"Upon receiving this stock information in 2009, the Weakfish Management Board approved new measures for implementation in 2010. Addendum IV to Amendment 4 requires states to implement a one fish recreational creel limit, 100 pound commercial trip limit, 100 pound commercial bycatch limit during closed seasons, and 100 undersized fish per trip allowance for the finfish trawl fishery."
Here is a fishery at an all time low and ASMFC is still not willing to stop fishing for them. This is why I have little faith in ASMFC stepping in to address any striper issues until they're in real deep trouble.
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The commercial limits are simply designed to allow fisherman to land fish that they are catching anyway, makes no sense to throw them back over the side, dead. That wouldn't help the fish recover anyway. The one fish per person recreational limits will effectively stop most people from fishing for them, but still allow the Accidentally caught fish to be kept. Again, probably a good portion of those fish would die anyway. We have to face facts, fishing mortality is, at least until we adopt real ecosystem management, the only aspect of mortality that we can control. IMHO the proposed weakfish limits are as close to zero as we can get without banning all fishing.
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