Industrial fleet working the SHORELINE of RI!

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by DZ

Johnny - I was just making an observation. I'm assuming that if the fishing is occurring its probably legal and herring/mackeral quotas haven't been met? It's probably a good time of year to harvest these species as gamefish by-catch is probably very low. If what they're doing is illegal then by all means shut them down.

DZ

Granted just hearsay from the Tuna section but... 5 giant BFT caught in the herring nets off of RI. Illegal to keep so the tuna must be discarded.

Still think this is a good time of year for indiscriminate fishing methods because "by-catch is probably very low"?

[DZ]

There's always going to be some bycatch. I just assume let them fish in the winter months to reduce it. Much better than having them dragging the same areas in October/November.

It sounds like most guys here just don't want anyone dragging at any place any time. A small time dragger could just as well caught the same tuna and they would still have to be discarded.

Attached are a few NOAA docs to give some background on the herring fishery. Appears the fleet in now working on the 2012 quota. Seems the full 2011 quota was not reached.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by DZ

It sounds like most guys here just don't want anyone dragging at any place any time. A small time dragger could just as well caught the same tuna and they would still have to be discarded.

Pretty much my opinion of dragging. You eliminate dragging and you resolve a number of ecological issues. Not only is by-catch a major issue, it seems pretty common knowledge that they have no regard for sustainability, bottom trawlers completely destroy habitat that could harbor juvenile fish and there is literally no accountability.

To re-emphasize my earlier analogy, dragging is no different than the companies that clear-cut rainforests, doing whatever they can to make money without regard for the lasting effects on fish stocks or the overall ecological consequences. A few small groups will eventually completely ruin the seas for the rest of us.

[likwid]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

A few small groups will eventually completely ruin the seas for the rest of us.

I wouldn't exactly call them a "small group".