Industrial fleet working the SHORELINE of RI! - Page 2 - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

JohnnyD · 01-12-2012, 05:10 PM

Quote:

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 · 01-13-2012, 07:17 AM

Quote:

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".

PRBuzz · 01-13-2012, 08:35 AM

Just an FYI:

Pair Trawling in Rhode Island waters: is it worth it? | The Dented Bucket

WoodyCT · 01-13-2012, 12:04 PM

And for some good news...

North Carolina is about to open the trawling season for stripers.

Each boat can keep about 100 fish per day.

And they take the 100 largest ones, even if it means making many tows and shoveling dead ones over the side by the 1000s.

Sickening!

striperman36 · 01-13-2012, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WoodyCT

And for some good news...

North Carolina is about to open the trawling season for stripers.

Each boat can keep about 100 fish per day.

And they take the 100 largest ones, even if it means making many tows and shoveling dead ones over the side by the 1000s.

Sickening!

Just like High grading for fluke in the Sound.

ecduzitgood · 01-13-2012, 01:34 PM

I wish someone would start a fund to finance private boat owners to anchor in mass in the ares the pair trawlers are fishing to make it impossible for the trawlers to get to the schooling fish. There seem to be enough people who care and I am sure they could generate plenty of support/dollars.

I wonder if a kayak challenging them would make the news and perhaps garner support from the general public to end the carnage, maybe I should take one for the team and get out there after the winds settle.

BasicPatrick · 01-13-2012, 02:46 PM

This nothing new and yes you should all be outraged. This is the fleet I have spend 13 years fighting. Twenty plus are currently working the back side of Cape Cod and Gansett/Block Island Sound.

MSBA, The Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association, a couple of Tuna Groups that are now ABTA formed CHOIR many years ago to fight this fight and we still are at it today. We have been winnigna s their operations are far more restricted then they were when we began but the fight is far from over.

"Dock Talk" in the last few days is that a pair of Mid Water Trawl Boats (should be called super draggers or mid water draggers) possibly owned by the company Sea Freeze (NJ/some operations in RI?) got 5 300-500 lb Blue Fin on one day this week and on the second day got 3 more. I just got a call that maybe 4 more on a third day.

There is also a dock rumor that an observer was on board. FYI...observers just write down what they are allowed to see and sample, they do not enforce or point out violations, they are not law enforcement and have a very tough job as it is.

The dock talk rumor is that the crew cut one tuna up to eat. In my eyes better than wasting the fish but also clearly that is the only illegal part of what is going on in RI State Waters.

If I lived in RI I would be calling the state and demanding that this fishery be pushed outside the 3 mile line. Most states have a 90 foot state waters limit.

Herring and mackerel fishing is not bad when done by smaller boats with captains tied to the resource and contributing to the local community. These local operators can coexist with our shared resources.

Industrial Pair Trawling should not be allowed near our waters. We need to save local fishermen. Take the minimum wage low income industrial sweat shop factory jobs being filled by god knows whom back to the countries from whence they came. I want traditional New England Fishermen and our natural resources protected.

BasicPatrick · 01-13-2012, 02:51 PM

Mike....Honest By Catch will be at RISAA and MSBA.

The Battle against these boats is coming to a head this Spring. Ammendment 5 to the Herring Plan is goign to Public Hearing sometime mid Feb and will continue to March. We must overwhelm the public hearings. We WANT

1. 100% monitoring (if gov't wont pay then industry should)

2.Restrictions on dumping

3. Weigh all fish landed

4. Closed Area Monitoring fishery wide.

5. Some By Catch protection

Honest By Catch urges all to attend the public hearings and send in comments. We will be advising when and how once the info is released.

Also in April Honest By CAtch will run 1 bus from Cape Cod and 1 Bus from RI to the final decision meeting on AM 5 in CT.

IF we show up we will win. If we do not we will not.

Please respond this Spring when we ask for help.

vineyardblues · 01-13-2012, 03:15 PM

90 foot state waters limit ? wtf

BasicPatrick · 01-13-2012, 03:48 PM

Peter...Most States do not allow commercial fishing vesssels over 90 foot to fish in state waters. RI does allow these 140-165 on average monster trawlers. Its like dragging a gill net...everything dies and nothing escapes for tomorrow.

piemma · 01-13-2012, 03:58 PM

I sent an email Wednesday to the Dir of RIDEM, Janet Coit, asking her to read John Lee's blog: The Dented Bucket on what is going on with the pair trawlers.

No surprise: NO RESPONSE!

ecduzitgood · 01-15-2012, 01:06 AM

I wonder if there is any damage other than the reduction of stocks that could be attributed directly or indirectly to commercial trawling. For instance mass beach stranding of dolphins or whales. Could there be a connection that hasn't yet been discovered or considered? If commercial vessels are in the vicinity of these strandings could it be assumed that they may actually be the cause? Maybe the sounds of the nets, the fish in the nets or even the sonar being used. I'm just grasping at straws trying to find some way to end the slaughter and damage caused by dragger's and trawlers.

ivanputski · 01-15-2012, 08:47 AM

Nature saw fit to produce a mass of herring in this particular area... for a natural purpose and balance. Two giant boats scooping them up in one day definitely doesn't seem to fit into the natural balance, and it devoid of any common sense to assume that nature can keep bouncing back at the same rate we strip the ocean of fish...