Do You Fish?

[gettinthere]

You might want to read this...Obama moving to limit fishing access - ESPN

[TaoJones]

Lest anyone think that the thread-opening post is an excuse to launch into a political rant, whatever your political persuasion . . . think again. We've already removed two posts from this thread, the first of which was way out of line. If this continues, we will not hesitate to delete the entire thread.

Thank you for your cooperation.

TaoJones

[Canibul]

Americans, along with most other people, have pretty much repeatedly proven that, left alone to their own devices and self restraint, they will systematically destroy any fisheries of any value.

Before realizing that at heart I am a sailor...I hung around several other powerboating oriented forums, including some specializing in sport fishing. Do you realize how many organized events there are specifically to kill sharks? Not for food. Just for killing.

How many photos have you seen of 2-4 "sportsmen" grinning over a dock stacked three deep with all the fish they could possibly kill in one day. Enough to feed their families for weeks, except, they will be back at it the next day, or certainly the next weekend. Nobody eats that much fish.

Hey, how's the conch fishing and lobster diving these days?

And if a fish can be sold for money...hey......SOMEbody's gotta control it.

[hummingway]

It seems a pretty one sided article. Not much in the way of information. Conservation in a world where people have not paid enough attention to the subject in the past is complicated. Duck hunting is an interesting one. Wetlands have been seriously threatened by human activity and in turn the ducks that require the habitat. Duck hunters realised something ahd to be don and Ducks Unlimited have done an admirable job, in my opinion, of providing and protecting habitat. I know many sport fishing groups have made efforts in this regard as well but fish habitat is sensitive and has been brutalised by some of mans activities. I've fished all my life, paid my fees and followed the rules scrupulously. I try to be respectful of the environment. I've also been aware all my life who didn't think it was neccessary.

I lived next door to and was good friends with a conservation officer for many years. He talked often of the challenges of policy and policing where wildlife is concerned. Hunting and fishing can play a role in conservation as can the people who hunt and fish.

Before getting too excited it might be worth waiting to see if anyone other then ESPN reports this story and presents some facts.

[canucksailor]

ok - I'm a Canadian, with some knowledge of the spring bear hunt referenced in this article. The cessation of this hunt, in northern Ontario - a good several hours driving time or more north of Toronto, where the decision was made, has resulted in far too many bears coming into conflict with humans. Why? Because they were being controlled previous to the cancellation of the hunt.
This kind of legislation, politically motivated by rabid tree hugger types rather than those with a real, informed and concerned interest in wildlife preservation - rather than preservation at all costs without regard to the consequences - has serious and negative effects on the communities involved and the people who live on, by or near these animal resources.
It's time to stop and think - if there's no problem, why are we looking at a 'solution'? Because, in Ontario, there was no problem...that is, until the 'solution' was invoked. Now, we have a bear problem. A problem that wasn't there until the tree huggers decided to 'save' the bears...who weren't endangered anyway.
Seems that fisheries are facing the same problem. Time to stop these self appointed saviours.

[marc2012]

I am somewhat confused how something being done by politicians can not be political?By allowing foreign seafood imports the govt. has already managed to regulate most commercial fisherman out of business.I shrimped for many yrs,but no longer profitable due to import prices,Raised crayfish & only profitable for fresh.Friend recently closed wild catfish plant because could buy cleaned Chinese cheaper than uncleaned US.marc

[gettinthere]

"Lubchenco and others in the administration have close ties to environmental groups who would like nothing better than to ban recreational angling. And evidence suggests that these organizations have been the engine behind the task force since before Obama issued a memo creating it last June.
As ESPN previously reported, WWF, Greenpeace, Defenders of Wildlife, Pew Environment Group and others produced a document entitled "Transition Green" shortly after Obama was elected in 2008. What has happened since suggests that the task force has been in lockstep with that position paper.
Then in late summer, just after he created the task force, these groups produced "Recommendations for the Adoption and Implementation of an Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes National Policy." This document makes repeated references to "overfishing," but doesn't once reference recreational angling, its importance, and its benefits, both to participants and the resource."




I agree on the overfishing of sharks, there needs to be limits. No sane fisherperson disagrees with that. But this is heading towards TOTAL banning of sport fishing. They already did it in the Keys and California. Incrimentalism, takes away your rights bit by bit. There is an agenda to do what they did with the bears in Canada to all animal management. The ducks unlimited efforts would be stopped entirely.


It's similar to the anchoring rights debate in Florida. Different agenda for different reasons but a similar net effect of trying to stop people's freedoms with specious, frivolous arguments.

[hummingway]

California hasn't banned sport fishing:
http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/current/fishregs.asp
and this is probably a hoax that some sloppy journalism has perpetuated:
http://news.spreadit.org/obama-fishing-ban/

and what we are seeing here is how it happens.

[GeoPowers]

From snopes.com:

snopes.com: Recreational Fishing Ban

[cantxsailor]

Do I fish? I think the better question is "Do you ever catch any fish?" No almost never. As a commercial salmon fisherman in my misspent youth I believe I may have reached my limit and the cosmos will no longer allow me catch any. If I fish between 2 people,all of us using the same gear and bait, they will catch fish and I won't get a nibble..........m

[gonesail]

depends on which fishing areas he intends to restrict .. but it sounds like trying to enforce a ban on alcohol consumption .. almost impossible and will probably make some citizens very unhappy.

[Captain Bill]

In the US recreational anglers pay a tax on all fishing equipment which goes into a fund for sports fishing fisheries research and support. This is similar to the "duck stamp" that duck hunters buy that supports the national wildlife refuge system. When I was an active marine biologist for the state of Florida, some of our research was funded with this money. I suppose it still is, though I don't do that any more. Ducks unlimited has done a lot to help the duck population through their habitat purchase and restoration efforts, particularly in nursery areas. There are no protected habitat areas that are equivalent to the wildlife refuge system or the ducks unlimited areas for fisheries. It may be that some of the proposed changes will close some areas to fishing in order to support fish populations that are currently in trouble. Is this likely to cause some people hardships? You bet it is. But the ban on market hunting for ducks in the early 20th century put a lot of people out of business too. While I am not supporting a total ban on fishing, closing some areas may in fact save the populations and restore fishing in other areas.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by cantxsailor

Do I fish? I think the better question is "Do you ever catch any fish?" No almost never. As a commercial salmon fisherman in my misspent youth I believe I may have reached my limit and the cosmos will no longer allow me catch any. If I fish between 2 people,all of us using the same gear and bait, they will catch fish and I won't get a nibble..........m

You're not maintaining the correct aura of detachment. Try staring off into space in a disinterested manner while whistling something from "Porgy and Bess". Every once in while check your finger nails and mutter "ho hum ... what a lovely day". It drives the fish nuts!

[captain58sailin]

You have to hold your mouth right! Also it helps if you put the fish pole between your knees awkwardly, have a beer in one hand and try to light a cigarette at the same time, I can almost guarantee a bite, now how you deal with the bite is your problem. I also find that it helps to think like a fish.

[AnchorageGuy]

There is much passed off these days as "news" that is in reality a somewhat slanted take from a reputable source but unlike the original intent.

The articles are referring to the interim report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Taskforce.
Here is a link to the actual interim report.

www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/09_17_09_Interim_Report_ of_Task_Force_FINAL2.pdf