[bucktail]

The draggers DO HAVE REGULATIONS on them. There are trip limits, seasonal closures and minimum mesh size laws.The commercial group that have the least limits are the guys fishing fykes in the bays in the winter. The powers that be do not seem to see the same problem with the fishery that we are now enduring. That is where you should focus yer efforts, educating the law makers about the recreational fishery, and the smaller number of fish being taken.But when you look at it, we have a lot less restrictions on us than do the commercial guys.We are all part of the problem, dead fish are dead fish no matter how we kill them. LATER

 

[bucktail]

George: The draggers have been regulated since 1990 in a few ways.
1-Dragging is no longer allowed within a 2 mile radius of any south shore inlet.
2-A minimum mesh size of 5 1/2 inch throughout the net, this results in signifigantly less bycatch and retention of undersized flounder.
3= Trip limits, there are times of the year when the limit might be as little as 70 lbs per day.
Remember when we had great flounderr fishing? That was the good old days when we had the 3 mile limit and the Russian, Bulgarian, Portuguese and Spanish factory trawlers working 24-7 right offshore. Seems to me that more is wrong with the flounder population than just dragger pressure on the resource.There have been some very interesting theories put forth on this post and I feel it is unfair to put all the blame on the commercial sector. LATER

 

[bucktail]

Shutupandfish: Thanks for enilghtening the public!!

LATER

 

[bucktail]

Capt. Clambelly: Glad to see someone picked up on the fyke problem. The fykes are owned by individual baymen, some guys have more than one and are issued a permit by the Town Trustees. In addition, they must possess a food fish permit from our beloved DEC. The problem lies with the state, ban fykes statewide and that will take care of the problem. My only gripe is that the fykes target PRE SPAWN FISH!!!!! LATER

 

[bucktail]

As a Southampton Town resident , recreational angler and commercial shellfisherman I am well aware of the Dongan Patent that you are alluding to. The Southampton Town Trustees who make the laws regarding the waters both fresh and salt follow the law as written by the DEC in regards to finfish. They do this because finfish are migratory. They do manage shellfish a little bit differently than the state is regards to harvesting methods, but size and water quality standards are the same as state law.The Dongan Patent has worked very well for Southampton, Easthampton and Southold Towns for 350 years by allowing local control of our waters without too much interference by the state.My original point was to agree that fykes kill pre-spawn fish with the blessing of the DEC. LATER

 

[bucktail]

Southampton does not take State $ for shellfish seeding, hence the difference regs for harvesting. LATER