[no clue]

Ever fish a wreck or reef and get pissed off at the amount of "so called lobster pots" on them? Two years ago a local commercial fisherman packed up, and moved out of new york, after it was found out, he was part owner in a lobster boat, who was putting hundreds of fish pots on some of our local reefs, which were created for recreational fishermen.These pots were found to contain thousands of blackfish and seabass being sold to a live market. A quick call got these pots off some of our reefs. Besides it is illegal for any pots to be placed within a mile of any wreck or public reef. next time you encounter such pots on your favorite piece, ask yourself the question, Lobster pots? or Fish pots?? what do you think??? A proposed decrease in catch limit? what are your views??? who is really responsible for this species decline. should the authorities go after the live market more agressively ?



This message was edited by no clue on 3-3-02 @ 8:15 PM

 

[no clue]

yea trophyfish, does the law apply to reefs offshore, because two years ago they were all removed from hempstead reef which is four miles off ! I remember reading that these reefs were supposed to be for recreational interests only. At any rate i would like to see the law go after the live market. With this out of action ,these pots might disappear!

 

[no clue]

what really gets my goat,is these guys drop these pots passing them off as lobster pots ,and we get penalized when the ,numbers are in. Take striped bass, for example, the big argument, was always the commercial guys blamed us,and we blamed them, but think about this little statistic, 15yrs ago,everybody fished for flounder in the spring, and they were plentiful. Blackfish could be caught in abundance by the bridges, blowfish, weakfish,fluke, all in lg. numbers. NOBODY was targeting bass in the spring, yet they almost became extict, when they were commercially harvested. Now today, the floundering stinks, the weaks are just coming back, the blowfish are gone ,and the blackfishing is mediocre, yet with 10 times the boats and many, many, more recreational fishermen, today, the SRIPEDBASS fishing flourishes greater than it ever has. Which goes to prove one thing, its the one fish these commercial guys can,t get there GREEDY little paws on! For those of you who can remember, 15 years ago, there were only a handful of fish markets on long island, Today every supermarket in the country carries fresh fish. There are over 300 supermarkets on L.I alone and 95% of them carry fish, which means thousand of lbs wind up in the garbage every day. Who supplies these guys ? Its not the recreational fisherman! Last year, two fluke boats which were allowed 500lbs a day, were stopped with over 5000 lbs in their hulls, and they just happened to be the only ones caught that day.It would take an armada of recreational fishermen with todays size limits, to catch that in a lifetime of fishing. Which is why I get upset about the blackfish pots ,this has always been a hook and line sport, and we should all fight to keep it that way!