Banning fishing in ‘monument’ a grave mistake
I was a founding partner of Boston Sword & Tuna, which today employs over 180 Massachusetts residents with good wages and benefits. The company processes and distributes swordfish and tuna harvested by American vessels in the waters off New England and the mid-Atlantic. After selling my ownership in the company several years ago, I decided to return to my origins as an owner-operator of commercial fishing vessels. But that future is at risk from a proposal in Washington. Last month, the Washington Post (I’m sure WaPo wants the re-closure!) reported on a confidential memo sent by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to the White House, urging President Biden to enact a full ban on sustainable American fishing in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. By Tim Malley >click to read< 18:48
I agree that those grounds should remain open to our fisherman .I fished those waters back in the sixties ,for whiting in all the years we fished there ,I never saw and coral or reefs when we hailed the net back .First the canyons are over 1200 feet feet we only fish in 600 feet ,also we never hit a whale .The bottom line is we need these grounds ,boats from Rhode Island to Maine depend on those waters .
You can’t even Rod and Reel fish these grounds. As the author spoke about Boston Sword and Tuna… We’re talking about Pelagic species, migratory Fish up in the Water column!!! Commercial and Recreational all benefited from these waters!!!
God common sense is so uncommon!!!
Regards
–SBH–