The Massachusetts commercial striped bass fishery. This fishery is the poster child for an abused resource. The MA DMF policies and regulations for the striper fishery are directly responsible for 2013 being the shortest season ever recorded since the fishery re-opened. Read more by John Rice in the Guest Writer Column
NILS STOLPE: The New England groundfish debacle (Part IV): Is cutting back harvest really the answer?
While it’s a fact that’s hardly ever acknowledged, the assumption in fisheries management is that if the population of a stock of fish isn’t at some arbitrary level, it’s because of too much fishing. Hence the term “overfished.” Hence the mandated knee jerk reaction of the fisheries managers to not enough fish; cut back on fishing. What of other factors? They don’t count. It’s all about fishing, because fishing is all that the managers can control; it’s their Maslow’s Hammer. When it comes to the oceans it seems as if it’s about all that the industry connected mega-foundations that support the anti-fishing ENGOs with hundreds of millions of dollars a year in “donations” are interested in controlling. Read the article here
There was a Moratorium Date established for Commercial Licenses it’s time that it comes into play.
Besides a control date for Bass licenses there should be an income requirement. Maybe you should have to prove that 50% of your income comes directly from fishing and stricter residency requirements.But no matter what all gamefish only bills must be defeated. And really, why are legislators from Mass even listening to a bunch of sporties from Maine?