Outragious!!!!!!!

[Destroyer]

This is a followup to the comment I made in the fishing report post about the Striped Bass Kills going on off the North Carolina coastline by the commercial trawling fleet. If you do a Google search for Striped bass kill you'll find many, many posts with pictures of this horrible slaughter that's ongoing as we speak. We, as fishermen, need to do something to stop this NOW. Write your congressman, phone your elected reps, etc. This has got to stop. Although conservation is always a good idea I'm not a tree hugger....but this is OUR fishery that's being destroyed guys... Thousands of fish killed so they can keep 50!!! It makes me ashamed to admit I'm of the same species as these animals. These are just some of the pictures!!!

http://cfrgnc.blogspot.com/2011/01/nc-striper-slaughter-untold-numbers-and.html?gclid=CPHtnfHngKcCFYHc4Aod5z0jfA

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/223182-Commercial-trawlers-kill-thousands-more-striped-bass-off-the-Outer-Banks

http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/showthread.php?t=781655&page=4


:devil::devil::devil::devil::devil:

[Blue_Runner]

The saddest part of it is what they did (and are doing) was/is legal. The powers that be decided to change the law so they now can keep 2000 lbs rather than just 50 fish. Problem is those nets do not discriminate and can hold WAY WAY more than 2000 lbs of fish. Anything over 2000 lbs (previously 50 fish) caught in the net dies from being crushed from the enormous weight. Why not force them to shrink the nets or set out less than the whole net? Horrible waste and I agree it needs to stop!

Head on over to this link and see the interview with Rick Caton of the popular charter boat the Free Agent out of Hatteras/Oregon Inlet. Rick is also known as Captain Cussword (for good reason). Rick tells it like it is and is mightily opposed to what is going on with the striper trawlers.
http://reelbuzz.com/fishreports/caton/read_post.cfm?pid=1152&reply=1152

[Parrot6909]

Yeah, the 50 fish limit at a 40lb average....they were culling them and it was legal. Now its fine to keep the 2,000, further, if they catch more then that they can keep it and use it to offset the later quota. They should make it a hook and line fishery, no more no less.

If you think the NC stuff was bad you should read up on what they were doing in Maryland, guys had illegal nets out holding tons of Stripers in them. Maryland at least had the common sense to shut down the fishery until they found out how many illegal nets were out there.

Lots of writing we all can do. Check out stripersonline.com or stripers forever. Lots and lots of posts and info.

[Destroyer]

The saddest part of it is what they did (and are doing) was/is legal. The powers that be decided to change the law so they now can keep 2000 lbs rather than just 50 fish. Problem is those nets do not discriminate and can hold WAY WAY more than 2000 lbs of fish. Anything over 2000 lbs (previously 50 fish) caught in the net dies from being crushed from the enormous weight. Why not force them to shrink the nets or set out less than the whole net? Horrible waste and I agree it needs to stop!

Head on over to this link and see the interview with Rick Caton of the popular charter boat the Free Agent out of Hatteras/Oregon Inlet. Rick is also known as Captain Cussword (for good reason). Rick tells it like it is and is mightily opposed to what is going on with the striper trawlers.
http://reelbuzz.com/fishreports/caton/read_post.cfm?pid=1152&reply=1152

Blue, the really sad part is how they are trying to justify the killings. They (the commercial rabid animals that have the nerve to call themselves fishermen) say that recreational fishermen caught 2 million stripers last year and discarded 1 million, so the 340,000 dead stripers they discarded are nothing. But that's simply a spin to try and justify the killing. When they discard a fish, (due to injuries suffered from being crushed in the net) it's either already dead or it's dying. When a recreational fisherman discards a fish usually it's because it's undersize or they are practicing catch and release. Either way, the recreational fish that are put back in the ocean are alive. The commercial fish are dead. Both are counted as discards, but the dirty little secret they don't tell you is that the recreational fish are still alive. Great post, thanks for the link to that interview.

[Blue_Runner]

Yep, that is exactly what they said. I don't have a problem at all with commercial fishing because it is a vital necessity but when you head out knowing you are going to kill and waste thousands of fish and are ok with it something is wrong!! To clarify my statement - I do NOT think commercial fishing for stripers in any way shape or form is a necessity! Striper should be deemed a game fish period. JMO!

[Blue_Runner]

Hey Destroyer, check out Captain Cussword's assessment of the latest NCDMFC vote......LOL
http://reelbuzz.com/fishreports/caton/read_post.cfm?pid=1168&reply=1168

[Destroyer]

Hey Destroyer, check out Captain Cussword's assessment of the latest NCDMFC vote......LOL
http://reelbuzz.com/fishreports/caton/read_post.cfm?pid=1168&reply=1168

LOL Love it..!!! Short, sweet and right to the point!!

I cannot believe that, especially after the video's showing the carnage, they would have the nerve to allow the trawlers back to do the very same thing again!!! My God, have these people no sense of decency at all???

[Blue_Runner]

Well, Captain Cussword explained it all in his latest journal entry where he posted this article showing where the vote to allow the trawlers back was RIGGED due to one of the MFC members having a conflict of interest.......WOW what a disgrace!!!

Article here:

http://www.examiner.com/fish-and-wildlife-policy-in-charlotte/illegal-and-rigged-mfc-vote-allows-striper-kills-to-resume-again

:bsflag:

[RWilson2526]

Wow, there's usually two sides to every story but its hard to imagine what they would have to say to rebutt that.