O.K., I've heard from a friend that word is grouper fishing(residential/commercial) for 2011 is closed for the Gulf? Anyone hear about this?
To cut to the chase I'm going on a very thin limb here maybe and going to share my thoughts regardless if its true or not...
If you want venison you have to "hunt it" yourself to eat it for the most part. O.K., comercial guys, I'm going to piss you off but...if you want venison you have to harvest it yourself. I'm beleiving if you want grouper/snapper etc., you have to get it yourself.
I'm not looking to put people out of jobs but with the millions of recreational fishermen thatexist vs. the numbers of commercial, we have the numbers to discuss this. If government wants to close fishing on a species then close it to all and then consider it like "wild game!" Farm raise your fish as a commercial fisherman. Let us "small guys" catch our fish to enjoy and eat because we like it and it's part of the "sport" of it.
While talking to him about "organizing" recreational fishermen, he stated, "we are." Oh, really? Does it ask for a membership fee? Do you "belong" to a group with clout or political prowess? No! If residential fishermen organize, with a membership fee, there is money eventually to lobby with and sway/manipulate political figures to propose our (residential fishermen) agenda. A limit for each species and "seasons" for each. Even the playing feild is all I ask.

Yes, this is a rant but a grass roots effort has to start somehwere, and if its here, then so let it begin (given this version hasn't been pitched before.)

Commercial guys I mean no harm but we really need to evaluate stock and consider "fishing" as a whole and not long lining to kill countless "by-catch' or lower size limits just for business sake. I'm a "little guy" who just wants to fish and enjoy what nature has to offer the human being who wants to supply his food to his family!