Disturbing Video

[Fortunate One]

Would a dragger have done that?

I've only seen stripers migrating towards the surface. Awsome site in and of itself.

Are the midwater trawlers around the area?

If so aren't they supose to have a person from the NMFS on board?

What a shame.

[teamtuna]

my guess would be pair trawlers, i believe they are now allowed in that area.

[Animal 1]

If you were going to show the video to someone,I'd suggest congress.Otherwise you're just showing a video of a perfectly legal(albeit terribly ugly)fishing practice.
The video could be used to change the laws.Right now those fish MUST be thrown back,dead or alive,and will never be counted towards a quota.They aren't counted at all,as they are deemed "worthless bycatch"to those who did it.
Now,do the math.How many sets does a dragger or a set of pair trawlers run every day?Multiply that by the number of them out working,and that is an obscenely high amount of Stripers(a protected,regulated species)being killed and wasted for no good reason.
With the hard work done by so many to bring stripers back from the brink of extinction,the amount of starving people in the world,the plight of stripers to remain a healthy breeding stock,and the fact that commercial fishermen are (some of them)struggling to stay afloat,it seems like you really should show the video to someone.
I am absolutely NOT advocating a dragging or pair trawling fishery for bass.It's just such a terrible waste to throw them back,dead.I don't know the answers.

[Ken Catch]

Stripers roam the entire water column. I have pulled up 30 lb bass on 16 oz jigs while cod fishing, blues as well in up to 300' of water.

[twofinbluna]

WTF!!!! Who's responsible for that bullSh1t?????

From what I have been told, it was herring midwater trawlers...

[shoefish]

From what I have been told, it was herring midwater trawlers...

twofin- do you have an email address for someone who might be interested in this video? I have heard about the work that you have done in protecting the fisheries and this might be interesting to pass on...

[chumtini]

So, with all your suggestions, I forwarded the video and story to WBZ last week. I don't know what else to do with it. Doubt they'll do anything. But, at least, I tried. Like I said, there's nothing here that's illegal. In fact, it's required by law. But, that doesn't make it right.

[twofinbluna]

twofin- do you have an email address for someone who might be interested in this video? I have heard about the work that you have done in protecting the fisheries and this might be interesting to pass on...

Yes, Paul Diodati and David Pierce, the two top guys for MA DMF. They like to protect the midwater boats and pretend like this kind of stuff does not happen, so they need to see this when it happens. There emails are:

- David.Pierce@state.ma.us
- Paul.Diodati@state.ma.us

You should also send it to Pat Kurkul at NMFS, whose email is:

- pat.kurkul@noaa.gov

(If you wanted to really get ambitious, send it to the whole New England Fishery Management Council, whose emails can be found at the Council site.)

[chumtini]

Email sent. Hope I don't get killed out there. I can see the headlines now: Boston Man Killed in Collision with Unknown Fishing Vessel

Gentlemen,

It was suggested that I forward a video taken last weekend E of the shipping lanes off Chatham. I presume it's the result of bycatch after spotting a comm boat a short distance away. Nothing I saw was illegal. Nor is splitting the nets before the haul hits the deck to avoid reporting of bycatch. In fact, it's required by law. However, that doesn't make it right.

What we witnessed were 100s, maybe 1000s of large striped bass floating on the surface. Some dead, some not. None would surely survive. What a waste!!!

Here is a link to one of the videos. You can have all of the originals. A copy was also forwarded to WBZ news. I don't know what else to do with them.

http://www.chumtini.com/media/Videos/DeadBass-1.wmv

Sincerely,

Mr. Chumtini

[shoefish]

Great direction twofin and awesome follow through Chum! Like you said, it isn't necessarily illegal, but it definitely isn't right. Hopefully someone will take notice of this.