nc trawlers descimating the stripers in order to keep 50 biggest

[donald/tri-again]

http://www.examiner.com/fish-and-wil...he-outer-banks
ridiculous to set a trawl net to be allowed to only keep 50 striped bass.
they cull the catch and throw thousands of dead rock overboard.
call nc marine fisheries outlaw trawl nets. ok for commercial hook and line or maybe a gill net but a trawler setting on a school that he can only keep fifty is ridiculous.



Commercial fishermen trawling off of the Outer Banks of North Carolina are slaughtering thousands of striped bass in “culling” operations and tossing them overboard trying to keep larger stripers and remain under their 50 fish limit.

Both recreational anglers and smaller operation commercial fishermen have been aghast at the actions of the trawlers who are wiping out massive schools of stripers and discarding smaller fish to stay under the state 50 fish creel but maximize their profits.

A video of the striper carnage has been posted on You Tube showing some of the thousands of floating dead fish left in the wake of the trawlers. Outer Banks fishermen who are witnessing the fish kill have been taking to message boards and calling authorities to protest this striped bass massacre.

“It’s an atrocity,” said Captain Aaron Kelly, a top striper guide with over 15 years of experience on the Outer Banks. “It’s gone on before but I think this was the first time it was in front of such a large crowd.”

Captain Kelly said that the day before the video was shot he and the members of his charter followed one trawler for five miles leaving a long wake of dead stripers.

“It’s like they have an endless quota,” he said. “Under the actual numbers are so many dead fish. It’s a frightful waste.”

The striper trawling season is not set to close until this Saturday, January 20. The fishery can be closed earlier if a certain quota is reached, but the quota does not count the thousands of dead discards.

Captain JH Miller was on the water the day the video was made and called the scene “disturbing.”

“I’m not anti-commercial fishing in the least bit, but there is no justification for leaving miles and miles of dead fish out there,” said Captain Miller. “These were legal-sized fish just thrown away to die.”

Striped bass have to be 28 inches in size to be kept legally, and all of the charter captains confirmed that among the thousands of dead stripers were many that were over 28 inches and in the 15 pound range and higher.

Captain Ray grew up in the area and has fished the Outer Banks for decades.

“It’s happened before but this year is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Captain Ray. “I saw three huge masses of dead stripers from Nags Head to Kitty Hawk. It would be so much simpler if they were allowed a certain amount of pounds and would come in when they caught that many. I have no clue about why they allow this kind of sickening discard.”

Because the trawlers are inside the federal 3 mile limit and not keeping over 50 stripers they may not be technically breaking the law by killing scores of dead fish and throwing them overboard in order to keep netting.

Both Captain Kelly and Captain Ray said the Coast Guard was flying planes and helicopters very low over the area and must have seen the carnage. The Coast Guard has been closely monitoring recreational and smaller commercial fishing boats during the striper season.

Captain Miller said he called the Division of Marine Fisheries hotline for violations today and was told no one was working.

“Even if they are not breaking the law you’d think the Coast Guard could get on for just the pollution like they do the menhaden boats,” said Captain Ray.

The charter captains said that some recreational boats simply gaffed some of the legal stripers and took them aboard to count towards their limits so the fish would not be wasted.

“Commercial fishermen talk about protecting their livelihood all the time,” said Captain Kelly. “But these big stripers they’re throwing out dead, that’s their livelihood right there.”



Continue reading on Examiner.com: Commercial trawlers slaughtering thousands of striped bass off the Outer Banks - Charlotte Fish and Wildlife Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/fish-and-wil...#ixzz1BVNUfZfu

[brandon558]

Was out of OI on Sunday and saw this happen. Although alot of boats that did not quite have their limit would pick up some of the fish, most went to waste. Gill Nets no biggie they wont whipe a school out quite like these boats do. Thanks for posting this.

[Full Choke]

We were out Sat/ Sun and saw hundreds of these discarded fish. It was really a shame to see such valuable resource being treated in this manor. I hope the authorites do something about this.

[hubris 1]

OK, Ive been good lately but Im going to say it again. Since Im in this forum let me change a setting. OK, NEXT TIME YOU GO TO A MEETING, LOOK AROUND......YOUR STANDING BESIDE THE ENEMY. HE WANTS YOU AT THE MEETING SO YOU THINK THAT COMMERCIALS AND REC'S BELIEVE IN THE SAME THING. COMMERCIAL INTEREST AND REC INTEREST ARENT THE SAME. THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED, I PROBABLY WONT GET ASKED TO LEAVE HERE THIS TIME, AND MY COMMENT WONT BE SENT INTO ADMIN AS A DEATH THREAT. OTHERWISE, NOTHING HAS CHANGED. THEY WILL KILL EVERYTHING, DONT STAND BESIDE THEM.



Thank You,

[TROPHY SPORTFISHING]

To bad they are so worried about stopping wahoo fishing i think this maybe a little more pressing!

[Bluewater Sportfishing]

OK, Ive been good lately but Im going to say it again. Since Im in this forum let me change a setting. OK, NEXT TIME YOU GO TO A MEETING, LOOK AROUND......YOUR STANDING BESIDE THE ENEMY. HE WANTS YOU AT THE MEETING SO YOU THINK THAT COMMERCIALS AND REC'S BELIEVE IN THE SAME THING. COMMERCIAL INTEREST AND REC INTEREST ARENT THE SAME. THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED, I PROBABLY WONT GET ASKED TO LEAVE HERE THIS TIME, AND MY COMMENT WONT BE SENT INTO ADMIN AS A DEATH THREAT. OTHERWISE, NOTHING HAS CHANGED. THEY WILL KILL EVERYTHING, DONT STAND BESIDE THEM.



Thank You,

Sir,
I have to disagree with your statement, not because of what side I am on, hell who cares! Put everything aside and think about this, logicly. If the only people that go to the mettings are comm guys then who is noaa going to listen to? Recs out number comms ten fold, if a 1/4 of the recs would show to these meetings then maybe, just maybe! some things would change. But to take that stance that your "joining" the enemy because your at a meeting is foolish. Your are at the meeting to voice your opinion reguardless of who is there. Yes the interests of commercials are not the same, never were, and never will be but until the rec sector gets of their asses nothing will ever change!!!!!! Noaa wants to see more recs at the meetings because right now its a one sided argument that no-one is winning but we all are loosing. As it stands right now the general feeling is that recs dont care what happens, we(they) whoever complain about everything but in the same breath dont do a damn thing to help the problem.

[LuckyLady]

Seriously this is terrible and why isn't some tree hugger and or politician worrying about fixing loop holes like these WTF

[scattered_grass]

Seriously this is terrible and why isn't some tree hugger and or politician worrying about fixing loop holes like these WTF

I'm surprised there was not some activist group out there chasing the trawler like on Whale Wars! Tree hugging seems to be the new American Way.

[hubris 1]

Sir,
I have to disagree with your statement, not because of what side I am on, hell who cares! Put everything aside and think about this, logicly. If the only people that go to the mettings are comm guys then who is noaa going to listen to? Recs out number comms ten fold, if a 1/4 of the recs would show to these meetings then maybe, just maybe! some things would change. But to take that stance that your "joining" the enemy because your at a meeting is foolish. Your are at the meeting to voice your opinion reguardless of who is there. Yes the interests of commercials are not the same, never were, and never will be but until the rec sector gets of their asses nothing will ever change!!!!!! Noaa wants to see more recs at the meetings because right now its a one sided argument that no-one is winning but we all are loosing. As it stands right now the general feeling is that recs dont care what happens, we(they) whoever complain about everything but in the same breath dont do a damn thing to help the problem.

I have said before, Rec's need to stand alone. They need to make that clear. In the past I have been told I dont know what Im talking about and the idea to stand with the commercials is better than not at all. I respectfully disagree. I have always had the same position, you.....arent quite sure what your position is. It continues to move around taking the poison pill.
The first part of every fight is won simply by being able to "frame" the fight your way. After that, you cant win if they get to frame the arguement. Where did I learn this? Reresenting myself in Court many times with my ex wife. I became better at it than her cast of lawyers and after 10 years beat all of them so bad they couldnt believe it. What I am saying is simple........You cant win, unless you get to make the terms and conditions of the fight. Joining hands with commercial interests is the first form of surrender. I guess I just see things differently kobie. If you dont understand me, you probably never will. thanks,



Ill also give you some other meetings I would never attend. They dont represent me.
1. AA,
2.AARP
3.NAACP


Now for the record, I believe in everyone having the same chance, with no discrimination, Older people need help and deserve it, and addiction must be a terrible place to live in. Despite the fact I believe all these things, I guarantee you they dont represent any interest I have, they represent their own self interest. Its all politics. Since they get to frame their agenda their way, I choose not to join. I dont want them to count me as a supporter of anything more than the truth, and justice. I aint gonna carry anyones banner.

[Bluewater Sportfishing]

I have said before, Rec's need to stand alone. They need to make that clear. In the past I have been told I dont know what Im talking about and the idea to stand with the commercials is better than not at all. I respectfully disagree. I have always had the same position,
I agree with that 100%


you.....arent quite sure what your position is. It continues to move around taking the poison pill.
Thats right but as it stands right now there is no listing for what I do in the eyes of noaa. But that doesnt skew my beliefs of what is right or wrong.

The first part of every fight is won simply by being able to "frame" the fight your way. After that, you cant win if they get to frame the arguement. Where did I learn this? Reresenting myself in Court many times with my ex wife. I became better at it than her cast of lawyers and after 10 years beat all of them so bad they couldnt believe it. What I am saying is simple........You cant win, unless you get to make the terms and conditions of the fight.
Thats a great way to put and yes hubris I understand to the letter of what it is you speak of. But at the prensent time there are not enough recs even holding a nail to start the frame. And the meetings show this. Just think if you never showed up at your court hearings but yet the hearings went on. same thing here. Nobody is showing up exept people who have a vested interest in the fishery no matter rec or com.


Joining hands with commercial interests is the first form of surrender. I guess I just see things differently kobie. If you dont understand me, you probably never will. thanks,



Ill also give you some other meetings I would never attend. They dont represent me.
1. AA, your not a drunk so why go?
2.AARP not now but maybe down the line you might
3.NAACP well why would you your not black
4. NMFS its not a group to join you know that but a judge sorta speak so you can speak your case after all you are a rec fishermen.


Now for the record, I believe in everyone having the same chance, with no discrimination, Older people need help and deserve it, and addiction must be a terrible place to live in. Despite the fact I believe all these things, I guarantee you they dont represent any interest I have, they represent their own self interest. Its all politics. Since they get to frame their agenda their way, I choose not to join. I dont want them to count me as a supporter of anything more than the truth, and justice. I aint gonna carry anyones banner.

Jimmy told me to say f/u to you and leave it at that...lol