Future In Commercial Fishing?

[CalabashFishman]

This forum is too slow. Lets get it up and going again.

What is everyone opinions on commercial fishing in the new few years? Is it going to pick up, or is about out the door?

I have been talking with a few commercial fisherman who have been doing this all their lives. A lot of them think that imported and farm raised sea food is going to shut down the united states in commercial fishing.

Whats your opinions?

[Fortunamate]

i dont disagree but i think it will greatly decreased

[SoFLA34]

its scary to say, but with modern technology and science fish farms seem to be the way to go as far as cost. I don't think it is right but big producers are not worried about the little guys, just their profits. The increase in the cost of fuel doesn't help in the least bit as well. Hopefully the commercial fishing industry is able to find a way to compete and keep American money here in America instead of sending it overseas. I have heard too many problems with all these fish that are imported. there is no regulation when we get fish from other countries or other similarly underdeveloped places because no one is making sure their products are healthy or raised properly to be ingested by humans. I would rather pay more to get the good stuff than eat a tuna sandwich with imported tuna, get sick or die from some type of food poisoning because some fish farmer wanted to pump steroids into his "products" so he could make some more money. It's not honest and seems to be hazardous to people in many ways. I really hope that the commercial fishing industry here in America is able to bounce back and we see some relief on their lives and jobs.

[Bunker Bouy]

i haven't seen any drastic changes, the market is always fluctuating. but the market price is about the same as last year and the price of fuel is down. now if we could get a nice weather window, we'd be doing something.
P.S. kill the scallops!

[codfishshark]

I think it all depends on how hard you want to work for it. I see alot of guys just going about there year trying to make money on codfish and haddock when you need to change fisheries to make any money. I havent seen a great change other than the limitation in days but if you just buy more permits then there isnt a problem.

[Cane]

My great grandfather and grandfather were shrimpers and made a good living off of commercial fishing way back when. Now the shrimping industry here in the carolinas is barely hanging on. I purchased a commercial license last year and use it from time to time to make side money. I hope the profession can hang in there and withstand the storm it currently is undergoing. We are already enslaved to communist China with there cheap manufacturing and to the middle east with there rich oil supply. We are really in trouble when we give up our food supply.

keep fishing

cane

[rich]

As a fish dealer I see the commercial industry changing from quantity to quality. The retailers we deal with do not mind paying good prices for a high quality seafood. Some of the retailers that deal in lower quality go for prices and we cannot compete with import and farm raised prices. I see this industry making a major change but I do not see an end to it. The dealers that are about pushing quantity will end up out of business which in return will push out of business the fishermen themselves that do not want to catch a quality product.

[Capt. Jon Tennant]

some good news for US fisherman...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29724685

the big step now is to educate the consumer on what "quality" seafood is and the differences between imported wild caught & farm raised seafood and the almost non-existent health and safety standers that come along with it vs. the highly regulated fresh quality seafood from the good ol USA. I truely beleve if the public had this knowledge, the import seafood would be in serious trouble.

[Dogfish87]

I want one, but its a grrind. if you dont have the permits already..

[oldmud]

some good news for US fisherman...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29724685

the big step now is to educate the consumer on what "quality" seafood is and the differences between imported wild caught & farm raised seafood and the almost non-existent health and safety standers that come along with it vs. the highly regulated fresh quality seafood from the good ol USA. I truely beleve if the public had this knowledge, the import seafood would be in serious trouble.

That's good news Jon, I but as little foreign stuff as i can and Never seafood. i have a thing for FRESH seafood. I also buy no Foreign Fruits or vegetables. Wine is my only exception although some of the California wines are the best.