Gloucester tuna/groundfish fisherman: Midwater trawl lobby clouds herring waters

[twofinbluna]

From today's Portsmouth Herald: RB sets record straight

"First of all, let it be clear to your readers that the "conspiracy theory" story that the midwater lobby and their PR firm have been spreading about who is leading this fight for better management of the herring fishery is a bunch of nonsense.

Fishermen (both commercial and recreational), whale watchers and others who work on the water have been working together since at least 2001 to address the problems the herring midwater trawl fleet were causing throughout the Gulf of Maine."

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Great piece written by a well known Gloucester groundfisherman...hits the nail on the head!

[shoefish]

One cannot possibly understand the damage to the biomass that the midwater trawlers can have until they are sitting on a spot one day, marking herring from top to bottom, and then return the next morning to find the trawlers steaming away...leaving only a trail of herring scales.

[twofinbluna]

One cannot possibly understand the damage to the biomass that the midwater trawlers can have until they are sitting on a spot one day, marking herring from top to bottom, and then return the next morning to find the trawlers steaming away...leaving only a trail of herring scales.

Well said, shoefish

[captkev1]

Yeah but its not just herring scales, Its every other fish they trawl up trying to get herring and just toss over the side to die.

[Seaker]

Days of watching my fish finder light up all red blob of bait are alas gone for now since this practice was allowed.

Make no doubt about it this destruction of the bio mass and all other other creatures that are in thier path is just criminal