Petition against midwater trawling inshore

[twofinbluna]

A fisherman from Cape Cod put this petition together...this is an important effort and definitely worth signing. Check it out:

Midwater Trawl Petition

(You dont have to make any donations or anything, just sign it. Some guys on other sites were not able to figure that out at first, so wanted to make clear!)

[BoundForGlory]

It's great to want to increase the fish stocks but if they have nothing to eat what's the point? There's a post on here in regards to the Bluefin fishery around Prince Edward Island and how the Bluefin there are in better shape then else where, one reson due to the amount of bait in the area! The trawlers had been forced out of the area. It's my position that we need to protect fish such as Herring, Mackeral, Bunker, in order to rebuild stocks of tuna, sharks, stripers, billfish, etc.

[seavee capt]

Signed and sent, we need more forage for the big fish, they just dont stick around with no food.

[oldmud]

Thanks Chris, Did mine from the other site !!

Don

[twofinbluna]

It's great to want to increase the fish stocks but if they have nothing to eat what's the point?

EXACTLY! Even if we somehow were able to get ICCAT fisheries on the other side to follow the rules, it would not matter for us here because there would not be enough herring and other bait to bring the fish in and keep them here. The midwater boats ruined the tuna fishery here and so if we want to have a better fishery, its a no brainer that we need to deal with the midwater boat problem. It is not enough to try and deal with ICCAT, we need to also deal with the bait issue if we want fish.

PEI does not allow this type of fishing on herring in their waters and so it is no surpise to me and most others why they have such a great fishery while ours has declined to almost nothing. If the midwater boats want to fish, they should do it offshore...165' foot pair trawlers have no place inshore, IMO.

[seavee capt]

This is an important petition, if you care about the future of Bluefin and its fishery in this country. These fish need substantial forage, if they cant find it, they move on. If they move on, we dont catch 'em, the Canadians do. If we dont catch, our quotas will be reduced. I cant believe with 189 views between this thread and Capt Brian Daley's thread on Mix it up., only 5 replies? C'mon, take a minute and read through the petition, if you agree with it, support it. If not, then dont.
I've seen our fishery for Giants up here go to hell in few short years, and its not coincidental that these boats showed up, inshore about that time. my$.02

[fmoore]

Signed. I agree, all the focus is on getting the tuna stocks back up to where they need to be. Thats all good and well, but if there's no bait, they're not going to come back anyway.

[Double D]

I signed it, but I think that petition could have been worded better.

[Fishypantsmagoo]

signed and sent.

[austin ensor]

sighed it hope it helps..