Ridiculous.
How about a major reduction in the dragger quotas and and increase in the length limit. I believe they still keep (legally) smaller fish...14" and above, or something like that.
The continued commercial decimation of the stocks SHOULD not mean the destruction of the recreational fishery.
The NEFMC really needs to get there act together and be forcibly reformed. The commerical leveraging and involvement are a plain and simple conflict of interest here.
At the rate it is going, the commercial fleets will be dragging for Sea Robin and Skate within the next few years, and it'll be $10.99/# at the market. Look at the viable stocks we have left in the NE. The Cod fishery is smoked, the Spiny Dogfish popluation (of males and sub-breeding age females) is at an all time high (sea rats on parade), The Fluke fishery is obviously in distress....what next?
Bottom line, lack of control by the managing bodies. It's a no-win scenario. If you cut back the quotas further and increase length limits, the commercial guys are crippled. If they continue to fish as they are, they cripple themselves. In the end, the commercial fishery in NE will be decimated either way. There is a balance, however, it will cost many fishing ports their livleyhood, and thousands of jobs will be lost. The complete disregard for stock viability by the commercial interests is the root of this whole problem. The solution is not simple, nor cheap. If MAJOR concessions are not made in the very near future (2-3 years, max), the fishing history of NE will be just that, history. Once stocks are depleted to a sub-sustainable level, it can (and does) take a decade or more, undisturbed, to have a chance of recovery. By Catch in itself, prohibits this type of recovery.
It is plain and simply sad to see what has been done in the past 25 years.
LIS was a virtual cornicopia in the late 70's and early 80's (obviously, with Stripers being so regulated, you had to get a 40# to even be a keeper, but they were very scarce then).
My fear, in the end, is that we will only be fishing for Bluefish & Stripers only in
LIS in the near future. The Blackfish regs may be changing as well from what I have heard, due to the abuse of that fishery. Throwback mortality is a major problem, and livewells are not proven to solve the issue (and we all know, culling is illegal in CT waters).
Sad state of affairs. I can only hope, and continue to write the letters I do, so that my children and theirs have opportunities in the
LIS and NE waters when they grow up.