fishcounterbob

Anyone seen the pogy boats yet? From what I hear they are entitled to 50% of the estimated biomass in the bay with strict LOL daily limits and reporting. Then they are shut down when the quota is reached.

Albatross

They have been working in Mt. Hope Bay for about a week now.....

Scup

Boy oh boy,

I thought CT and RI learned their lesson the last time around with these pogy boats. I have seen them in the past operate just South of the Thames River, and even just South of the Newport Bridge. These were the only times I have ever seen the Commercial and Recreational sectors agree on anything. I am starting to really think there has to be something wrong mentally for our States to allow these floating fish factories to decimate our game fish food supply just so they can makes a few bucks allowing this vital resource to be cleaned out. These fish only end up being cat food or fertilizer. I had to stop once to watch these factories in action. The smaller net boats come alongside and then they pump the fish into the hull of the mother ship. One could see the fish flying through the air. I really thought our regulators were intelligent enough to put and end to this horrible practice. Even worse, these pogy boats are not even local. For one, I am really losing my respect for any governmental agency that allows such a slaughter to occur. Here they are micromanaging our game fish stocks to a handful of fish per fisherman, and with size limits measured to the 1/2 inch, and then they allow their food supply to be eliminated for a few bucks. If someone could explain it to me as why this is fine it would be appreciated as I would like to correct my thought process. Right now it appears to me that our regulators are either stupid, do not care about protecting our fish stocks, or have been bought.

__________________
"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go" by William Feather

74Formula233

LOL

__________________

Bob & Mag

It's truely a waste of a resource. No baitfish, no fish.
And PLEASE spare me the commercial CRAP! It just may be
time it goes the way of the market hunters. You decimate the
fish populations and wonder why no one is on your side.
I've got lots to say about this nonsense but high blood pressure
is keeping me from really getting into it.
How can they regulate when they don't have a clue how many
rec fisherman there are and what they are fishing for and catching.
I predict a rude awakening when they find out just how many recs
there are and how much MORE money they put into the economy
than the commercials.

__________________
Smoke free 8+ Months!

Scup

Bob, I think you might have misread me. I am commerical, and am strongly against these pogy boats in our waters. I do not know of any local commerical pin fishermen in our area that has any love for them either. I have never met met a recreational angler who did not wish they would just go away. It took decades before the big menhaden returned the last time they allowed them to be wiped out. I still remember the fee the pogy boats had to pay thirty years ago; $500 a pop to clean out one of the most valuable resources we have. Both the Connecticut recreational and Connecticut commerical anglers were horrified at what our state had allowed for just a handful of money. I really thought it was the outrage of the entire fishing community that forced our state not to issue licenses for this stupidity. Now, I am not sure if it was our outrage or the boats left because there simply was no herring left to harvest. Finally I am seeing some decent sized herring around. Something really does not add up here. It is in the DEP's charter to look after the commercial and recreational interests, while maintaining the fish stocks. I really do not give a dam about the fertilizer and pet food industry which causes southern boats to come into our waters to destroy a vital resource with the blessing of our state officials and all for a small fee. I would like to know what part of their charter the DEP thinks they are performing. The local pin commerical guys do not want them here, the recreational community does not want them here, and the DEP is not protecting the fish stocks. Unless things have changed drastically this is how it used to be played out. A huge factory (mother ship) will come onto the scene. Smaller local boats will harvest what they can and then turn their catch over to the mother ship. The fish were transferred to the mother ship by fish pumps. The mother ship is a floating factory and does not leave until her hull is full. Typically the Mother ship will be out of Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, or points south. I had thought this practice had ended. In fact, by Connecticut's own 2008 Marine Fisheries Information Circular, purse seining is illegal, and commercial fishermen cannot transfer fish from one boat to another.

__________________
"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go" by William Feather