Not just a recreational moratorium but a no possession moratorium for commercial and recreational for 3-5 years. And not just Maryland, the entire east coast and gulf coast. Essentially the same approach that brought back the strippers (rockfish). Just looking for inputs from recreational and commercial people, thanks!
Would you support a flounder moratorium?
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GWguy
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itsbob
I bowl overhand
How is a moratorium on flounder going to help bring back striped bass?
What do Striped Bass have to do with the out of work strippers from Rose's??
struggler44
A Salute to all on Watch
Same Odor? :shrug:
For years I have been touting getting rid of the menhaden fishery in the bay. Virginia is the problem, Omega Proteins in Reedville has some influential people in their pockets. The number one forage fish in the bay is menhaden. The loss of the menhaden has resulted in reduction in almost every fish in the bay. In turn, stripers are turning to small crabs for food causing a further reduction in crabs. The bay is in a death spiral unless we can control the commercial rape. I know they are trying to make a living but why take all there is today and have none tomorrow? Since the market price of frozen medhaden is so low, it would seem that just to cover expenses they must have to take huge quantities.
Back to the flounder, some studies show a 90% mortality rate for released fish. I would submit that we should have a limit of 4-5 fish but you have to keep the fish you catch. Once you get you limit, you are done. No more release mortality! And also, make the commercial by catch be kept and sold but also recorded since the by catch fish die anyway. OK, off my rant!
itsbob
I bowl overhand
PrepH4U
New Member
Dumb question as I am not a fisherman... What good would be taking home the fish and throwing them away vs throwing them back and allowing the fish and crabs eat them. :shrug:
bcp
In My Opinion
If you catch and release you might throw 10 or so back, but if you have to keep what you catch and carry it home, you only end up taking the 4 or 5.
I never thought of an idea like that before, but if you think about it, its almost brilliant.
as far as the commercial fisherman, make it law that they can not specifically go after flounder, however if the accidently catch a few, they can keep them.
If they come in with 400lbs of flounder, its sort of obvious that they were going after them.
itsbob
I bowl overhand
A lot of fisherman cull..
THey'll catch their limit, then catch more and as they catch bigger fish throw the little ones back, and they die. So you lose their limit PLUS all the fish they culled.
Limit them to the first five (or so) fish caught regardless of size, make the culling part ilegal, and at the most you can only lose a fishermans limit every day. You could cut the loss or harvest of fish by more than 50%.
Of course is it enforceable.. NO.. If they cull, Fish and Game stop the boat, and you have your limit on board, how can they prove those weren't the only fish you caught? How can they tell if the five fish on board were the first five you caught, of the last five of the 25 you caught? No way of telling, another unenforceable law.
The only way one could be caught is if Fish and Game actually saw you actively culling your catch.
huntr1
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Of course is it enforceable.. NO.. If they cull, Fish and Game stop the boat, and you have your limit on board, how can they prove those weren't the only fish you caught? How can they tell if the five fish on board were the first five you caught, of the last five of the 25 you caught? No way of telling, another unenforceable law.
It is true that it is not enforceable, but I still believe the majority of outdoors people are honest and concerned enough about the resources to comply. Even today there are those that don't follow the fish and game laws but I believe they are in the minority.
It is true that it is not enforceable, but I still believe the majority of outdoors people are honest and concerned enough about the resources to comply. Even today there are those that don't follow the fish and game laws but I believe they are in the minority.
Read the attached from a 2007 study. Google "east coast flounder population" for a myriad of information.
What's Good for Bass is Good for Flounder - The Pew Charitable Trusts
somdshootnet
New Member
I love to see this on the Blue Crabs and Oysters as well. Remember when a small crab was 10" ???? I do.
Crewdawg141
IYAMYAS!!!!!
Yes, as well as crabs or at minimum female crabs, stripers, menhaden, and oysters.