Trying to run us out??????

[DEReeves]

Maybe it's just me but it seems that the states are trying to run us out of the commerical fishing industry. There are more and more restrictions every year it seems, closed waters, limited entry etc. I understand limited entry to some extent, at one time my part of Texas was over run with full and part time commercial fishermen putting a lot of strain on the industry BUT it does not allow a new generation of fishermen to follow those of us now in the business. The fishing tradition is dying slowly among us Cajuns I know that for sure.

The part that aggravates me is that each rule setting session results in a new device on my pots rings, escape doors now turtle excluders on the horizon. I understand taking care of the environment but whats next. I believe the decline in crab numbers here is due in largely to the ban on commercial fishing for red drum, black drum, and sheepshead the major portion of their diet being small crabs overall and juvenile oysters for the latter two. That fishery should have been managed not eliminated.

Waterfront development and dredge spoil areas have covered a lot of marsh necessary to produce shrimp, crabs, fish and oysters.

Bottom line is commercial fishermen bear the bulk of the blame and regulations simply because we are not organized, have no union, no lobbyists and are for the most part independent. With our dwindling numbers our voice becomes weaker.

There is a middle ground to all these issues that no rule maker seems to want to take a look at. It all depends on what lobbyist gets to them first.

This government would rather see imported seafood than domestic, that is as plain as day or maybe its just me.

[horsefly]

Hmm first off be thankful you can work and make money. But not to digress, in my honest opinion, every state with blue crabs SHOULD require cull rings on ALL crab pots (excluding peeler). There is a ton of recreational fishermen who are in every state pushing for harder restrictions because they feel if you can't fill your 100qt cooler in a hour of Red Drum, trout, flounder it's all due to over commercial fishing. What those people don't see is the guideline/rule book that comms have already in place to safe guard by-catches and or certain species. Politicians, well they see recs that visit their state generate x amount of money and will do anything to keep it, including over building in wetland area or areas deemed as such. Yes, we keep pointing the finger but as a whole we all are to blame for not pushing for your/our rights as comm whether DMF/WILDLIFE people take action your voice needs to be heard.
  You have brought up something that has been brought up on this website as long as I can remember. In the short, government regulators will never meet on a even keel with hard working back bone of Americans, the commercial fishermen. (sadly)

[DEReeves]

I fully agree with cull rings, as a matter of fact mine are oversize to keep down the number of small crabs retained in my pots. I agree with most of the regulations on the pots themselves. Overfishing is not the entire reason for low numbers. Dams upriver throw the salinity off in the bays, water quality due to pollution etc. contribute to the problem. "Overfishing" is relative to the number of crabs produced in the wild, loss of habitat and altered habitat results in less crabs. To address the lower numbers, unorganized harversters are much easier to attack than developers and the dredge spoil areas. I don't mind doing my share with rings, excluders and the like, I'd like to see everyone else responsible for the decline to bear equal "blame".

[DEReeves]

Left this off the last post: AND be required by law to do their part to address this issue. You are right though, it's an old problem.

[rdbeard]

i see that your from Texas but from your post i was thinking you were from maryland.

[Crabslayer]

i see that your from Texas but from your post i was thinking you were from maryland.

EDF has their hand in every state.

[jack1747]

What is "EDF"?

[Crabbyd]

What is "EDF"?

Environmental Defense Fund

http://www.edf.org/home.cfm

[saltysenior]

 the majority of voters , and a vast majority of future voters are sensitive to environmental issues.....the people who are in charge know this so many rules are put in place to appease these people...unfortunately there are wackos who will never be satisfied until there is NO fishing,hunting,trapping,& even crabbing.....and every one eats fruits and veggies......the sad part is that they are winning this deal very rapidly       

[Seaweed]

What is "EDF"?

Eradicating
Da
Fishermen

[CrabDog]

Eradicating
Da
Fishermen

yea they rank up there with PETA.. People Eating Tasty Animals......  bit fanatical..

[Mr. Ray III]

EDF here to help the watermen but they are contracted with the DNR.....

[Crabbyd]

EDF here to help the watermen but they are contracted with the DNR.....

Ray

You mean "help" the watermen..................into looking for new jobs?

[doggfish55]

I am 26 year old Comm. Blue Crabber and darn proud of it. I quit a job making 50+ a year to do this because i loved doing it as a kid. I see people work their life away at a job they hate just to have their pention taken, then they get replaced and booted to the street. If they do make it to retirement then they only get enough to scrape by. I would rather scrape by doing what i love.

Just rember who they will be calling when they need something in their hungry little stoumachs.

[Mr. Ray III]

Ray

You mean "help" the watermen..................into looking for new jobs?

In a nutshell....