Re: Trout reg proclamations for 2008
Yes they are concerned more with the issues of snapper and shark. However, the RFA and a few other ''çoncerned anglers' are trying to get a ban, or at least limited catch on gulf menahden. They claim the harvest of these, and do not get me wrong they are a very important fish for the ecological helath of our oceans, are overfished and are to blame for a few of our fishery population issues. With their outspoken positions, in the next round of yearly regulation changes, if they win a reduction, or outright ban on menhaden harvest for vitamin supplementation and bait, it will be very hard for them not to support the banning of croaker netting.
I am currently working on a few articles, a number have already beeen published, on flounder and the upcomging regualtion battles we will experience with them. However, once we get some positive changes, Dr. McKinney and the brain trust at TPW fully support a change, I will delve into the croaker netting issue. I am not saying ban them as a bait….but we need to make sure the fishery is not in danger of over harvest and our bays'healths are not placed under stress from shallow water netting techniques through seagrasses. Not to mention, I really want to see someone do a bi-catch study on croaker trawls…any biologists wanna stand up? Duece?
Stay tuned!
