Maryland closes stripped bass season!

[Noto]

Exotics? Striped bass are native to the Chesapeake. They are exotic in the inland states, like mine.

I agree that anglers alone should not bear the consequences of poaching. Unfortunately, DNRs are vulnerable to political influence, and the commercial fishing lobby in Maryland is powerful. Here in my state, commercial fishing is a minor industry, but other lobbies (especially trout anglers and duck hunters) influence the DNR to make bad decisions.

There may be some shady, behind-the-scenes stuff involved here, but probably more important is that the DNR are trying to keep people happy, and they only hear the people who talk to them. The commercial fishermen are talking to them; are you?

 

[Noto]

The commercial fishery is closed, as it should be due to recent poaching events. But is the recreational fishery closed as well?

Well, that kind of undercuts the OPs whole rant.

 

[screaminleeman]

The commercial fishery is closed, as it should be due to recent poaching events. But is the recreational fishery closed as well?

The commercial fishery has only been closed until the investigation is complete. Recreational stripped bass season closes December 15 and picks back up in March. We are around a month away from opening day of Stripped Bass season, and it is my understanding that the decision has already been made to shut down the recreational stripped bass fishery for the entire 2011 season. The artical from the MD DNR website is stating that the stoppage of the commercial fishery is temporary only until the investigation into the crime is complete. It gives every indication that the commercial fishery could be reopened within weeks!

$10,000 reward:

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/dnrnews/pressrelease2011/020811.asp

 

[screaminleeman]

Well, that kind of undercuts the OPs whole rant.

Please read the attached press release from the MD. DNR attached to the above post. The Commercial fishery has only been "temporarily" shut down until the investigation is complete. The recreationl stripper season which is still over a month off has been permanently shut down for the entire 2011 season.

Hindsight is 20/20! Again, if the commercial industry is also shutdown PERMANENTLY for the 2011 season, I am OK with it. That is SERIOUSLY yet to be seen. Mark my words, IT WILL BE OPEN IN 2011. I don't believe that you have any concept of the greed for money in supplying the obeise population with their "jones" for food! This greed WILL make proffers to the "powers that be" in the state. The local government in the state of Maryland will NOT be able to "stick to their guns" and corruption will win over the day!

I am so certain of the corruptability of MD. politics that I am willing to kiss your back side if these uber predictable "moral" politicians do NOT sucumb to the bribery that will no doubt be offered. If you can't understand money and corruption, I only wish that I shared your nievity!

 

[screaminleeman]

Exotics? Striped bass are native to the Chesapeake. They are exotic in the inland states, like mine.

I agree that anglers alone should not bear the consequences of poaching. Unfortunately, DNRs are vulnerable to political influence, and the commercial fishing lobby in Maryland is powerful. Here in my state, commercial fishing is a minor industry, but other lobbies (especially trout anglers and duck hunters) influence the DNR to make bad decisions.

There may be some shady, behind-the-scenes stuff involved here, but probably more important is that the DNR are trying to keep people happy, and they only hear the people who talk to them. The commercial fishermen are talking to them; are you?

OMG yes! My older brother and myself have both contacted the DNR about the 2011 fishing season dilema. At this point, neither of us have recieved a response from the DNR. We are unfortunatly NOT filthy rich and do not seem to rate with the DNR in the least.

Hell I already BOUGHT my 2011 MD. captians fishing license! I bet the DNR will NOT refund my money for this completely and totally worthless junk sticker that will NOT get used in 2011.

At bare minimum the DNR SHOULD HAVE TO refund ALL of we recreational fishermans money for the fishing license(s) that we purchased in good faith PRIOR to the closure of the season, at our request. How is that NOT the only fair thing that they do?

 

[spotfin]

So I read the DNR press release you provided a link to. Thanks for the link.
Perhaps I missed something in it, but nothing is said about the recreational fishery. If that is closed this year, I'm guessing it because of factors other than the commercial poaching. There are a few other things going on in Chesapeake Bay that are affecting striped bass.
The commercial quota for February is 354,318 pounds. Sounds like the DNR has recovered over 10 tons, or 20,000 pounds, of illegally caught striped bass. Good move on their part to close the fishery and assess the catch. If the full quota of 354,318 pounds has not been met yet, then of course the fishery will be opened again.

 

[YOOPER]

Solution: Ban recreational fishing for those like myself and allow the commercial fishing industry to abolish the local fisheries

Where is this comming from? The link provided?

 

[screaminleeman]

So I read the DNR press release you provided a link to. Thanks for the link.
Perhaps I missed something in it, but nothing is said about the recreational fishery. If that is closed this year, I'm guessing it because of factors other than the commercial poaching. There are a few other things going on in Chesapeake Bay that are affecting striped bass.
The commercial quota for February is 354,318 pounds. Sounds like the DNR has recovered over 10 tons, or 20,000 pounds, of illegally caught striped bass. Good move on their part to close the fishery and assess the catch. If the full quota of 354,318 pounds has not been met yet, then of course the fishery will be opened again.

Check out this link. It gives extreme details of the 2010 quotas vs. harvest. It also shows the extreme little impact that recreational hook & line fisherman have on the fishery than the commercial industry does. (This at legal levels, where the majority of illegal hauls also belong to the commercial industry.

Please check it out:

http://www.dnr.md.gov/fisheries/commercial/harvestmonitoring.html

 

[Pandamania]

Confussed, is the commercial fishing poaching or not? Is there a set 'season' for them? And if the fishing area is stocked by DNR or local fishery, have they been subsidised by our txs? This story sucks even more if the tax paying public is helping stock this area,and buying useless fishing license/stamps, and our gov'mt subsidising commercial fishing with OUR $$$ ! (Plus they have cut back so many state and fed jobs, including DNR officers.)

 

[screaminleeman]

Where is this comming from? The link provided?

http://www.dnr.md.gov/fisheries/commercial/harvestmonitoring.html

This link will provide you with the extreme detailed breakdown of the 2010 striped bass harvest. The details are broken down into quotas for various types of commercial and recreational fishing.

This aboration was from the commercial gill net fishing method, and the 20,000 pounds should be deducted from that quota only or at least quotas within the various commercial fishing methods! There should not be any impact toward the recreational striped bass season that is still well over a month away from the catch and release season.

I could care less about lazy fat people wanting to eat delicious striped bass, that the commercial fishing industry is catering to. They should be happy stuffing all four of their chins with farm raised tilapia/ catfish etc...

For cripe's sake, FATSO's will not die if they have to eat tilapia rather than rockfish! Shut the freakin' commercial striped bass industry in Maryland down for all of eternity and I would be a happy camper. Just leave us recreational fisherman OUR very limited quota and seriously punish the responsible parties, or at least their direct industry.

How much do you want to bet that if the state & DNR seriously puts it to the "honest" commercial fishing industry and make it clear that these commercial poachers have for all intent and purposes "killed the goose that laid the golden egg", in the MD. commercial fishing industry, and that they will be put OUT OF BUSINESS FOR GOOD unless these criminal are aprehended, that the guilty parties are round up in next to no time flat?

The attachement states $6,000 reward, where it is now actually up to $10,000. So far no leads. Instead of a 6,000 or 10,000 dollar reward being placed on the heads of these criminals and get no results, use a $100,000,000 per year penalty on the industry and see how quickly the problem is solved. Bottom line, money talks and B.S. walks!