Longliners: and they wonder why our fisheries are dying

Alkie · Post by **Alkie** » October 6th, 2005, 11:59 am

As you can see here this is a 100% mortality rate. Several of the shorts, although released are still dead. If they turn these loose in our Gulf, we can realistically expect 8+ months per year of closed grouper seasons, bag limits similar to redfish, and a commercial raping of our fishery. This makes me sick just looking at it

disclaimer this was gleaned form the Flordia sportsman forum, but I felt that it should be shown here

Post by RC » October 7th, 2005, 10:28 am

It's obvious that we are butting our heads against a brick wall trying to convince a group of people with ties to commercial fishing to change their ways. Much like the gillnetting the only way the people are going to bring some sense to this issue is some sort of constitutional amendment. We can't get through a federal amendment. We can only fight it at a state level.
What about this?

State Constitutional Amendment to Eliminate Longline Boats from our State Waters.

1. Longline boats can not be based in Florida.
2. Longline boats can not fish in State waters.
3. Longline boats can not land their fish in Florida.
4. Longline caught fish can not be sold in Florida.

Can't beat the Feds but we can make it more difficult for the longliners to work in Florida.

Might as well add that the Recreational and Commercial should share the resource 50/50.

Post by **Nathan** » October 7th, 2005, 11:36 am

Just a heads up that those aren't red grouper. I definitely agree with you on eliminating longliners, and that it will need to be done at the state level. Getting the FWC to take complete control of Florida's fisheries, both state and federal waters, is also something that needs to be done. Get the NMFS out of our fisheries planning and things will look a lot better.

Nathan

Post by **Tom Keels** » October 7th, 2005, 1:00 pm

I agree on all counts exept # 2 which wouldn't help. Longliners already have to stay deeper than 20 fathoms (120 feet) which means they are already out of state waters. How about no longline fishing in United States waters period?

Post by **Nathan** » October 7th, 2005, 4:20 pm

A lot of people are proposing to move the longliners out past the 100 fathom line. This would basically eliminate the longlining fishery for grouper.

Nathan

Alkie · Post by **Alkie** » October 7th, 2005, 4:47 pm

SImply put. Every time we give an inch they will take a mile. The only real trend I see every year is shortened seasons, lower bag limits, more restrictive regulations, and a growing multiple billion dollar a year commercial seafood market. I hate it, but that seems to be the way things are going