BOHICA

[red_yakker]

CAM, I highly doubt that all of that $5,380,435,750.00 spent last year in tackle shops was specifically for grouper. Also, do you have any statistics on the amount of grouper sold by local wholesalers? How much money have the seafood restaurants made this year by serving grouper?

Also, I don't know what kind of commercial net fisherman you are referring to, but all of the mullet fisherman I know who use nets, catch only mullet. They use nets with a finer mesh than they used to be allowed to, and they are not allowed to cynch the bottom. They simply corral the fish into a tight school, using the net as more of a wall than a trapping device, then jump into the water with the fish and scoop them out using landing nets. This allows them to be selective, and also allows a lot of the mullet to escape both under and over the net. And yes, the guys I know will keep a trout or two for dinner once in a while, but they can't sell them, so they normally turn them back unharmed (i use the phrase "turn them back" loosely; they never actually even touch the fish with their hands most of the time). Something tells me that most of the bi-catch you all are refferring too are inshore fish caught in commercial shrimping nets, not grouper.

[red_yakker]

I'm worried that as stocks recover going forward and seasons get re-opened, it could easily be the case that the feds under liberal guidance side with using the stock as a feeding resource for the nation giving the bulk, if not all, allocations to the netters providing fish to the public even if they also put the biggest dent in the numbers. This could easily have us individual rod & reel fishermen left out of the game. Again, time will tell.

I'm not sure whether or not you were being serious here, either way it is hilarious!

[big bend gyrene]

I'm not sure whether or not you were being serious here, either way it is hilarious!

Dead serious, red yakker. Again, I'm basing the comment on many "greater good for the masses" arguments the administration has made, putting public interests above private ones. Many, many, many comments and actions they've taken justify such socialism based fears.

Don't forget, one of Obama's key men, Cass Sunstein, has publicly declared that he wishes for lawsuits against humans in the name of animal rights, with the animals having legal representation. Maybe that strikes you as hilarious, but sure doesn't strike me as the least bit funny, though it does strike me as quite insane...


Just hoping and praying that a change happens in 8 days that will mark the beginning of a move back to the respect of individual rights and freedoms.

[MudDucker]

CAM, I highly doubt that all of that $5,380,435,750.00 spent last year in tackle shops was specifically for grouper. Also, do you have any statistics on the amount of grouper sold by local wholesalers? How much money have the seafood restaurants made this year by serving grouper?

Also, I don't know what kind of commercial net fisherman you are referring to, but all of the mullet fisherman I know who use nets, catch only mullet. They use nets with a finer mesh than they used to be allowed to, and they are not allowed to cynch the bottom. They simply corral the fish into a tight school, using the net as more of a wall than a trapping device, then jump into the water with the fish and scoop them out using landing nets. This allows them to be selective, and also allows a lot of the mullet to escape both under and over the net. And yes, the guys I know will keep a trout or two for dinner once in a while, but they can't sell them, so they normally turn them back unharmed (i use the phrase "turn them back" loosely; they never actually even touch the fish with their hands most of the time). Something tells me that most of the bi-catch you all are refferring too are inshore fish caught in commercial shrimping nets, not grouper.

No, it is not all spent on grouper, but if you continue to unreasonably restrict recreational fishing, people get the idea that fishermen are not welcome. Having said that, there is a significant amount spent on recreational grouper and snapper fishing. Although I don't know of any specific data, I will be willing to bet that the recreational grouper and snapper monies alone exceed the commercial fishery's contribution to Florida's economy.

As for netters, I've seen different. Back before the ban, I saw significant numbers of netters who targeted trout. Inshore redfish were harder to target because they liked areas inhospitable to nets. Offshore breeders were easy targets.