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Randy · 03-21-2006, 07:26 AM

I hope the regulation of the Sword fishery doesnt go like others. It's great the snook are coming back but again but Im left at the dock here watching fishermen cleaning HUNDREDS of 20" dolphin with comparatively few large one since the 20" minimum was set. Im looking (diving) at the reefs/wrecks for a SINGLE grouper over 24" and seeing NONE though once in awhile someone catches one. Im looking for all those monster snapper that used to be EVERYWHERE as I was growing up thick under every docked boat . Now im watching as the commercial lobster guys pull their traps every year early because "The catch is so low it just isnt cost effective to drop them" etc. , etc., on + on ! All im saying is I dont think it's too smart to harvest a species BEFORE it has propagated the species. I suggest to everyone that with the stopping of the commercial longlines the sword population will rebound some then as marine environment continues to decline and fishing pressure from the ever increasing swordfishing population increases the fish will "top out" and begin to decline just as the above mentioned species. I suggest we'll begin to get fewer and fewer big ones and start to take more and more small swords . We used to have plenty of 50# grouper , the population grew so we had 40s then 30s now we have a 24" minimum and I dont see hardly any even that big. So when someone says "the fishery is good" I have to ask "compared to when?" 40 years ago when the fish were THICK ? or last year when it was depleted ?
"Ft Lauderdale , Fishing capital of the World" ???? I used to think there were so many big dolphin out there i didnt have to worry about their depletion in my lifetime. I was wrong. I watched in just 10 years that heavy concentration of Monster dolphin go to what we have today. Compared to last year we're doing only a little worse , compared to 10 years ago we got Squat . I sincerely hope im wrong but the marine environment declined today and the number of boats headin out to the sword grounds looked like I-95. I have to say "I don't think it's a good idea to harvest a species before it has had time to propagate " . I dont think im being "adamant' I think im just telling everyone what I think is the truth. It's easy to dispute it and im open to change my mind. Simply tell me how it's GOOD for the species to harvest it before it propagates the species. It's just my opinion using time , logic and removing my personal feelings . Id love to be proven wrong. Id love to not think my 51" fish doesn't "take from" but rather "adds to" the overall health of the fishery. Someone tell me with logic how it's good for the fishery to harvest the species BEFORE it propagates the species. Im afraid logically I keep coming up with the same answer. Whether I like it or not a "spade is a spade" . Randy

03-21-2006, 07:26 AM	#82 (permalink)
Randy Hooked Up Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 124	I hope the regulation of the Sword fishery doesnt go like others. It's great the snook are coming back but again but Im left at the dock here watching fishermen cleaning HUNDREDS of 20" dolphin with comparatively few large one since the 20" minimum was set. Im looking (diving) at the reefs/wrecks for a SINGLE grouper over 24" and seeing NONE though once in awhile someone catches one. Im looking for all those monster snapper that used to be EVERYWHERE as I was growing up thick under every docked boat . Now im watching as the commercial lobster guys pull their traps every year early because "The catch is so low it just isnt cost effective to drop them" etc. , etc., on + on ! All im saying is I dont think it's too smart to harvest a species BEFORE it has propagated the species. I suggest to everyone that with the stopping of the commercial longlines the sword population will rebound some then as marine environment continues to decline and fishing pressure from the ever increasing swordfishing population increases the fish will "top out" and begin to decline just as the above mentioned species. I suggest we'll begin to get fewer and fewer big ones and start to take more and more small swords . We used to have plenty of 50# grouper , the population grew so we had 40s then 30s now we have a 24" minimum and I dont see hardly any even that big. So when someone says "the fishery is good" I have to ask "compared to when?" 40 years ago when the fish were THICK ? or last year when it was depleted ? "Ft Lauderdale , Fishing capital of the World" ???? I used to think there were so many big dolphin out there i didnt have to worry about their depletion in my lifetime. I was wrong. I watched in just 10 years that heavy concentration of Monster dolphin go to what we have today. Compared to last year we're doing only a little worse , compared to 10 years ago we got Squat . I sincerely hope im wrong but the marine environment declined today and the number of boats headin out to the sword grounds looked like I-95. I have to say "I don't think it's a good idea to harvest a species before it has had time to propagate " . I dont think im being "adamant' I think im just telling everyone what I think is the truth. It's easy to dispute it and im open to change my mind. Simply tell me how it's GOOD for the species to harvest it before it propagates the species. It's just my opinion using time , logic and removing my personal feelings . Id love to be proven wrong. Id love to not think my 51" fish doesn't "take from" but rather "adds to" the overall health of the fishery. Someone tell me with logic how it's good for the fishery to harvest the species BEFORE it propagates the species. Im afraid logically I keep coming up with the same answer. Whether I like it or not a "spade is a spade" . Randy