National Fisherman - gateway to some commercial perspectives

[RiskTaker]

Recreational fishing is fine and dandy for all of us recreational anglers. We would simply love to have all of the resource pie to ourselves, if possible.

Captain Ollie mentioned the Commercial Fisherman Magazine as a reading reference to get a better perspective from the Commercial fishing vantage point. Note that it is also an on-line publication too: http://www.nationalfisherman.com/hom...id=102&cid=103
I would suggest to read selected articles to become better informed on commercial interests, before any bashing starts. Once better educated, at least any bashing will be coming from an informed perspective.

However, in light of the fact that we are dealing with public resources, at large, the commercial fishermen have been commissioned to do the fishing for all of those that do not have the boats, or the inclination to go out and catch, seafood products for themselves. (And that would include me too, since I do not gather all seafood that I eat strictly by my personal fishing endeavours. So my finger may also be pointiing into the mirror.)

Unfortunately, because the commercial fishing practices, seem to take the lion's share, or major percentage, of any given resource, we find it very easy to point the finger at commercial fishermen as the menacing culprit to blame for diminished resources, which for the most part is true. Whereas, the real monster is the grand total of the human/animal consumers that have motivated these people to get the seafood products for them.

Levels of accountability are lost in this identity switch, because it is now is a shell game: who is the responsible one here? But in reallity we (everyone is to blame) for over-consumption of a resource. We point to management officials to do a better job at managing the resources to ensure that "the monster" does not over consume. And we also get very angry when the individual fisherman gets a pittance of what he could catch if he were able, by legal limits, to catch more or in some cases a reasonable limit (ie. 1 grouper per person for a recreational limit.) So long as we are willing to spend $50/lb. to accomplish this limit, I guess the beat goes on.

I firmly believe that limits are necessary. I also belive that recreational anglers should be able to catch a reasonable amount of fish, to satisfy a non-commercial appetite. The balance needs to be regulated in what the commercial interests are allowed to catch. Somehow it seems that this role is reversed, with perhaps the exception for swordfishing in the Southeast because long-line commercial fishing is presently dis-allowed in this zone.

We certainly need to accurately assess seafood fishery stocks, and adjust takes to ensure a sustainable and healthy resource. But if recreational pressure only accounts for a small percentage of the overall take, very small limits should not apply to the recreational guy. The larger mega-monster needs to got on a restricted seafood diet instead.

But don't simply blame the commercial fisherman for these deeds. Blame the people that are pulling the strings to enable the commercial fisherman to look bad in the public eye. They are the hired guns to catch the fish and sincerely believe that they are just doing their job. It is very difficult to have a conscience when that is your job, and you are rewarded to catch more seafood product (and/or generate a better profit). The regulation must come from an arms-length transaction: otherwise, greed will perpetuate and a seafood resource will be the ultimate victim.