Mikie, You are correct in that those measures limit access and opportunity; But they are consistant and give stability and equal access to all. It doesnt punish the guys who tend to fish the end of the seasons for not getting in early and creating a "race to the fish". It is not necessarily the direct harvest of fish that drives recreational fish like commercial fishing, It is the opportunity and access to fish. The opportunity to harvest fish is a driving force in participation though. This is where managers have to balance the opportunities with access through season lengths, creel limits, size limits, etc. to maximize use in a sustainable way.
Reds, What you may call greed, others call proper management. As stated before, with the current allocations our managers are selling our gold resource at copper prices. MSSA is not calling for gamefish status or an end to the commercial harvest, just a reallocation to bring the split in line with the demands and needs in the state. It certainly will be interesting to see how this shakes out..
BTW, I am just a MSSA member so do not take my thoughts and positions as those of the organization.
Last edited by B-Faithful; 11-18-2010 at 02:24 PM.
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