Stirring the Pot. Play Nice Fellas!

[Spot77]

Since this is a Rex fishing site mostly I don't want to start any crap, but I came upon this letter and thought I would share it.


Edit: crap......I can't upload it from my phone. I will upload it fromy laptop shortly.

[Spot77]

Let's see if this works......

[Spot77]

In case you can't view it or download it, the DNR has decided to reduce the allowable catch by 5% to offset the amount of illegal fish they assume are being caught.

Basically they're punishing the legal commercial guys to compensate for the crimes committed by illegal netters.

[B-Faithful]

very few signatures... there are 141 delegates in the general assembly and they only could get 8 signatures... I am sure it went into the round file.

They are lucky it is only 5% given the history of poaching in the bay and the current problems. The Dec gillnet hold back was 12680lbs... That equated to less than one of the net finds in the spring. Without the hold back, MD would be even more under the gun come the winter ASMFC meetings. Especuially since DNR doesnt even have all the new management/enforcement measures in place when they opened the gillnet fishery.

[Spot77]

I think the letter is a bit of "chest thumping" by a few Delegates on the shore and in the rural areas who have been promoting their anti-Omalley campaign, "War on Rural Md."

Otherwise....as you noted, they would have taken the time to get more people onboard.

With legislation, the more cosponsors a bill has, typically the more serious it's taken. And in this state, any bill being proposed by a Republican is rarely given a second glance. Same applies to this letter I'm afraid.

[B-Faithful]

I should note that I am not sure I support the "hold back". To me it seems that DNR is basically stating that they know they cannot manage or control the commercial net fisheries so this gives them a cushion, per se. However the hold back is based on "unknowns" as they dont know the degree of the poaching problems or have a handle on them. Here again, DNR is acting on "unknowns" to reduce fisheries just as they did with the preseason catch and release restrictions.