My name is Larry; I am 61 years old, and like you, have been fishing since I was very young. I read your articles every week, even though I live in Massachusetts and never fish in Florida. Like you, I remember those days many years ago when there were so very many fish in the ocean and we caught them by the bundles when we could.
But, I saw the demise of the fish populations here caused by another reason than those that you mentioned in your article about catch and release.
Up here in MA and NH, we catch cod, pollock, haddock, flounder, striped bass, bluefin tuna, etc. Back in the 50's, my father used to take me and rent a wooden skiff for a small amount for the day's fishing. We had a 10 horsepower Mercury outboard that we would put on the skiff. It was ample power for the 16 foot flat bottom craft. My pop is dead now but his fishing trips live on inside my heart, just like you and your pop.
We would generally fish out of the Merrimac river mouth either inside the river or just outside the mouth a short distance, and I can remember seeing giant sized schools of 15 pound cod and pollock crashing bait out of the water from the boat as far as the eye could see on the horizon. Huge bluefin tuna were very common and were even caught as close inshore as the beach and were frequently harpooned by larger boats.
What brought on the depletion of the fish, wasn't angling as we do, but was the huge commercial foreign factory ships, from Russia mainly. They could come in close to the shore and would drag huge nets with cables that could be seen for miles away behind the ship because they were so huge.
These trawlers would fish there day in and day out despite the hooting and hollering by the local fishermen and they did this for years, until the government finally passed the 200 mile limit. But, by the time this happened, it was too late and the fish stocks never recovered from the massive slaughter of those vessels.
Once the 200 mile limit was enacted, the fish stocks were badly depleted and with the US commercial boats trying to make a living, it has never recovered. I can't foresee that it ever will.
With all the newer electronics that have enabled more precision fishing in areas that are fished frequently, by more commercial boats, recovery of fish stocks is for the most part, non existent, or very little at best.
I agree that the recreational angler does play a part in the overall problem, but not to the extent the commercial fishery does. I am not bashing the commercial fishery, just pointing out the fact that the commercial fishery catches much, much more fish than the recreational angler does, and the government allows it because of money paid into the coffers.
I enjoy catching striped bass, but I do not care for the flesh in particular. There is a two fish limit with a size limit of minimum 28 inches, and that is fine with me. But, the commercial striper fishermen have a completely different set of rules and catch many more fish to sell.
I do not approve of that policy and feel the striped bass should be off limits to commercial fishing entirely. But all of the fish that used to be big and plentiful are in short supply nowadays and catch and release is just a small part of the conservation efforts that should be going on to rebuild the fish stocks.
The government should allow the commercial licenses issued to drop in number by attrition so as not to put people out of business and allow only a limited number of boats so that those that do, can make a descent living.
The boats and electronics of today are very efficient at finding and catching the fish, unlike years ago, but costs of long trips far out to sea are costing a lot in gasoline and time in man hours and expenses in order to make a living because of the lack of inshore fish stocks. This is not right and should not be necessary.
At one time Halibut and swordfish were also in the common category up here, but are no longer since they have gone the way the other fish have. And it is obvious that "catch and release" is not the ticket here.
And lastly, catch and release is a good program, but when fishing deep water for Codfish and Haddock especially, release is moot because the fish will die because of the bladder expansion when they are pulled up and are often dead or nearly so when they reach the surface.
So, in essence, my feelings on the whole overall issue is that catch and release is a good policy in many instances, but not good enough to make the difference we need to bring back the numbers and size of fish like we can both remember. I feel that politics and money currently and will always prevent the return of the fish stocks to the wonder it once was, all over the world.
I can only say that I am fortunate to have lived in a time when those fish were here and I could have the chance to see them with my own eyes, unlike our kids and grandchildren who cannot even imagine such a grand spectacle as we saw and experienced when we were still small.
Praise all efforts to increase the fish stocks, but I believe there will never be enough or sufficient efforts made to really do the job. I still fish, but I am often frustrated that money has ruined such a great asset that we once had.
Sincerely from one of your ardent readers,
Larry Beauregard
Comments anyone?
