All entries by this author

MORE BAD NEWS FOR STRIPED BASS…

Feb 4th, 2010 | By Capt. John McMurray | Category: Conservation, Lead Article, News

ASMFC moves forward with addendum increasing commercial harvest,
while New York takes steps toward a directed trawl fishery.




CONSERVATION LOOSES A CHAMPION

Feb 2nd, 2010 | By Capt. John McMurray | Category: Conservation, News

CCA Mourns Passing of Walter Fondren Visionary conservationist helped change the way marine resources are managed HOUSTON, TX – The conservation community lost one of its true visionaries with the passing of Coastal Conservation Association founder Walter W. Fondren III last week in Houston. A passionate conservationist, avid hunter and skilled fisherman, Fondren was a [...]




OBAMA’S “OCEAN POLICY TASK FORCE”

Dec 28th, 2009 | By Capt. John McMurray | Category: Conservation

Is it a good thing for anglers? Back in June the Obama Administration called together an “Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force” to  develop recommendations for a national ocean policy that ensures “the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the health of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems and resources” and a framework for “coastal and marine [...]




COMMENTS ON BLUEFIN ABUNDANCE

Dec 16th, 2009 | By Capt. John McMurray | Category: Articles, Conservation, Lead Article

Reel-Time readers… I received the below response from a lifelong tuna fisherman. I thought it was particularly relevant to the CITES discussion taking place here and on other forums. The sender wishes to remain anonymous, but it’s certainly worth a read. “The plain fact is that the population is not healthy.  A healthy population supports [...]




FOR BLUEFIN TUNA, WE NEED STRONG LEADERSHIP

Dec 2nd, 2009 | By Capt. John McMurray | Category: Articles, Bluefin Tuna, Conservation

It’s time for the US to have some balls and fully support a trade ban Bluefin are screwed.  I hate to be blunt, but that’s the case with these fish, plain and simple.  The eastern stock has declined by almost 75% since the 60s, and the “western stock”, has plunged by 83%.  And it’s undoubtedly [...]




BILL INTRODUCED TO REPEAL NY SALTWATER LICENSE

Nov 11th, 2009 | By Capt. John McMurray | Category: Conservation

Sen. Foley (D-Brookhaven) has introduced S6250, a bill that would repeal NY’s new salt water fishing license and replace it with something that is disingenuously being called a “free” angler registration. (Here’s a link to the legislation if you’d like to take a look yourself: http://open.nysenate.gov/openleg/api/html/bill/S6250). Of course nothing in government is really free. If [...]




STRIPED BASS ROLLOVER PROPOSAL DEFEATED!

Nov 3rd, 2009 | By Capt. John McMurray | Category: Conservation

ASFMC Denies Increase in Commercial Striped Bass Harvest Anglers rally to defeat proposal for commercial sector to kill more fish Coastal Conservation Association commends the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) for denying a proposal to increase the commercial harvest of striped bass at its meeting this week in Newport, Rhode Island. The proposal would [...]




STRIPED BASS ROLLOVERS… ANOTHER BAD IDEA…

Oct 10th, 2009 | By Capt. John McMurray | Category: Conservation

Addendum II will comprise yet another small but real drain on striped bass Today is 10/8… It’s 5:00PM and I’m on a train home from the Striped Bass Advisory Panel (AP) meeting. I have to mention that I’ve been awake since 3:00AM and I’m running purely on caffeine at the moment so please excuse the [...]




STRIPED BASS ROLLOVERS… ANOTHER BAD IDEA…

Oct 10th, 2009 | By Capt. John McMurray | Category: Permit Videos

Addendum II will comprise yet another small but real drain on striped bass Today is 10/8… It’s 5:00PM and I’m on a train home from the Striped Bass Advisory Panel (AP) meeting. I have to mention that I’ve been awake since 3:00AM and I’m running purely on caffeine at the moment so please excuse the [...]




THE “ENVIRONMENTALIST” STIGMA

Jul 31st, 2009 | By Capt. John McMurray | Category: Conservation

I suppose it’s nothing new these days for the fishing community to blame all their troubles on environmentalists, but indeed the intensity of the blame-game has been ramped up in recent years. “Radicals”, “extremists”, “socialists”, “elitists”, “antis” etc… You know… Those people who want to “end all fishing.” Recently, some folks have gone so far to claim that the environmental community is really part of a grand conspiracy by “Big Oil” to abolish all fishing so it can drill wherever and whenever it wants. If would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic.