Bill,
With all due respect, you are way off base here. First, who, and in what forum,
has suggested an additional commercial catch above the 750,000 pound quota of last year.
I have not seen anything, so, please, enlighten us all with specifics. As far as
the destrustion of the fishery you imply in your note, with it's obvious slant against
commercial harvest of striped bass, you continue to stray from reality. A quick look at
the highly regulated commercial fishery will show that we harvested 750,000 pounds. Period.
Recreational fishermen harvested, by DMF numbers, in excess of 4 times that amount, or roughly
3,000,000 pounds. Add to that the bycatch of the rec fishery that extends into the late
months and release mortality, and that number increases. DO NOT go there, Bill. The
recreational community has a far greater effect on bass stocks than we who catch them
commercially and to state otherwise is simply an attempt to make us a target
WITHOUT basis. The argument you are putting forth, without substantiation, is untrue and
a cynical attempt to run a segment of fishermen who fish in a manner identical to you out
of business. Don't go there...
CMP