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

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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.

Editors Note: This article first appeared in Tide Magazine, the publication of the Coastal Conservation Association prior to 9/11/01. In the post 9/11 world, the demands on the time of the US Coast Guard are even greater. Just yesterday (2/27/03) they were transferred from the Dept. of Transportation to the Dept. of Homeland Security. Their [...]