I tend to be a “less is better” kind of guy when it comes to government. The exception is the management of natural resources like America’s sustainable fisheries. Fishing has been my profession and passion for almost all my life. Having been a part of…
The NE Draft Ocean Plan may not be a perfect plan, but it does seem to do the best job possible of coordinating all the previously independent ocean development regulations
How a Court in Alaska may have a big impact on New England commercial fisheries A recent court decision in Alaska could have important impacts here in New England. The decision by the U.S. District Court for the district of Alaska just may be the…
Do I have your attention now? I gotta be honest and admit that I am only going to talk about one of the issues in the title. But I see how much attention my fellow blogger Capt. John McMurray gets by simply mentioning striped bass…
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog about the New England Fishery Management Council’s (NEFMC) effort to craft Amendment 2 to the Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat plan (OEFHA2). The general thrust was that the Council should not open up areas that have been…
These are the dog days of summer. We have had some crazy weather here in the Northeast this year, but we also have had some pretty nice spells in between. Some of the offshore activity has picked up for those making the run out. While…
Sometimes there are writers who come up with something that hits the reader right between the eyes. Bam! The reader, in this case yours truly, goes, “Why didn’t I think of that?” The idea is clever and makes the writer’s point in a way that…
In fact, don’t do it at all. Don’t simply open up areas so more fish can be caught. We have been here before and IMO, if fisheries managers get this wrong, we will not be here again, ever. I will not make a lot of…
Recreational anglers need to provide constructive input As New England states continue to try to figure out how to distribute the fisheries “disaster” funding, I keep wondering why the recreational fishing industry/community is being ignored? Is it a self-inflicted wound, or a comprehensive policy to…
There is a major pissing contest under way. It is pitting an environmental non-governmental organization with a litigious reputation against the fishing industry and its representatives on the regional fishery management councils. It is gonna be interesting, because IMO they are both right, and seeing…
