SFHP
Saltwater Fishing
|
|
Post a followup to this message
SUBJECT: # 11: Attitudes regarding longliners.
Submitted by
Gerry, SFHP from VIRGINIA on 1/31/00 2:55:00 PM
SUBJECT: # 27996: Anyone read the article in Florida Sportsman re: Commerical fishing?
Submitted by Jwl (204.48.31.176) from TEXAS on 1/31/2000 9:00:00 AM
It says in an interview with a longliner who grew disgusted with the industry and has quit. The longliner said they fished primarily for swordfish in the Florida Straits and killed hundreds of "short" swordfish yearly. They would cut them loose if they were alive when brought in, but that rarely happened as they were mostly dead.
Further, he stated they would take many sailfish and marlin. When the swordfish weren't available they would target dolphin (fish) but they weren't worth as much money. He said he became sickened over the years and had to get it off his chest.
If all of this is true, it just points to another reason to ban longliners every where. I have always found Florida Sportsman to be an excellent magazine and have no reason to question the article.
Click here to take this survey Click here to view the response statistics
- 8/6/00 9:25:00 PM
FlaNative (209.215.54.62) from FLORIDA says Commerical Fishing
To Whom It May Concern,
This follow up letter is about the commerical fishing industry in Florida. My father was a handline fisherman for grouper, snapper and kingfish from the 1940's thru to the 1970's. When the nets came into the water - the fisheries were seen by our eyes to dwindle at the start of the netting at that time. We would go out and watch the sailfish balling baits in thirty feet of water just for fun some days, then came the longliners. The days of catching marlin, swordfish and tuna in the two hundred pound class are but memories now and stories for our childern. The ocean doesn't need our added pressure in her depths, if we banned the nets and can do the same the same with the longlines, maybe, just maybe, the old fashioned techquie of handlining came become reborn in the heritage of our coastal states. The fisheries could be better regulated and the "shorts" can be released virtually unharmed, able to survive and spawn for the next geration of fishermen. Only if we, the fisherpeople of today, ban together in one voice for the oceans which surround us, teach our childern how to manage these waters, together we can help the water replenish itself with the life which deserves our respect. How much longer can the ocean take man's greed before she dies completely and takes us with her? Her stress is not for the unmighty dollar but for the survival of the whole planet. The old ways before techology were and still are the best. Thanks for your ear.
Bruce from Florida
- 8/5/01 4:26:00 AM
Patrick1 (24.45.195.26) from Australia says I don't like Longliners.
I view longliners like strip miners. Anything that will take a bait is a target. Just like we don't know what we are going to catch when we cast our lines out. A lot of turtles, dolphins(the mammals), sharks, and other fish that aren't any commercial value are caught on the lines.
It ruins tourism for the charter guys that depend on the fishery.
It's just not a good practice. Fish drown on the line or they get mutilated by predators. It's just not good for the ocean.
- 1/24/02 10:52:00 AM
Foster Desselles (209.214.147.45) from Australia says Opinon
I think Longliners are no more than modern day bufalo hunters,and look what they almost did to them!
- 3/1/02 4:01:00 PM
seacat (65.69.18.161) from Australia says longliners
I agree with you guys. This type of fishing should stop however the only real way is to do away with the market. Perhaps we need to discourage the restaurants from serving swordfish and mahi mahi and snapper and move towards farm raised fish. I have heard that tilapia take on whatever flavor that they need when fished properly. I remember reading that Brennan's in New Orleans used to substitute tilapia for snapper and other types of fish on the menu with no complaints. Personally I now never order any type of fish when out to eat to do my small part.
- 7/19/04 2:18:00 AM
Takamo (68.14.185.248) from FLORIDA says To longline or not to longline......
I am sorry friends, I have do disagree with your thoughts on this one. I longlined of the coast of Florida in the early 90's and While I only did it once for the learning, I understand the fierce way they are defending their right to fish this way. There are only a small percentage of these fishing vessels in Florida, and the morons that would have you to believe that this small number of fishermen have single handedly depleated or damaged the fishery and to boot, turtles, marlin, billfish in general, and while we're at it, lets get them for the global warming, and the hole in the ozone. The data over all, that contributed to the study that initiated the ban in the southeastern states was world wide, and not just the Gulf of Mexico and south atlantic states. The major amount of data and horible pictures reflecting the effects of longline industry came for the most part, the Pacific Basin, more over, Australia and Japan. The majority also, of the morons that voted to start the ban were the jerk-off's that didn't catch a "trophy" bill fish on their last vacation to the Keys. On the other hand, it would be a good idea not to ban altogether, but to regulate a "season" in the same manner of king crabs, or snapper, say 1000 metric tons, then close the fishing untill the following April 1st or when ever. The idea of just killing the whole thing and bankrupting the industry just doesn't make any sense, whats next? I know, lets ban fossil fuels!. They contribute thousands of reasons why it's no good! The afore mentioned Global warming, pollution, drunk drivers, oil spills, carbonmonoxide poisoning, landfill problems.....the list is endless!
- 9/21/04 6:46:00 PM
Rob (67.83.212.214) from NEW JERSEY says The Truth About Longlining
Takamo, I appreciate your enthusiasm and passion on this subject. However, your passion is not supported by the facts. It is true that the US needs to reign in ICCAT, as their harvest rates are out of control. However, ours are terrible in their own right and the unmitigated, unregulated expansion of longlining has had an enormous, clear, deleterious influence on our domestic fisheries. Whoever puts the most hooks in the water wins, so the natural outcome is more miles of line and more hooks, more boats, etc. There is a very good reason why you used to be able to harpoon swords off of Montauk, yet by the time our brave friends on the Andrea Gail made their last voyage, they were steaming two weeks to find fish. Domestic longlining is out of control. It is an imprecise practice and it leads to the waste of great numbers of fish that cannot be retained. It is a true squanderer of a precious resource.
Let me provide you with some real numbers.
Billfish, such as marlin and sailfish, cannot be commercially taken or sold; however, commercial longlines cause the overwhelming majority of fishing mortalities for billfish in U.S. waters: 98% of sailfish, 95% of Atlantic white marlin and 85% of Atlantic blue marlin. These are the domestic mortality rates for species that can't even be legally targeted by longlining!
I do not feel that anyone's livelihood should be inhibited without just cause and due compensation. However, there is a clear pattern here and it must be addressed. Increasing the spawning biomass of our fisheries will benefit consumers, commercial and recreational fishermen alike. The logical, reasonable and necessary first step in this regard is to reduce the uninhibited destruction of our resources which is represented by modern commercial drift longlining.
- 11/29/04 7:53:00 PM
Spyder from NORTH CAROLINA says Longlining
There are two main ways for man to destroy a fishery... 1) Habitat destruction, pollution, dams,loss of wet lands... 2) Overfishing...
The offshore waters are not nearly as polluted as inshore and certainly have not been subject the construction boom which has destroyed so much of the habitat of inland waters. Therefore it seems logical that deepwater species such as Swordfish, Marlin, Sailfish are in decline as a result of over fishing. The overfishing mortality can be attributed to two sources: sport fishing and long lining. In recent years sport fishing has been doing a a better job of catch and release ( I don't know anyone who has kept a billfish for years now ). Unfortunately catch and release doesn't work on the long lining end. I think we need to drastically cut down on the amount of long lining.
Sport fishing can do it's part by banning all "kill" tournaments for billfish.
|
"Advertising makes the BFHP possible -- Click this one now!"
|
To post a followup to this message use the following form:
Copyright © WMI, Inc. 1995-2008.
All rights reserved.
This message board created and maintained by: WebMasters International, Inc. (WMI)
address mail to wmi@wmi.org
WMI disclaimer
Privacy Statement
