Giant Tuna What If?????

[Capt Sal]

We have an honest run of giants going on here in New Jersey.It is no secret that they are in the Hudson Canyon.Some Of the bigger sport boats are enjoying there first Giant Tuna in many years..We have commercial boats here from New England and North Carolina jumping on this.I am not up to date on the regs. but it was one giant per year for recs.It may be two now I am not sure.Want I am saying is what if this run was closer and earlier what impact would the Commercial guys have on "our'' run.If the allowed tonnage was caught in a short period would they shut it down?You wait for years and finally get your chance and big money is made at our expense and our fishery is closed down?
When New England took so many herring they shut it down what happened?The out of state bunker boats came to NJ and crushed our menhaden and shipped it North.Now they are are here and allowed 5 giants a day!If I am correct a rec is allowed one giant per year!Makes a whole lot of sence to kill 5 giant tuna spawners and allow the chosen few to ship it to Japan and make big $$$$ and then close it down in our ''local'' waters.
This happens every year in the South zone.North Carolina crushes the giants on the commercialboats and the quota is filled.When the tuna migrate to Delaware and Cape May giants are closed because the quota is filled.Flawed????You bet.It is as screwed up as OBAMA CARE!Oh that's rite it is all government????

[Last Lady Charters]

Sal

You are right, but I'm afraid getting pissed off is going to get you no satisfaction. I used to figure into my gross-my giant tuna money when we had the fish in close. Poor management(killing off all the whiting and ling by the draggers) killed our fishery here. Over fishing has always been a problem. When the quota is not reached they(the gov't and NMFS) increase the limit of fish to be caught daily. IT IS ALL MONEY. I went to many, many meetings along with other concerned fisherman---no one listened. IT IS LIKE OUR GOV'T NOW. I MUST SAY THAT IT HASN'T MATTERED WHO IS IN POWER---we haven't had good fishing management under any administration in my opinon.

[Capt Sal]

If the younger generation only has the chance to experience what we once had!It is amazing that some guys on this site are outraged when they see pictures of large bass on the dock but the slaughter of giant tuna does not matter.