[Broad Bill]

Senseless regulations, inflationary pressures on small businesses, inflationary pressures on families and disposable incomes, preferences by regulators towards commercial versus recreational access to resources, a generation more interested in social media and Tiktok than a day of fishing with family or friends and without doubt technological advancements by the commercial sector. Stocks today are pounded year round, years ago technology wasn't there to track migratory movements the way it is today and the efficiency of commercial vessels today versus years past is 100% greater. You can't have senseless regulations combined with year round harvest and expect stocks to sustain themselves. Its simply not plausible.

Years ago, there were no limits or much higher limits on fluke, flounder, ling, whiting, cod, mackerel, porgies and those fisheries all flourished until being targeted by domestic and foreign commercial industry. Illegal poaching, both commercial and recreational, certainly doesn't help but they're not the main causes of declines in stocks and party boat and for hire operators who are slowly being regulated out of business. Government and regulators quite frankly have their heads up their @%$@#!