Spread STRIPERJIM'S online petition to save our fish. Change in MD is change for MA

[Mmh624]

"Stripers Forever members - anglers in Maryland have had enough of gill nets in Chesapeake Bay - amen to that - and have put together an online petition to abolish them for presentation to MD officials. They have also started a manual version and secured over 800 signatures at a fishing show in MD this past weekend. There are some good people behind this and they've asked us to urge our members to sign this petition. Getting rid of these indiscriminate killers would also get us one step closer to game fish status for striped bass in Chesapeake Bay. Let's put a few thousand signatures on this petition. It doesn't matter what state you are from, striped bass don't pay any attention to state lines. Thank you. Brad Burns"





http://www.petitiononline.com/yrrejmaj/

[Mag]

while im for protecting our stripers, a 100% gill net ban is not the way to go. where do you think the bait fishermen will get thier bait from if this is imposed? It just doesn't magically appear in the tackle shops. Many will close if they can't find fresh local bait.
I'm a meat fisherman, and when i go fishing it's with bait, usually freshly netted bunker. And fish are comming home for the table.
Perhaps a net size restriction or close areas that migrating stripers pass through? don't know.
While thier intention sound good, stripers forever are nothing more than extreme activists with thier own agenda that only serves a few dedicated lure fishermen. Not the majority of fishermen who dunk bait and want meat on the table.
my .02

[Striperjim]

Its not my petition - I just posted it.
Lets just start out by voicing our opposition loudly to the wasteful illegal massacres in the Chesapeake .
The petition is just a statement and hopefully a tool for advocacy.
How about we get them out of the nurseries, and end the trawl as a means of landing striped bass.
That would suit me fine.
Its certainly not a bad idea for the average Joe Fisherman to be informed and understand fishery politics and management.
Like a sort of fisheries civics lesson.
Does everyone even understand what gamefish status means? It means the sale of the fish is prohibited!!!! Not that you cant catch one, or two or take them home to eat. The two sides will have you believe absolute bulls*it.
New Jersey enjoys gamefish status and in the Hudson River a bass hasnt been sold from there for 35 years. At least not legally.
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.
Another Churchill quote.

[Mark P]

Originally Posted by Mag

While thier intention sound good, stripers forever are nothing more than extreme activists with their own agenda that only serves a few dedicated lure fishermen. Not the majority of fishermen who dunk bait and want meat on the table.
my .02

Stripers Forever is for all recreational Striped Bass anglers. Not just fly fishermen or lure fishermen. I agree it may seem as though they are "special interest" but that is incorrect. They are only special interest in the sense that they are interested in prohibiting the sale of wild striped bass and successful catch and release practices. They are interested in the health of the fishery for all of us even guys that "dunk bait". They will however promote the use of circle hooks with bait fishing, lol.

[bostonfisher]

Thanks for posting I signed it.

[Striperjim]

Excuse the double post but not everyone read the other.

Apparantly the petition did some good at least it got national exposure and the attention of the Director of Marylands DNR.

Source - Baltimore Sun
March 1, 2011

"Maryland DNR Secretary John Griffin has promised to meet with stakeholders to see whether the gill net fishery can be modified to ensure more accountability. If those changes and stricter penalties don't work, nets may have to be phased out, he said.
Anti-poaching legislation will be heard Tuesday in the state Senate. One bill would give DNR the authority to revoke a watermen's license to harvest striped bass or blue crabs after an administrative hearing. Another bill would set a $25,000 fine and a year in jail for a waterman convicted of poaching on a suspended license."

[bostonfisher]

I hope those bills pass. I've seen poachers get caught and they only wrote them a ticket - nothing more. Part of the problem is that even if the laws are stricter the people who enforce them sometimes give poachers a break and don't throw the book at them. I'll admit I'm a hypocrite and I didn't complain when the cops caught me drinking in the park and just took my booze but these laws I care about :)