What if this happens here...

[dogbig]

Check out this article on lobstering in Maine, the Maine state govt is considering a new law that could determine where your allowed to fish by your address. If it can happen there, could it happen here?

Lobster War Erupts in Maine as Hard Times Hit Industry - Companies * US * News * Story - CNBC.com (http://www.cnbc.com/id/32596312)

BTW - only Maine residents are allowed to recreationally lobster, so I guess they don't have the "out-of-state" license plate problem at the local ramp parking lots like some Marylanders claim!!

[POLECAT]

With decreasing resources and increased populations situations like this are bound to spread to other areas.

Don't the lobsters belong to all Maine residents?
For that matter, don't all lobsters belong to no one?

I think the Native Americans had it right from the beginning. We should learn from them.

[M1A]

And just because you live in one state you are treated different, isn't that somehow raciest. Fish and crabs and everything is equally part of everyone of us not just a few its a natural resource, right guys isn't this 2009........not 1929
Can't we all just be happy doing what we like and respect others and our fishies. I must have missed it but what did the Del people do that they are so bad?
Maybe we should be told what we can do and not do by the Feds, Bet a lot of us would be unhappy then too.
Chill guys and have fun fishing who needs to hear this stuff

[BowMovements]

And just because you live in one state you are treated different, isn't that somehow raciest. Fish and crabs and everything is equally part of everyone of us not just a few its a natural resource, right guys isn't this 2009........not 1929
Can't we all just be happy doing what we like and respect others and our fishies. I must have missed it but what did the Del people do that they are so bad?
Maybe we should be told what we can do and not do by the Feds, Bet a lot of us would be unhappy then too.
Chill guys and have fun fishing who needs to hear this stuff

It's probably an unfortunate truth for the future at the rate things are going. :eek:

[Fish Fish'n]

I'm away and can't open the link right now on my phone but I wonder why MD didn't include the state residency requirement in the crabbing restrictions this year. Some of the ramps down here on the E Shore are 3 to 1 Delaware tags.

That would be a bold move!

[Boatdog]

If things got tough I could understand not issuing out of state licenses. I don't know if I agree with it , but, I could understand it.

There is also the repercussions to think about. If MD would do this, VA and DE would soon follow, with a vengeance That would mean no more trips to the CBBT in the fall. Of course, this could help the charters and comm crabbers.

Now as a tax paying resident of MD, there is no way that I would even consider letting the State telling me I can not fish certain area of the Bay because I don't live in a certain zip code, without a fight.

As far as trying to localize the comm's, that would certainly give unfair advantage to some areas. I think it would put a lot of them out of business, especially up north.

I hope it never gets that bad.

Joe

[blodg]

And just because you live in one state you are treated different, isn't that somehow raciest.
Uhhh....You're joking, right?!



Fish and crabs and everything is equally part of everyone of us not just a few its a natural resource, right guys isn't this 2009........not 1929
Can't we all just be happy doing what we like and respect others and our fishies.
I must have missed it but what did the Del people do that they are so bad?
You're certainly missing something. I've said it before on these boards....out of staters should pay 10x what MDers pay. These are MD resources, paid for by Mders. Out of staters contribute ZERO to MD. When they leave their house, they're baited up, gassed up, all provisions accounted for. If MD charged 10x it would be a win-win-win situation here. Less wear and tear at the ramp, less trash, probably more income, and less pressure on the crabs and fish. Don't like the idea of paying 10x? Move to MD and pay the ridiciulous taxes we pay...


Maybe we should be told what we can do and not do by the Feds, Bet a lot of us would be unhappy then too.
Huh?

[heimdall]

As far as trying to localize the comm's, that would certainly give unfair advantage to some areas. I think it would put a lot of them out of business, especially up north.

I hope it never gets that bad.

Joe

I guess you are not old enough to remember that was the case with commercial fishing once upon a time. Then someone took it before the Maryland Court of Appeals.

In short, it can't happen with out a Maryland Constitution change. The same with the rec's.

[longtail]

Uhhh....You're joking, right?!


You're certainly missing something. I've said it before on these boards....out of staters should pay 10x what MDers pay. These are MD resources, paid for by Mders. Out of staters contribute ZERO to MD. When they leave their house, they're baited up, gassed up, all provisions accounted for. If MD charged 10x it would be a win-win-win situation here. Less wear and tear at the ramp, less trash, probably more income, and less pressure on the crabs and fish. Don't like the idea of paying 10x? Move to MD and pay the ridiciulous taxes we pay...


Huh?

I agree 100%!!!

[dlsquirrely]

I agree 100%!!!

:goodluck2::hysterical:

[longtail]

:goodluck2::hysterical:

Believe me, these forums are being watched and the catch reports from out of staters is being documented and taken very seriously with local lawmakers. You cant just take a few thousand local LCC's and expect those people to just sit there. I know of one, who stands to lose his that has alot of pull in legislature.

We'll see who has the last laugh.

[Bob H.]

A friend of mine returned Saturday after a 9 day vacation in Maine. The beaches are littered with marker bouys that had been cut. He also witnessed some hostile activities when going out on charter fishing trips. It's going to get ugly in Maine but I don't see how they jurisdict who can fish which piece of water. If resources are slim maybe it's time for a moritorium.

[dlsquirrely]

Believe me, these forums are being watched and the catch reports from out of staters is being documented and taken very seriously with local lawmakers. You cant just take a few thousand local LCC's and expect those people to just sit there. I know of one, who stands to lose his that has alot of pull in legislature.

We'll see who has the last laugh.

sorry....but I dont believe you!....but I do believe your crabbing friend would have quite a bit of pull in legislature:wacko:

[longtail]

You dont have too, infact, I hope you dont.

Again, you cant expect 6000 MD residents to have their fishing licenses removed without repercussions. It only takes 10 emails/calls for a Delegate to take an issue seriously. Here's 6000 that are being told by the state, the resources can not handle the pressure.

Have you been to Mariner Point Park, recently?

But, It doesnt matter to me, I live in MD.

[27 sailfish]

I see the crabbing problem in Md more of a supply/demand issue.

Right now - the supply is low - demand is high. DNR through sound management needs to increase the supply. It needed to be addressed years ago - now DNR is playing catch up. They may also need to curtail some of the demand by tighter limits/seasons/quotas.

I shake my head at the reports of " great " crabbing when guys get 2-3 dozen off a 2,000 foot trotline. Years ago - that would prompt moving the line.

Let's hope it never comes down to restricting out of state folks. The more from Pa. that care about the bay - the better. We are downstream from them.

[longtail]

Now, I dont want this to be a fight. We can talk about it and share opinions like adults.

With that said, I disagree with you Skip. I would like to see some restrictions on Out of State users, especially when we are in a crisis like we are in now.

I dont think it is fair to be treated the same.

[blodg]

...Let's hope it never comes down to restricting out of state folks. The more from Pa. that care about the bay - the better....

A) What does 'restricting out of state' mean to you? I think they should be allowed to take as many crab and fish that we are allowed to take....however, it should come at a premium to what we pay for licenses and ramp fees. That's the price you pay for not paying taxes that state. That's the way it is everywhere in the US where I have visited...

B) AFA 'The more from Pa. that care about the bay - the better'...I don't buy it. What do you mean about 'care about the bay'? You mean that they are down here volunteering to pull the trees, tires and washing machines that float around here that have flowed down here from PA during flood times!? IMHO, they come down here b/c it's a great fishery...PERIOD! If you can give me an example of how they care about the bay, on a whole, I'll retract my statement.

In the mean time....I'm hammering DNR to raise out of state fees across the board.

If the fee's are exorbitant enough, perhaps it will mean that more people will charter fishing trips....even more, maybe it'll open up a 'trotline charter' business where you can pay to go on a comms crabbing boat as a 'hired hand' and take a party to assist in the catchin' for a share of the bounty at a price...think outside the box and find a new way to make money (Not that the comms would want a bunch of yahoos on the boat...but who knows)

Joe

[27 sailfish]

Tough call on how to regulate the out of state crabbers. I agree 100% their license fee should be higher - just like we pay a higher hotel rooom tax in Ocean City. It helps cover what we use while there.

There are more people moving into the bay watershed - no way around it. It seems to reason that some of these folks will want to go crabbing/fishing/boating.

So now we have more people out there but less crabs to share - so the fighting starts. The real solution - IMHO - is to get the crab population back to the 1980 levels. Then - there would be plenty for everyone again.

I've seen kids from Baltimore city on school trips to the bay. They were amazed to learn that the storm drains they see as a trash can - really carries to the rivers or bay. Hopefully - they stop that bad habit.

Same with Pa. - some do not understand were all the silt goes from the new homes/road construction. When they cherish the bay - hopefully they push for better run off control.

[rgminer]

And just because you live in one state you are treated different, isn't that somehow raciest. Fish and crabs and everything is equally part of everyone of us not just a few its a natural resource, right guys isn't this 2009........not 1929
Can't we all just be happy doing what we like and respect others and our fishies. I must have missed it but what did the Del people do that they are so bad?
Maybe we should be told what we can do and not do by the Feds, Bet a lot of us would be unhappy then too.
Chill guys and have fun fishing who needs to hear this stuff

When out of staters start paying MD taxes to help clean up the bay then they should have the same acccess MD residents have. Marylanders pay heavily for their access to MD waterways and although some of you don't believe in this approach and this is just my opinion, but I for one don't want to be picking up the tab for every PA, DE and NJ resident coming into MD to take home crabs and fish. I think it's a shame that non resident permits are so unbelievably cheap in MD.