Couldn't believe what I heard

[DAndrews]

As I was driving through Cambridge yesterday I heard an interview one of the local radio stations was doing with Maryland State Senator Rich Colburn. It was about the tracking devices, DNR Sec. Griffin and the illegal nets discovered last year. Evidently Sec. Griffin and Sen. Colburn had a heated exchange during a meeting recently. During the interview Sen. Colburn stated that once the DNR discovered the nets they left them there for a week or two hoping to catch the waterman responsible for setting them. So, it was DNR's fault that 12 tons of Rockfish went to waste. That was the most outragous thing I've heard in a long while and I would have expected more out of one of our eastern shore senators. They went on to say that Sen. Colburns father was a waterman so perhaps that is why he was so defensive.

On another note the Striper fishing is very good out of O.C. right now.

[27 sailfish]

Thanks for posting.

IMHO - Colburn is bad news for the bay.

[DAndrews]

JimRockfish....thanks for the additional info. I do remember DNR needing to get a bigger boat. I was hesitant to post this because of all the bickering thats been going on lately. However, I thought the suggestion by Sen. Colburn was so outrageous that those he represents and who voted for him needed to know his stance on this.

[TomGlenBurnie]

Mr Andrews you did a good thing. Thank you.

Remember congressman John Murtha, from PA?? Sadly, he got out of step with
the country and the people. At one time he made harsh, unkind and unwise statements
about our soldiers, in Iraq. The people of Pa. solved that problem in quick order.

[Southerly]

it seems to me that whoever set the illegal nets, and was apparently more concerned with getting caught than pulling the nets, is responsible for any/all damages caused by the nets.

my impression is that dnr fully supports legal activity in words and action despite various complaints from the private sector, whereby blaming them for 12 tons of dead fish is not in anyone's best interest.

[Scott McGuire]

He was probably puffing this bill... http://mlis.state.md.us/2012rs/billfile/SB0385.htm

[dragline]

ever heard of the police allowing an illegal activity to continue to be able to collect information or suspects for later prosecution? Greg

[Offshore12]

DAndrews: Thanks for the interesting post. It really illustrates the mentality involved here - the DNR is at fault for the 12 tons of rockfish, and not the poachers. Colburn owes an apology to the Natural Resource Police officers that work on the bay to catch poachers; it is a dangerous job.

Maryland - THE POACHING STATE

[kidz]

As I was driving through Cambridge yesterday I heard an interview one of the local radio stations was doing with Maryland State Senator Rich Colburn. It was about the tracking devices, DNR Sec. Griffin and the illegal nets discovered last year. Evidently Sec. Griffin and Sen. Colburn had a heated exchange during a meeting recently. During the interview Sen. Colburn stated that once the DNR discovered the nets they left them there for a week or two hoping to catch the waterman responsible for setting them. So, it was DNR's fault that 12 tons of Rockfish went to waste. That was the most outragous thing I've heard in a long while and I would have expected more out of one of our eastern shore senators. They went on to say that Sen. Colburns father was a waterman so perhaps that is why he was so defensive.

On another note the Striper fishing is very good out of O.C. right now.

Typical reaction for someone to blame the law enforcement for screwing up, because someone else broke the law. If the law hadn't been broken, if the net wouldn't have been found, no problems. I guess a lawsuit on behalf of the guilty will be coming soon.Read about it all the time, criminal has rights violated because he was shot breaking into someones house.. Criminal shot while running from police while committing a robbery or drug deal. Yea, the dnr is at fault for the illegal net holding so many rockfish.

[redbeard]

Yes, remember the big rockfish bust in the southern bay,VA waters a few years ago. it took almost 3 years before vmrc and the feds shut down the illeagal operation. Allot of fish were caught ,bought and sold in 3 years.