Couldn't believe what I heard

[27 sailfish]

Some netters will drop an illegal net a few days before gill net season opens.

Doing this greatly increasing their chances of bringing in a daily limit.

Since the gill net fleet operates under a quota - the season is closed once that amount is caught by the fleet.

A net boat with enough licenses can bring in up to 1,200 pounds per day - at $2.00 a pound - that's $2,400.00 at stake per day.

Some hedge their bet by setting a net early so as not to miss out on the money.

[gradymania]

Watermen are no different than anyone else: families, bills, needs, mortgages, etc., things whose costs go up year by year. The pressure to catch more and more to pay for their cost of living is based not on greed, but on need. The problem is that nature doesnt care what your needs are and will never change the rate of natural reproduction to keep up with the cost of living index. Can you image trying to feed the population deer meat based on the annual hunt? Nonsense, but thats what we do. The result is that rockfish filet at the store already cost more than prime rib, poachers are out in droves and sportsmen get to take home 2 fish.

All that means is that we need to replenish what we catch, fish by fish, with fingerlings, maybe 2 or 3 to one. OR, we need to get serious about large scale fish farming, so that watermen can have a year-round, predictable and stable source of income, which can grow with demand. Leave the wild fish for the recreational angler -what we pay for our fish in costs would buy gold. Will we ever change and do the right thing? Im not holding my breath.

[Ski]

Force waterman to register their nets. Once an illegal net is found, you could scan a microchip that has been embedded in one of fibers or floats, and then DNR can pull the net quickly and also arrest the perp. Simple.

[rj]

Force waterman to register their nets. Once an illegal net is found, you could scan a microchip that has been embedded in one of fibers or floats, and then DNR can pull the net quickly and also arrest the perp. Simple.

Ski
poachers are not going to use any equipment or vessels that can be tracked

[Ski]

This is true, however, it will force the problem to a much higher degree of difficulty for poachers.

[Offshore12]

Good News - Senate Bill 385, requiring DNR to remove nets within 1 day, received an unfavorable report by education health and environmental affairs - hopefully, its done.

Maryland - THE POACHING STATE