[Gerald]

I didn't know rockfish are on the endangered list.

Crime

[Print]
Fishermen charged with illegally harvesting endangered bass

By Bill Myers
Examiner Staff Writer 1/30/09

Five commercial fishermen, a fish wholesaler and his son have been charged with illegally harvesting hundreds of thousands of pounds of the [b]endangered striped bass[/b] from the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River.

Fishermen Thomas Crowder, John Dean, Charles Quade, Thomas Hallock and Keith Collins, and wholesalers Robert Moore Sr. and Robert Moore Jr., have been charged by information with poaching and fabricating fishing records. It's an indication that the men have reached a plea agreement, because a defendant can only be charged by information if he waives his right to appear before a grand jury.
They follow into court two other fishermen, father and son Joseph Peter Nelson Sr. and Jr. The Nelsons were indicted in October on charges that they were illegally fishing for the bass.

The fish, known as rockfish, come back to the estuaries or rivers where they were born to spawn, then return to the ocean. They have long lives, up to 30 years, and can reach up to 50 pounds in weight. Their population depends on older, larger females to reproduce.
[b]Their populations have dropped dramatically and they have been on the endangered species list for decades.[/b] Their numbers dipped critically low in the 1980s, but they have rebounded over the past few years.......

for the full story

[URL=http://www.dcexaminer.com/local/crime/Fishermen-charged-with-illegally-harvesting-endangered-bass_02_0138729172.html]www.dcexaminer.com >> Crime[/URL]

 

[Gerald]

TESS : Threatened & Endangered Species System

 

[Gerald]

However I don't see weakfish on there that prolly should be.

 

[DirtyFrank]

I guuess the Examiner is going to start writing whatever they want since they will be out of business in two week?

 

[SteveL]

Gerald I assure you that striped bass are not listed as endangered or threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. That reporter got his facts wrong, which happens sometimes especially when something like this breaks over a weekend, making it hard for media folks to find experts to interview.

Some of the other media reports have referred to them as a "protected species", by which the writers probably meant that striper harvest is controlled by fed and state regulations, including bag limits, gear restrictions, closed seasons and areas, etc.

 

[capt.george]

---Stevel---You are "O" so correct --Copycat Articles like this shows that most papers Leech off the others, that do the Legwork --" Watergate" type Reporting , Ya do the work , & we will cash in ---geo.