NMFS

[Linwood]

I read about the decision to lump billfish in with sharks etc.as bycatch in the longline fishery.Seems they are about to implement some interesting restrictions on the sportfishermen.I spent 22 years on the ocean on both coasts and the only thing I ever saw the Feds do was regulate the small guys like myself out of business.What goes around really goes around.I have warned sportfishermen not to trust a government agency to act in the best interest of the resource fish.In 1976 when the Magnussen act began,we were promised protection from forien vessels fishing in the EEZ.That turned out to this day to be a pile of horseshit!!!What did I get?USCG boarding my documented vessel with drawn weapons looking for a marijuana seed so they could sieze it.They also tried to enforce CA F&G LAWS which they were very incompetent at.Fishermen by nature are very independent,self sufficient,secretive,proud bastards.And that is what makes it so easy for a government agency to manipulate them.On the other hand,when they have to confront a large corporate entity they find themselves confronted with political pressure from pols.who rely on contributions toward thier electioncampaigns.As do scientists.I am a strong supporter of clean fisheries:fisheries that harvest a target species without taking a large amount of bycatch.Longlining is a very destructive fishery which is unsound from a point of conserveing fish stocks.And the Magnussen Act?As I said,what a happy pile of horseshit that was.Foriegn interests simply bought into companies here in the USA,and foriegn flag vessels are still encroaching inside the econimic exclusion zone.What we need is an Oprah Winfrey spokesperson to...E mail and I will explain the rest.