Smalma

I think Todd is correct in that we pick our fights as sports fishers. As a group we have not done all there is to do by any means but we have done more than other user groups towards cutting back our efforts to save fish. You can go down that all of nothing road if you want but this is a specific fight with some real ramifications for many other issues to come. This is a lopsided proposal to try to benefit a very small and not economically viable group. This is the same group of netters who refused to allow observers on board last season.

The bottom line is that there is just no logical justification for more netting when ESA listed or even threatened stocks are swimming in the same column of water as the target fish. Netting is too final, too all inclusive.

This proposal is nothing more than a changing of the rules to benefit a user group that cannot limit their impacts. Once the expanded fishery is allowed and the impacts even exceed the new 6% limit they can just say. Oh Well we did the best we could. Then the damage is done and the sports fishery gets to close to make up for yet another excess by the commercial fleet.

Sorry Smalma but I think your criticisms are too narrowly focused.
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