Cape Man's Dory

[cape man]

David! I am not happy! There are no fish here!

[Fuzz]

[OrangeQuest]

That is all looking very good!!


Closest I got for help when the employees were cleaning the warehouse, they tossed a lot of stuff in the boat. Now I have to clean it back out.

[glossieblack]

David! I am not happy! There are no fish here!

Cape man, what is science telling us about fish stocks in your part of the world?

Here in Noosa, we commissioned The Nature Conservancy scientists to conduct exhaustive 100 year plus archival research to analyse changing patterns of local fish abundance. The results are dramatic. Good catches today are dwarfed by those of fifty years ago, which are dwarf those of a hundred years ago, and so on. Yet astonishingly, this is denied by many local fishers of today as garbage. The fishing is as good as it ever was they cry.

Our oyster reef regeneration endeavours are one arm of our local Bring Back The Fish campaign designed to reverse the decline in local fish abundance. Depressingly, there are powerful forces trying to scuttle our BBTF project on the grounds that it is unnecessary.

You've probably seen the attached link or similar, but other forum members may find the concept of shifting baseline syndrome illuminating.

https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2 ... ng-littler

[cape man]

There are far fewer fish today than yesterday, but here in the US we have a very strong Fisheries management system that has led to size and number restrictions for a growing pool of species, especially as people shift to harvesting species that were not targeted before. The result is most commercial species, including many sport fish, are at or above sustainable harvest.

I will have to find her thesis, if only to look at the archived pictures, but also to see how she addresses the apples to oranges , or in this case the Goliath and Warsaw grouper to snapper issue. Those early pics are mostly Goliath Grouper, which by the mid 2000's were fully closed to any harvest, so there won't be any pictures of them at the dock.

The shifting baseline is present here in many ways. My son's huge school of fish was my small pod, but his normal drive is my traffic nightmare.

I've always said we should promote wildlife, including fish, to move here with same vigor and greed as more people.

Keep plugging away at the BBTF initiative, but do realize that consensus requires that we listen - really listen - to opposing views and agendas. In the end I hope the science and facts will lead the way, but many times that will require someone to change their perspective and actions in a way that is contrary to their self interests and motivations.

I work for a major university with one of the strongest Fisheries programs in the US, but I am in Aquaculture. If you want more information I can get it, but don't quote me as a Fisheries expert. I know a bit more than the average guy, but farming fish is way different than managing wild stocks.
.

[OrangeQuest]

Here in the state of Texas it is the same as Cape Man described. Texas Parks and Wildlife are very active in managing the fish and wildlife. Game Wardens mission here is to protect the wildlife and fish and that includes arresting people. If you watch "Lone Star Law" it is about the game wardens' adventures and how they have a different approach to suspects than the regular LEO. Fish and wild life from other states also share in the research on wildlife that migrates across land and water. Both state and federal offer grants for organizations to help study the land and water for ways to improve habitats for the fish and wildlife. One of the reasons my little boat was started. They also have all kinds of programs for kids to learn about wildlife and sponsor fishing events for them.

We have seen TPWD biologists even way up the bayou shocking fish to see what is in the bayous. They adjust fishing and hunting regulations to make sure the wildlife is sustainable for future generations. Because a lot of their funding comes from the fishing and hunting community they also have public hearings to get feed back from them. When you buy sporting goods and fuel in marinas a percentage of the tax goes to support our fish and wild life.

We get a long freeze here in our area or other reason of a large kill off of wildlife and they will adjust regulations so the wildlife population recovers. They will also have raffles to thin deer herds when the area can not sustain the high numbers. They will also change the regulations in an area to adjust for what ever reason. Right now they have started regulating killing of alligator gar and talks of giving the fish game fish status to regulate it's population. Some areas they have been killed off completely. Fishing guides have started making big profit off them but the smart ones do catch and release.

Sorry, I try to keep up on these things, as a paddle guide we get asked a lot of questions about it.
I want the wildlife to still be here when my kids are long gone.

[cape man]

Made it official...

Bought new anchor lines. The old ones came from a 20 foot Sportcraft we bought in 1989! Getting stainless chain rode for them, and maybe a nice stainless anchor...

Missing one of the screws and plastic spacers for the windshield (and I thought I was being ultra careful when I took everything off ), the foot rest for the leaning post is seized up, and the torsion springs on the trailer need some attention (i.e. probably replacing), but she can kill some fish as is, or kill some time...

[OrangeQuest]

So did you make her to pretty to want to take her out from under the cover? Seems you are finding reasons!! ?


May add SS thimbles too, for the new anchor line and all the other SS stuff.

I bet it's a pain coiling that line back up after every use!

[glossieblack]

Thanks for the detailed responses on the fish situation cape man and OQ.

When is Clara going to have her next outing?

[terrulian]

Thanks for the detailed responses on the fish situation cape man and OQ.

I second that.