Do bunker need to be protected?
 

This week we had Paul Eidman from the Menhaden Defenders on to talk about how important the bunker are for our striper fishery. Before nayone gets all bent out of shape, he was not anti commercial fishing in any way but very specifically concerned with the technology used to capture massive amounts of the bunker so easily.

What do you guys think?

Episode available on youtube and spotify:

Youtube-
https://youtu.be/Tuzzbxo8qSQ?si=VLtoWbXV7nzyZfsB

Spotify-
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7zx...TUSpk2TjZSjyZw

Re: Do bunker need to be protected?
 

There is one company Omega that is Canadian owned but based in VA and are allowed to solely exploit what is a public resource? Since they practically wiped out the Chesapeake Bunker, they come up here and fish off our 3 mile line... Why would anyone have an issue with that? :rolleyes:

I don't have an issue with their methods, if they can find a way to get it done faster and cheaper they should be allowed to.. They should not however be allowed to exploit the entire resource and need to be put in check...

Re: Do bunker need to be protected?
 

I think their take should be put in check and regulated. Are they unregulated as of right now??

Re: Do bunker need to be protected?
 

They just pay the fines , and could care less about the regs .

They are required to stay outside 3 miles here .
The amount of times I have seen them well inshore if that in long branch and Monmouth beach is ridiculous .

They just end up hauling outside the fence

Re: Do bunker need to be protected?
 

I caught and released 3 bunker in the Manasquan Beach surf today.

Re: Do bunker need to be protected?
 

Need to be protected from overfishing, those companies know no boundaries.

Re: Do bunker need to be protected?
 

Hard to argue with such copious amounts of common sense, but the people in charge always seem to do it anyway haha

Re: Do bunker need to be protected?
 

like all the rest,money talks and we got scr#%^%#

Re: Do bunker need to be protected?
 

No. The bunker do not need to be protected. It’s a never ending resource that can never be depleted.

Omega Protein can trawl for the next 100 years as they are doing now and not even put a dent in the overall menhaden population.

Re: Do bunker need to be protected?
 

Tell that to the Chesapeake area fisherman who had the greatest striper fishery imaginable from October thru April .

Those boats hit our area in the height of the spring striper ocean bite .
Miles of bass were gone in 1 day .

.