Purse Seine Boats in Raritan Bay

[NoLimit]

Originally Posted by Abrasion

All bunker boats should be banned from bays and harbors.

No more phone calls - we have a winner!

[Detour66]

Not good! They should not be allowed to harvest any fish in the bay and I am sure they are getting more than bunker in them nets. Saw them years back working off of Keansburg with a spotter plane. It just got me angry! I wish there was a way to stop this!

[BigRock44]

Originally Posted by tjd24

Today I saw 7 purse seine boats working just inshore of the Reach Channel West of Earle. I read bait like crazy on my machine and these guys appeared to be taking them all. They were packed together in a small area with their nets filling up with bunker. I watched one guy for several minutes and his net was pretty full.

The lack of bait in the Bay has resulted in a difficult Spring for many of us. Now, when the bait has arrived, it's quickly netted up for fertilizer & pet food.

Absolutely deplorable. What great progress was made in recent years in menhaden conservation, and now this? Last week I could not find any at all to net up or snag in the places where I usually get them. Those reduction boats suck the life out of the area. Probably tens of thousands of arguably the most important forage fish in the area...gone. I think I remember filling out an atlantic states marine fisheries survey on menhaden last year. Wonder what happened with that?

[BigRock44]

http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/59...omicReport.pdf

[Capt Sal]

Not one governor or US senator from NJ cares about the bunker depletion in Raritan Bay. They never did and Christie could care less! Even the politicians that say there behind us accomplish nothing.Time for a change not only with NOAA but the life long politicians of New Jersey.How hard could it be to pass a law forbidding purse sieners in our bays?

[Capt Joe]

Spot On Capt Sal!!! Just picture how many Bass, Weakies, Fluke, etc etc are sucked up in those nets. Mortality? 100%!!!!
Changing the subject but...didnt exactly see a lot of coverage of the two White Sharks(two that we are sure of) killed in gill nets(by locals) in the past several weeks nearby, along the beach. Crickets!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by Capt Joe

Spot On Capt Sal!!! Just picture how many Bass, Weakies, Fluke, etc etc are sucked up in those nets. Mortality? 100%!!!!
Changing the subject but...didnt exactly see a lot of coverage of the two White Sharks(two that we are sure of) killed in gill nets(by locals) in the past several weeks nearby, along the beach. Crickets!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Watched these jerks from Belford make a set off Keyport #1 buoy .They killed more Bass and giant weakfish with one set than we catch in 5 seasons.They got crushed on the deck and because they can't keep them they threw them overboard. Looked like the mud hole with ling and whiting floating for miles1 Nope i have no respect for the Belford fleet.By the way the crew was laughing there heads off while throwing the stripers back!