Is this ridiculous ? In the debate over catch shares, limits, etc. for offshore fish, I wonder: if tags work for turkeys, deer , etc., would they not work for fish? Let’s say we have a salt water license for state waters that costs $10.00 with current limits set by the state. The state could also issue an offshore license that would cover inshore and offshore ( federal ) waters. This offshore license would cost much more- let’s say$50.00. Attached to every offshore license would be tags for each kind of fish needing control. Let’s say 50 Black Sea bass, 40 spade fish, 10 grouper, and so on. If I go a lot, and want to keep more than 50 bsb in a year, I can buy them from another license holder for a negotiated price. DNR gets their money without the Feds paying them. Control over the catch would be much better. A guy who gets to go three or four times a year makes it worthwhile, and the guys who get to go a lot can get what they want- maybe for a price, but maybe for free. Charter Captains could pay even more to the state, and could get enough tags to cover their customers. State biologists would know the max that could be caught, and adjust from year to year. Tags would be a nuisance, but not a major problem. No catch shares. No patrols offshore. No worry about bad weather. What’s the downside?
I like it. Works for me. But it probably makes far too much common sense to pass the political hurdles.
Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Some fish would warrant Tags…ie Cobia…just like a deer or Turkey. No way would a bsb ever warrant a tag. Ie doves, rabbits, etc.
Tags would work about as poorly on the water as they do on land. Lets look at deer tags
presently , every doe killed is required to have a tag attached prior to moving. If the deer is taken to a processor , the ones that follow the rules record the tag # and everything is fine. If the hunter cleans the deer himself( lots do!) what’s to stop him from removing the tag to use again? Big game check stations are a joke. More deer pass by in pickup trucks than get checked in.
Who cleans the fish? Who checks the tags? What would prevent re-use?
???
NB…That’s a bunch of valid ppints, but Marina, boat launches, etc could have some sort of check in station. As you state, deer and turkey tags are hard to enforce, but if you harvest an animal without a tag, they drop the hammer on you. I believe this to be a solution to a handful of fisheries such as the Broad River Cobias.
I got to agree with Nature boy about the tags. People do recycle tags and I bet less then half of the deer killed on public land make it to the check station.
Sounds like too much of a hassle. Most of the guys I fish with are very conservative fisherman and strictly follow the regulations already set. A DNR officer at the ramp and the free saltwater fish ruler stickers are all I need.
Capt. R. Killin
“Day Tripper”
Shamrock 20 cuddy
Ford 351W
Also, it rubs me the wrong way for the government to be selling us our natural resources. Catch shares have not worked anywhere. The enviro groups will buy them up and skew the numbers.
Just what I want to do after a long day, wait at a check in station. As if cleaning the boat and fish were not enough.
Scout 185
To answer your primary question: Yes. A tag for a black sea bass is ridiculous. The tag system would be abused. If every launch and marina had a check-in station, well great, just another layer of pencil-pushers that line their pockets with more tax dollars from me. Everyone that has a private dock just gets off scot-free then i guess. You ask what the downside is, but I don’t see any upside at all unless you are a fan of hassle, red tape, TPS reports, increased taxes, and government overreach. Papers please, I mean tags please.
I agree 100% The enviro groups push for catch shares for a reason, they want ownership.
quote:
Originally posted by millacdTo answer your primary question: Yes. A tag for a black sea bass is ridiculous. The tag system would be abused. If every launch and marina had a check-in station, well great, just another layer of pencil-pushers that line their pockets with more tax dollars from me. Everyone that has a private dock just gets off scot-free then i guess. You ask what the downside is, but I don’t see any upside at all unless you are a fan of hassle, red tape, TPS reports, increased taxes, and government overreach. Papers please, I mean tags please.
Don’t forget you are taking about FEDERALLY managed fish. That means Florida and NC will get most of the tags and you will be sitting on the dock when they are fishing in your back yard.