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By BeenVerified
Rep. Stephen Goldfinch serves District 108, consisting of Georgetown and Charleston counties
The Murrells Inlet resident proposes that North Inlet be a “catch-and-release” fishery for red drum on experimental basis
Big winter schools of redfish have declined past decade from being in range of 200 fish to no more than 30
BY GREGG HOLSHOUSER
State representative and Murrells Inlet resident Stephen Goldfinch (R-Georgetown) has seen and heard of a decline in recent years of the number of red drum in Georgetown County estuarine waters, and wants to find out why.
Serving District 108 – which consists of Georgetown and Charleston counties – has a proposal in the works designed to figure out the reason behind the perceived decline of the Palmetto State’s most popular inshore game fish.
Rep. Goldfinch’s idea, which is currently being drafted into a bill, involves the regulation of anglers hauling in red drum in North Inlet. The proposal would make the area a “catch-and-release” fishery on an experimental basis for the next five years.
A decline in the size of winter schools of red drum has been the impetus the proposal, which Rep. Goldfinch expects to be presented to the House Agriculture, Natural Resources & Environmental Affairs committee soon for consideration to become a bill.
“There will be a draft on the desk probably next week and then it will be assigned to a committee,” Rep. Goldfinch said on Tuesday. “I’d imagine it will probably get some traction. I think it’s ultimately something people will get behind and support.”
Rep. Goldfinch, an avid angler and spearfisherman, has heard from fishing guides regarding the recent decline in red drum numbers.
“I’ve gotten a lot of reports from the guides in the area that the big winter schools we used to see six to 10 years ago are gone now – tha
I have stated this many times previously, but JUVENILE (inshore) redfish stocks have been in decline statewide since 2010. I fish the entire state, but only can say with certainty that angling pressure is not to blame in the areas that I fish 3 plus times per week between the Stono River and Bull River around Edisto. The numbers in Wadmalaw Sound and St. Helena Sound have dropped over 80% during this time period. These fish don’t get hammered like Charleston and Port Royal, but the young fish are not repopulating the flats and creeks. Lots of flats that held fish in the 90s and 00s have NO fish now; 50 plus fishable flats schools have dropped to less than 20. The largest schools are maybe 100 fish which used to be 500 plus, etc., etc. I don’t profess to know the exact reason, but decreasing limits won’t help much around here. I am all for some experimentation with limits to see if it helps, but I believe there are serious environmental issues that are preventing successful spawns.
I am all for trying to figure out why. Why don’t we try to figure out why, first. Regulations for people only work when people are the problem. Another thing the author touched on was people breaking the rules. We should catch these people and make public examples of them. I have never quite figured out how authority always seem to believe making more stringent laws creates less law breaking. Citing lawbreaking as an impetus for this change is really poor logic. Perhaps the logic is to “offset” the damage done by the unknown/other issues by restricting the humans; this seems to be theme of our DNR as of late.
2013 Ranger Z21 Intracoastal 250 hp Yamaha VMAX SHO
I can’t help but think that one of the largest contributors to a
falling fish, crab, ect, ect, population is all the Shatt that flows
down our rivers and streams… Raw sewage , chemicals , so on and on!!
quote:I can't help but think that one of the largest contributors to a
falling fish, crab, ect, ect, population is all the Shatt that flows
down our rivers and streams.. Raw sewage , chemicals , so on and on!!
I think we have had several large rains at just the right time of year the last few years that has caused an abundance of natural food sources to relocate and therefore an abundance of fish to relocate. It may not be that there are less overall, but less overall in the places we usually look to find them when we want to find them. There may be a natural explanation. That is where I would look first. Pollution may be possible but I am skeptical of that one as well as there are too many signs of healthy life throughout the current system. We are really quick to blame “man” every time there is a population shift in a species we like to hunt or fish; I believe we have less of an effect than it is popular to believe.
2013 Ranger Z21 Intracoastal 250 hp Yamaha VMAX SHO
If pollution isn’t a major factor then why are so many oyster
areas closed due to them being unsafe to consume and also
catching fish with lesions/sores in them ??? Agreed fish populations migrate from place to place ,but do you wonder why they move ? Might be they don’t like living/breathing in the shatt !!!I have a hard time believing these problems are caused (naturally)!!!Shatt on this scale ain’t natural;;;IMO …
As a younger man; years ago it wasn’t the case when our beaches weren’t developed and there wasn’t septic tanks by the quad zillions ,golf courses wall to wall, and mega cities (spilling, haha) raw sewage into every creek and river; Just sayin my thoughts!!!
I can’t help but think that one of the largest contributors to a
falling fish, crab, ect, ect, population is all the Shatt that flows
down our rivers and streams… Raw sewage , chemicals , so on and on!!
This sounds the most plausible. Just like the reports of marine animals in the Pacific adhering to tumorous cancers seen on their body, a lot to due with the radiation from the Fukishima reactors. I’d think it’s safe to say it’s definitely environmental before I’d say it’s over fishing.
Oyster beds are closed occasionally because they are unsafe for HUMAN consumption and the contamination of an oyster bed is more often than not caused by naturally existing bacteria. I do not believe the fish pay attention to oyster bed closures but I cannot be sure. Fish lesions are somewhat normal and are usually caused by some sort of physical damage to the skin in wild fish and develop as part of the healing process. Aren’t our waters and fish tested regularly for contaminants?
2013 Ranger Z21 Intracoastal 250 hp Yamaha VMAX SHO
Why have we lost a large percentage of our oyster beds since the 1970s? I don’t have the answers; neither do the biologists. Habitat loss can’t help. All I am sure of is that there was a DRASTIC decline in these waters between 2010-2012. Flats and creek numbers went down at least 50% in about 18 months and been lowering ever since. There are two questions to be answered.
Why did the fish (1-3 yr. olds) leave suddenly?
Why are juveniles not repopulating the dwindling habitat that is left?
I am willing to make any sacrifice necessary as an angler and captain to help figure out and solve the problem, but it is very disappointing that nothing has been done to date, and reading what PeaPod has posted doesn’t give me the warm and fuzzies that our biologists have any clue for the reason of the decline.
There are definitely people who keep everything they can stick a hook into.
The heavy rains have possibly flushed bait out of some areas.
The drought we had 10 + years ago could’ve had an effect that’s shown up the last few years.
The population has increased, increasing fishing pressure.
Developers are intent on putting subdivisions and golf courses on every available square inch of land, which means more toxic runoff into marshes.
Severe winter cold snaps could impact bait, just like they impact trout stocks.
Is fishing pressure alone to blame? I don’t think so. Venice Louisiana gets more pressure than we do.
It’s definitely something that’s worthwhile looking at. Seems like I’ve heard commercial crabbers have had a harder time harvesting crabs…if crab stocks are down, you could correlate redfish stocks also being down.
A truthful study may show that our nursery system of marshes is more unique than other areas, and overdevelopment has had a negative impact…but then what do you do? Stop coastal development? The big money guys won’t allow that.
There are definitely people who keep everything they can stick a hook into.
The heavy rains have possibly flushed bait out of some areas.
The drought we had 10 + years ago could’ve had an effect that’s shown up the last few years.
The population has increased, increasing fishing pressure.
Developers are intent on putting subdivisions and golf courses on every available square inch of land, which means more toxic runoff into marshes.
Severe winter cold snaps could impact bait, just like they impact trout stocks.
Is fishing pressure alone to blame? I don’t think so. Venice Louisiana gets more pressure than we do.
It’s definitely something that’s worthwhile looking at. Seems like I’ve heard commercial crabbers have had a harder time harvesting crabs…if crab stocks are down, you could correlate redfish stocks also being down.
A truthful study may show that our nursery system of marshes is more unique than other areas, and overdevelopment has had a negative impact…but then what do you do? Stop coastal development? The big money guys won’t allow that.
I think weather is an unlikely factor. The big rains over the past 6 mos is a recent event and cold snaps happen periodically but we’re seeing a decline over a long period of time.
What is different is the ever increasing loss of habitat and increasing fishing pressure. As already mentioned the oyster population is down, but I’ve also noticed large areas that used to be covered in marsh that are now hollowed out marsh flats that have only mud in the middle. Scientififc data is going to be hard to come by since these areas of research tend to be slow going in addition to being poorly funded. Don’t want to come off as a member of PE
As some have already stated, I don’t think you can point the finger of blame at any one entity. Man, weather, pollution (man), changing habitat (some by man)…all of these things impact the resource and will play a part in a resource’s decline or revitalization. Things rarely “just happen,” good or bad.
In the future, where every stranger poses a potential threat, knowing the predator mindset is the only safe haven.
Food chains work from the bottom up. All the pollutants, herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers and such from all the waterfront developments, plus soil erosion from deforestation along a lot of the waterfront is the biggest problem IMO. All this stuff kills plankton and who knows what else that everything else eats and grows up on. Crabs are way down, shrimp are way down, menhaden are down, catfish that used to be a nuisance are now about non-existent. Ude to catch a lot of eels inshore, almost never see those now either.
No way are the reds being over fished. The limits don’t possibly allow it. Every dolphin out there will eat many more redfish a day than a person can legally keep, and they do it 24/7 without limits. Just because more people are fishing doesn’t mean more fish are being caught. Most people out there don’t know how anyway. 10% of fishermen catch 90% of the fish.
All that being said, I haven’t noticed any real decline of reds in the Port Royal area. Which could possibly be attributed to the Wadell restocking program. I don’t know.
Why have we lost a large percentage of our oyster beds since the 1970s? I don’t have the answers; neither do the biologists. Habitat loss can’t help. All I am sure of is that there was a DRASTIC decline in these waters between 2010-2012. Flats and creek numbers went down at least 50% in about 18 months and been lowering ever since. There are two questions to be answered.
Why did the fish (1-3 yr. olds) leave suddenly?
Why are juveniles not repopulating the dwindling habitat that is left?
I am willing to make any sacrifice necessary as an angler and captain to help figure out and solve the problem, but it is very disappointing that nothing has been done to date, and reading what PeaPod has posted doesn’t give me the warm and fuzzies that our biologists have any clue for the reason of the decline.
Golf Courses.
In the 70’s,80’s and 90’s my family had a personal limit oyster permit for the banks in and around Prices Inlet. They were owned and worked by Andrew Magwood and family, those banks were the best around, large clusters and huge blades as far as the eye could see. Then the Bulls Bay golf course was built, and things started going to hell. Even the people who recently moved up there said nothing was the same in the marsh after that golf course was built. Today those beds are shameful, and they cant even be worked because so much has died off. I do know the man with the clam dredge who has the clam rights up there, has seen the loss and only wonders when the clams will die off.
If juvenile fish need oyster beds to survive, they may be in a world of hurt if any golf courses are near.And it may not be the answer,but most of us believe the golf course at Bulls Bay ruined most everything out in front of it.
I started shrimping about 10 yrs ago. We use to set two crap pots out on the way out. Pick a couple bushels of oysters. Set poles - fish a little - then shrimp. Pull crab pots on way back in. We had plenty of crabs, oysters, fish, and shrimp all in one 4-5hr trip. When you come down from midlands you got to make the best of it. We went from N Edisto all the way to Trenchards, not just same place, and did this in like 5 different places. Like you say 2010-2012 that came to a halt. I don’t even bother to take pots or oyster gear. Some fishing with the shrimping trip and that’s it. And shrimping is way off just what I remember it.
Looks to me like just “water quality” in general has declined. Many reasons and sources. It’s everywhere and just not next to golf courses. This would be a good venture/cause for CCA - you think?
It’s going to take all hands on deck to get anything done.
Agreed fish populations migrate from place to place ,but do you wonder why they move ? Might be they don’t like living/breathing in the shatt !!!I have a hard time believing these problems are caused (naturally)!!!Shatt on this scale ain’t natural;;;IMO …
