I will admit that this is a problem and that is one issue that I was actually "for" with the permits. I think that every commercial fisherman should have the same opportunity to fish our lake just like anyone has the right to recreationally fish it. The permits chose WHO was able to fish and nothing was guaranteed from year to year. I think every fisherman with historical trip landings should receive a permit. Alot of oyster fishermen are ONLY fishermen. That's all they know and for some it's too late to attempt to get out into the job market with their lack of experience and/or education. I believe permitting, with revisions, could work by limiting each fisherman to only 1 boat, 1 load, 1 day. The commission can set the sack limit as necessary to accommodate the number of oysters being harvested compared to the amount determined available by LDWF. This would give everyone a chance and a choice.

800-442-2511 LDWF
This thread started with division, us against them winner take all. I have come to believe through each post that we may not be that far apart in our ideas about what is best for the lake.

x2

EVO

i have to admit i am one of the people with multiple boats and i am part of the cause but i do agree with the one person one boat one limit i did catch 2 loads legally and i culled them right i also agree with the commission setting the limit on how the oysters are holding up i DID NOT get a permit luckily i am young enough to get other work

I wish we could get more oyster fisherman on here and debate it out!

well i understand about you not being upset about the permits but to the fishermen who did not get a permit and i am one of them that takes our jobs from us and i have a wife and kid to support . i dont know if you are a guide or just a sport fisherman but you can still go fishing the reefs are not the only place to fish ,but it is the only place where we can catch oysters. how would you feel if someone came up to you and said that you could no longer do what you do for a living?this is the second time in two different fisheries it has happened to me oystering and snapper fishing now i have thousands of dollars in boats i can not use

thank you for wanting to hear our side of the story

Well here is what I can say' You claim your losing your jobs. But what happens when and it will happen soon because WL&F already said it..they close oysters down for 10 years to let reefs repair???

Also Our oyster beds are natural and part of our estuary and help keep our estuary healthy

You can not keep raping these reefs.

dredging does not exactly make a quick limit what really decides the time on how it takes to get youre load is if u cull them right that might be y he has that many boats he might not cull his

There are people on both sides who are next to impossible to compromise with. All I can say is thank God u are not the one in ldwf making the decisions. If u were, we would have a communist lake.

i was informed dont know how true it is but what i was told today is the congressman who pushed this permit system is asking the governor to veto the permit bill and drop the limit to 5,to 8 sacks a day and if the fish houses pay what the oysters are worth then the fishermen can make a living not anything extra but they will pay bills and keep food on the table

I heard Morrish say on KPLC that he called Jindal and asked him to veto the bill, but he had already signed it the day before.

How convenient. :shrug:

EVO

Talk about playing both sides of the fence!

Ballz, why are they in such short supply with politicians??? It would have been just as easy to tell the media why the bill was needed instead of pandering to one group to look sympathetic to their cause.

Don't pizz on my leg and tell me it's raining!!!

I had no idea that starting this thread would lead to such big discussion. I have really enjoyed hearing everyones views. Keep it up!

I just wonder with all the pressure on the oyster fisherman right now..If they will obey the laws and not outlaw

some will and some wont..

Just like life...law says dont rob or steal...some do and some dont.

Read my post again friend....I said nothing abt you or any commercial fisherman making a living on the lake....you can still make a living tonging. My point is that entire reef structure's are being wiped out completely and flattened by dredges...and hauled off!! Thats where I make my living on reefs 90% of the time....Every oyster boat will be in west cove this year....you'll have nothing for next year....reef in the cove is a thing of the past....