Quote:
Originally Posted by tigerhead
I know this is an old thread, but when I came across this I had to post. This guy is basing his statements about dredging strictly on the number of sacks harvested. Dredging oysters and tonging oysters are different for more reasons than that. If you ever get near oyster dredges, you will see that dredging stirs up huge amounts of silt. That silt settles back onto the reef and under certain conditions will smother an oyster reef. Tonging will not do that. I have fished down current from boats tonging oysters and the silt created is next to nothing compared to dredges.
Also, if you could ever deplete an oyster population with tongs, you would notice the trend before it reached a critical state. In other words, the yield becomes too little and you move to another area. Tonging is hard work and you won't over work an area before you quit and move on. When the yield gets low for a dredge, they just cover more ground until they wipe out a reef.
Texas bays have been through this time and again. If a bay system is large enough, and the oystermen do a good job of seeding the leases, then they can manage it as a renewable resource much like farming crops. Big Lake is just not large enough to manage that way. West Cove is a lake in itself and certainly isn't large enough to absorb the affects of dredging.
I agree with his statements about closing the ship channel levee. What I don't understand is how he can condone dredging before that happens. You're pouring salt in a wound....no pun intended.
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This guy is just trying to be a puppet , many who know him have said ; He agreeed 100% to stop dredging.
But as you see when he makes a statement he changes his tune for political reason I guess !
Dredging is bad period !!
Glad it's no longer allowed