liberals at it again trying to hurt shrimpers

[capt coonassty]

BRD's

Bycatch reduction device - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bycatch reduction device - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bycatch reduction device - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[keakar]

Originally Posted by capt coonassty

BRD's

Bycatch reduction device - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

yes I know about those useless things, they do help a "little" but they serve to lose a whole lot more shrimp then they ever allow any fish to escape but the bigger fish can get out ok with them in use but sadly they do nothing to stop the entrapment of the 2"-3" fish because they just are just too young to outswim the trawls.

im just fantasizing about finding a way to not allow "any" shrimp to escape and still remove the bycatch. at present, only half of what a shrimper has go through his net stays in his net because of these flawed devices that work without caring how much shrimp can get out.

most shrimpers I know will stitch the teds closed to stop the loss of shrimp and if checked they pull the extra rope that unzips the ted so when the net comes up the ted "appears fully fuctional to anyone checking or watching nearby. that's why they have that seamingly useless extra rope hanging from the trawl, its run through the webbing to keep the flap closed but slips right out when pulled on

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by capt coonassty

BRD's

The thing about "Bycatch reduction devices" is that they are also inevitably catch reduction devices.

BRDs reduce the intented catch as well as the bycatch, thus driving up operational and fuel costs for the fishers and thus product costs for the customers.

Adding more burdens to commercial (or recreational) fishermen is only warranted if there is solid data showing that the ongoing resource impacts of not adding the burdens is significant enough to justify the added burdens. Even without TEDs, turtle catch rates in the Gulf are very low, under 1 turtle every 300 hours of trawling.

[capt coonassty]

Originally Posted by MathGeek

The thing about "Bycatch reduction devices" is that they are also inevitably catch reduction devices.

BRDs reduce the intented catch as well as the bycatch, thus driving up operational and fuel costs for the fishers and thus product costs for the customers.

Adding more burdens to commercial (or recreational) fishermen is only warranted if there is solid data showing that the ongoing resource impacts of not adding the burdens is significant enough to justify the added burdens. Even without TEDs, turtle catch rates in the Gulf are very low, under 1 turtle every 300 hours of trawling.

This is exactly it. Cost. I'm perfectly willing to pay extra for a resource that is caught more sustainable and responsibly and do so often. You're saying that the value of the wasted resources is less than the increase you would see at the store.

[keakar]

Originally Posted by capt coonassty

This is exactly it. Cost. I'm perfectly willing to pay extra for a resource that is caught more sustainable and responsibly and do so often. You're saying that the value of the wasted resources is less than the increase you would see at the store.

what he is trying to say is fishermen are being bankrupted by these devices that double and triple the cost of catching shrimp and while you talk the talk, are you willing to pay $15 a pound for 30 count shrimp and $30 a pound for 16 count? or are you going to just buy that $12 a pound prime beef steak instead? because that's about what the prices "should" be at so shrimpers can make an adequate profit margin on what is costs to catch them. right now shrimpers are averaging selling their shrimp for maybe 5% more then what they spend to catch them and that is not counting maint repairs and breakdowns.

right now they barely make any money at all and if something breaks they lose money on the trip.

[capt coonassty]

I think markets should dictate prices. With that being said we should restrict imported shrimp.

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by capt coonassty

I think markets should dictate prices. With that being said we should restrict imported shrimp.

Having just completed the study of Thomas Sowell's, Basic Economics, I don't think I can get behind protectionist import policies. Capitalism benefits both producers and consumers if government would get out of the way and let it work. I don't buy the stuff personally, but I appreciate the availability of imported (mostly farmed) seafood at the grocery stores, and I recognize that its presence leaves more local seafood (and bait) for my family and at more competitive prices.

Markets should dictate prices, but the prices should be based on reasonable production costs, not production costs that are inflated due to irrational, unsubstantiated fears that bycatch is harming resources in an unsustainable way.

The more important issue is separation of powers. The Feds need to enforce federal rules without strong arming state agencies into acting like federal thugs. DO WE REALLY WANT LDWF AGENTS ENFORCING ALL FEDERAL FISHING RULES (including red snapper)?