Swords: Life on the Line - BullSh!t

[Hobi-Wan Kenobi]

Anyone else see the Discovery Channel show - Swords: Life on the Line?

It's a commercial fishing series just like the crab fisherman series in Alaska. I just stumbled across it and saw them tossing back "rats" - baby swords - "too small for market". These guys were tossing back these carcasses back in the ocean like trash. Oh, they did show, one live "rat" that they released. After the commercial break, they showcase a different boat who pull up nothing but blue sharks "blue dogs" who are screwing up their gear by spinning in the lines. The narrator goes to say by noon, they caught 500 sharks, but only 10 swords, and at $5 per hook, equipment costs add up - WTF!

Are we to feel sorry for these guys if one of them goes overboard? Is this a conspiracy by the Discovery Channel to get long line fishermen banned? If it is, they're doing one helluva job.

[Danglin]

Ouch,

 That is nauseating...

 Hopefully it will catch the attention of someone who can give them trouble....

[EWB]

I watched the entire series. I am a sucker for any fishing show on TV. It was sad to watch them toss back dead fish. Actually one of the boats had a marine fisheries biologist on board tagging sharks as they came up (to be released). When the landed some of the +500lb swords. All I could think about is "I wonder how much mercury and other crap is in a fish that big/old"...Oh and the tossing overboard all the tangled 400lb mono line (like 1/4 mile worth) made me really cringe!

[yakuza]

its available VOD on comcast in HD.  saw bits of it last night.  the tossbacks were disgusting.  can only imagine how many sword "fry" were destroyed like that.  But Linda Greenlaw is a hottie   

[kayakjack]

i've been watching the series also. its no wonder there are debris fields the size of texas floating around. i couldnt understand the paycheck thing. The highliner boat got 77,000lbs of fish and each crew member got $25,000. Chomper's boat got 50,000lbs and each crew member got $800. wtf

[porky]

wow, that sucks... this is the stuff that hurts us all. They should have to fish with a single rod and reel like we do. Bummer, this is gonna give all fisherman a bad name.

[EWB]

its available VOD on comcast in HD.  saw bits of it last night.  the tossbacks were disgusting.  can only imagine how many sword "fry" were destroyed like that.  But Linda Greenlaw is a hottie   

Thats a man baby!!!!!

[Eric B]

No respect for the waters whatsoever.  Money is their only concern.

That's what puts the commercial in commercial fishing.

[EWB]

i've been watching the series also. its no wonder there are debris fields the size of texas floating around. i couldnt understand the paycheck thing. The highliner boat got 77,000lbs of fish and each crew member got $25,000. Chomper's boat got 50,000lbs and each crew member got $800. wtf

Given his (Chompers) willingness to screw fellow boats. Something tells me his books 'aint exactly accurate. Unless he has crazy high operating costs.

No kidding! 2 months on the ocean to make $800 see ya Chompers. I feel bad for his brother, who will most likely be stuck with him.  

[PISCEAN]

Eating swordfish is bad in so many ways....geez, & I had some respect for Greenlaw (I kinda liked her books). I'm glad I never watched this, as the bycatch & garbage tossing sounds utterly horrible. I can't even stand seeing charter hands toss their f***ing cig butts over the side!

I have a couple swordfishermen in my family. They use a harpoon, and binocs from the crows' nest to spot 'em. Just two guys on a 40ft PB with a plank. OK, so they only caught one fish in 30 years, but heck I give them mad props for trying each season.

[BabyManBen]

strangely enough though, monterey bay aquarium's seafood chart lists swords caught on longline in the atlantic as a "Good Alternative"

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?gid=25


that kind of made me curious after watching a couple of episodes of the show.

[Bill]

I have seen a few episodes. I didn't think they bought many sharks on board and cut most of them off. The biologist did have them bringing some on board.

I am not sure of any studies but my understanding is sharks have an extremely high survival rate, even if the hook is left in. Anyone know of any studies around shark C&R mortality rates?

The toss backs are pretty bad but at least they are not finning the sharks, that is truly disgusting. 

[Fish Master1]

its available VOD on comcast in HD.  saw bits of it last night.  the tossbacks were disgusting.  can only imagine how many sword "fry" were destroyed like that.  But Linda Greenlaw is a hottie   

What Linda Greenlaw are you thinking of? Not the one who got busted for fishing in Canadian waters I hope!!

[porky]

thats the one...

Yakuza, not quite a hottie She is a bit manish....

[Fish Master1]