So here’s my question, why do we think we are entitled to take as much of a resource as we see fit?

The DFW has been studying herring abundance (or lack of it) for many years. They have compiled data from historical commercial fishing records and have deployed scientists to spawns to collect samples in order to estimate the size of that spawn from the amount of eggs left behind. The data they have gathered says that over the past five years the biomass is declining with this past season being particularly low. This data is the result of scientific research not something some apparatchik at the DFW made up to ruin your weekend. The information is available online. The only real debate here is what is responsible for these declines and to what extent out activities have to do with it. Environmental factors are a large factor to consider but even if we are not entirely to blame (and yes the commercial guys probably take more fish than us) it shouldn’t prevent us from practicing restraint.

I think it is wrong to make the statement that what we are doing as recreational net tossers is not having an impact. I believe that we are taking a significant amount of fish. I base this on my own observations. I have been chasing the herring for many years and what I am seeing at the spawns for me is troubling. I will often go to the spawns to watch and not fish just because I enjoy the spectacle of it and what i am seeing are herring runs fished hard around the clock until it is over. I see people filling up 50 gallon garbage cans and giant coolers. I have seen the backs of pickup trucks loaded with fish. I have seen folks out on boston whalers covering their aft decks. To make the statement that what we are doing isn’t excessive or that it doesn’t have an impact is way off. Now maybe you personally aren’t taking 100 gallons of herring, but that other guy is and its not right.

So there is this argument that people should be allowed to take a large amount of herring because either they live far away, or its the only spawn they can get to that season or whatever. There is also the argument that these individuals should be allowed to take what they want because they use all the fish they take either for consumption or bait. These are somewhat compelling arguments but riddle me this; I only have the opportunity to make it up to Hubmolt maybe once a year if I’m lucky, does this entitle me to catch as many salmon as I want because that is the only opportuniny I have to get them? Can I take as many lingcod as I please because I make a really good fish stew and will eat all of them? If the answer is no then why is herring any different?

I don’t think that people are selling herring on the black market, at least not in any significant numbers. I say this because I have a hard time imagining them having a market to begin with. Herring are not abalone, they can be had legally and quite cheap. To focus on an illegal herring market is probably a bit of a red herring. I kinda doubt this is something the DFW thinks is too serious a probem either. So I don’t think the guys with 50 gallon barrels are selling the stuff. What I do think is happening is that people become very excited when they are catching fish, its the same thing that happens in out brains when we play slot machines or get laid or something. The act of catching all these fish is an intoxicating experience and it makes us all a little fish drunk if you will and we lose a bit of control and take more fish than we need. I have met people walking to their cars at spawns with buckets of fish laughing and asking what they are going to do with all those fish. Now maybe you don’t do this but it does indeed happen. LikeI said, I don’t believe these fish are being sold on the black market in any real numbers but I do worry that people are loading up with them and then putting them in a freezer where they will be burnt and ultimately discarded at the start of the next season.

Yeah, so I think it is absolutely necessary for the DFW to step in and place a reasonable limit on the recreational herring game and I do think they are basing the decision to do so on sound science, data and observation. I suppose we could argue all day as to what that limit should be and I find myself on the low end. Personally I think that one 5 gallon bucket per person a day is reasonable. If that’s too low come back the next day like you do with salmon. If you only have the chance to fish a few days a year welcome to my world.

Of course these are my opinions and yours are just as valid as mine so please, if this means anything to you then reach out to the DFW.

Welcome

Welcome, hope to see you on the water.

Welcome to the forum.

Wonderful.
Thank you for sharing this story with us!

Welcome to NCKA.

Glad to have ya. Welcome.

Very nice. Thanks for the report.