|
JEWFISH
|
| There is a movement to
open the harvest of Jewfish once again. I am appalled. It took too many
years of diving to see a single jewfish, and now a small group of SW
Florida anglers and divers want to open the harvest. Why? The claim is
that the jewfish are eating all the grouper and snapper. The first I heard
of this movement was from a group of snook fishermen, who said every time
they hooked a snook on the wrecks it was taken by a jewfish. Well, stop
fishing for snook on the wrecks. It's much more fun to plug a shoreline.
|
| Letters:
-----Original
Message----- They should have a lottery on the goliath grouper as they are eating all of the grouper on the gulf coast. I see 5 to 10 Goliaths on just about ever ledge and on all wrecks. Fort Myers area. Reply: Way back in the old days, there were plenty of Jewfish and other groupers. Now, there seems to be plenty of Jewfish down there, but certainly you don’t think the jewfish caused the problems. We are finding jewfish up here again, and I think if you start killing them again we on the fringe will be the ones to suffer. I went four years without sighting a single jewfish, and don’t want to go through that again. I think you should look at other measures before you start killing the jewfish. The first thing I would do is eliminate the “commercial divers” who shoot anything and everything that pays. They hammer the congregation areas, and they have no mercy. There are more people doing this than you could imagine. After they take everything they can stuff in their coolers, you and the jewfish are competing for the few fish left. I have been looking to outlaw the commercial spearfisherman for years. I have been documenting the deaths and injuries of this group. Also, what are you going to do with a 600lb jewfish? 800lb? Etc. wouldn’t want to eat that coarse shoe leather. However, I would like to make a pair of cowboy boots with the skin. Anyway thanks for writing. I appreciate your opinion. Keep me posted on the issue, I know there is a movement to open harvest. The Moose e-pluribus unum
Letters: And yes, the Jewfish do eat a lot of fish, ranging from Amberjacks to Grouper to Lobster. I have witnessed it firsthand, and seen lively spots decimated by Jewfish. They then move on to the next spot. In the Gulf we see many Jewfish on many dives. I would expect that Jewfish actually eat more fish than both recreational and commercial harvests combined. Also, Jewfish can live in waters much deeper than divers can dive, which serves as a natural protection. How else would you explain that only 5 years after closure, they clearly had rebounded. I realize it has been more like 10, but there was an abundance of Jewfish 5 years ago. You are wrong that Jewfish should not be harvested. John Schmidt Reply:
John, They may have rebounded where you are, but not where I am. There are
more now than I can remember, but not a lot. If you start killing them down there, they will never take hold up
here. I enjoy the occasional jewfish sighting more than I would enjoy
eating that shoe leather. I don't know the answers, and I did read your letter a few times. I
respect your opinion. One thing I see is how you say the deep fish would
be protected from divers. Are you assuming that the divers would be
allowed to harvest the jewfish again? I think not, and if the diver is
limited by depth, the rod and reel is not. Thank you for writing. The Moose Reply to my reply:
Moose, we can still be friends, but I strongly disagree. Jewfish should be harvested, at least a limited harvest, and
sold commercially also. This would take pressure off of other fish by making jewfish available, and also thinning their population. As far as catching one by hook and line, in 250 feet of water........Never saw that happen, it'll take
some pretty stout gear for most Jewfish, only commercial gear. That can be controlled by harvest limits. We will not agree on this one, unless of course you change your mind. Anyway, nice to meet you even though we believe differently. John I never replied again once I saw what he was asking for. He wants to open jewfish for commercial harvest again. They should be able to completely wipe them out in about six months. Good bye my friend Mr. Potato fish, the commercial scum have their eyes on you. I wish I had the time and energy to fight for you, I hope some young person who loves you will take on the fight. Good bye my friend Mr. Jewfish, you will always be jewfish to me. The government won't listen without your full name and a comment. If you forget how jewfish fell victim to overharvest in the past, then ask around. They are not hard to catch. I have a friend in the everglades who uses a cane pole to land 300lb+ fish. I know a guy who used a hand line for 600lb+ fish. .If you want to fight these scumbag commercial fishermen, let me know.
|
| Letters:
TO MOOSE Back in the early 80's, I can only remember a few encounters with 'das Jewfish', and that was only on deep wrecks or on the oil platforms. Rare. Now, it is a special treat to see one or more on a dive, and when you live up north in the snow, to be able to come down and dive in beautiful, sunny, warm, clear waters filled with all kinds of fish, it is always something to remember and tell sea stories about. I love to tell them Yanks about how Jewfish grunt and shake all over, how they almost have a personality about them, and just the size!!!!. People usually freak. Beware of special interest groups and the government, look at what they did to the deer hunting in Michigan, they screwed everything up!, thanks to their experts. Personally, I love to spearfish, but not one of those big mammas!, I bet the meat sucks anyhow. Kind of like chomping on the meat of an old swamp buck. It is just for trophies. Plus, I think that humans hurt the fish population more than anything else, we are so very wasteful, and dangerous!. So give 'em hell, just say No to commercial/recreational harvesting of jewfish!!!
|