Reported July 25, 2016 on the Facebook page of the Massachusetts Environmental Police:
In response to receiving numerous complaints of Commercial Striped Bass Fisherman retaining Striped Bass prior to the commercial season opening, on the evening of July 24, 2016, the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) conducted a saturation patrol of the Commercial Striped Bass fleet in the vicinity of southern Cape Cod Bay. The Patrol Boat Thomas Paine, 2 smaller patrol boats and one under cover surveillance vessel, conducted 60 vessel inspections. Six commercial vessels were found to possess Striped Bass prior to the season opening. Commercial fishermen are not prohibited from recreational fishing as long as they abide by the recreational rules and clip the right pectoral fin from any commercial-sized fish. Officers confiscated 388 pounds of illegal Striped Bass with a marked value of approximately $2,400.00, fishing gear valued at $3,000.00 and issued approximately $1,000.00 in fines. Charges included Commercial fishing during closed season, over the limit striped bass, possession of striped bass without a clipped fin and operating without navigation lights.
At about 0130 on July 25, 2016, the MEP Officers were completing their paperwork and securing the patrol vessels when they overheard a broadcast on VHF channel 16. A vessel was reporting a collision and an altercation between the operators of two Commercial Striped Bass vessels. MEP Officer’s assisted the United States Coast Guard in their response to this call. No injuries were reported and the damage to the victim’s vessel was minor. The other vessel had allegedly swung a fish gaff at the victim after ramming the victim’s vessel twice. The other vessel could not be located.
Well, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to do that inspection raid. Could happen just about any commercial day.
I am a commercial bass fisherman who despises poachers, I hope these fisherman that do these things have their vessels and gear seized as well as imposed fines.
If this had been a 1 boat bust then it would of been newsworthy. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of tax “payers’ dollars” to harass 6 boats for a measly 388lbs.
Sorry, don’t follow your thinking. If one boat did it, it would be news, but if six, a waste? Think about it, 10% of the boats boarded were illegal, one out of ten, that says the cheating is pretty solid. If just one out of sixty did it, I would then say it might be a waste of time, as the vast majority are doing the right thing. Plus, you can bet that those busted did it every day of commercial season. They should take away their licenses for life, that would stop people from doing it.
Thank you Rich for having some common sense in all this s—. One boat does it and gets caught should send a sentence to all the rest of the buggers to knock it off right now! But I’m afraid that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. Those jerks know how limited the enforcement community has access to capable assets in this lifetime.
They’re only hours away from the season starting. It doesn’t justify being banned for life. Tom Brady cheated far worse and he’s not receiving a life ban from the NFL. Although a suspension would make sense. It probably cost the state $7,000 to operate a sting that resulted $1000 in fines. Where’s the return on investment there?
Breaking the law is still breaking the law. However you try and slice it. the state has been doing a fantastic job this year busting poachers. Hopefully it will make others less likely to break the law and ruin it for the rest of us that abide by the rules. This is what the EPO is paid to do. If you ask me they should have been enforcing the laws a lot sooner and with stricter consequences. The minor slaps on the wrist and meager fines aren’t enough to curb the damage to the fishing industry.
When are they going to apply the law to all the Criminals in DC ? I know it’s off topic but the real law breakers aren’t catching fish ? They selling our Country from under our feet .
Not about return on investment.
About busting people who skirt the law.
Law is there to protect the species.
EPO is there to protect the law.
No problem with this arrangement.
And yes 10% poaching rate is pervasive and well worth a large scale check in like this.
Follow the rules and I hope all these fisherman catch, keep, and sell many fish.
Break the rules and I hope they get busted and appropriately punished.
Well put?
So if your spouse cheats on you a little or a couple times it’s OK?
Simple solution: get another spouse. Maybe order one from Slovenia
The point is punishing someone who is greedy and hurts the fishery?
How was it only $1,000. It’s a $250 fine per fish if you’re over the 3 mile line. If the average weight was 18 lbs per fish that would be 21 fish. That’s over $5,250 by itself.
Are you REALLY that stupid !! ????
the poachers get caught fish in hand,,PROOF of wrong doing !!
NFL admitted they had NO proof of wrong doing by TB12.
how in a twisted mind is that comparable ??
Did Brady have a license issued by the state?
And on top of that if commercial guys years ago had accepted some controls on their fishing instead of P&M all the time things would probably be better now.
Again Van what does Tom Brady have to do with over fishing Stripers. How many other poachers were not caught?
Seriously …MEP’s not a profit business it’s about obeying the law and conserving a resource… Period
Your short sighted thoughts are alarming. If a person is not following the law and it’s only minutes before start of season where do you draw the line? Fish stocks are declnng so I guess you make money while you can? Smarten up clown
I totally agree. Serious action should be taken against these boats/captains. I also think they should identify them. List the captain’s name and boat. But some shame on them. Can you imagine how long they have been doing this. And this goes with every species of fishing. Commercial boats should be strictly monitored. I am a private fisherman and follow the reg’s and so should everyone. Have you ever seen what these guys bring in? (in fish)
Wonder why some species are over fished and they are off limits.
Look at the cod for example, we cannot even fish for them any more.
There are regulations for a reason!
Seems you guys are saying it isn’t worth it, correct? Its a bad return investment, I think I read too….. Easy fix just increase the fines 3x, 4x, or 5x… Then you wont be crying about your tax money….
As a recreational fishermen I’m only allowed 1 freakn’ fish because of quotas, F..K the poachers and hope they loose their license and their boats.
I don’t care if they didn’t find squat! This shows they are looking for poachers!!! Makes me happy! This let’s the poachers know that they won’t be getting away with it this year!
Harass poachers????? Why have a commercial season at all?
With people like Van the Striper population will go down to nothing
Sounds as if mr.van has grabbed cpl fish he wasnt suppose to himself. 1 day 1 hr or 1min..b4season shouldnt matter still a no no…everything should be confiscated truck boat gear fish..it bull shit these people cant wait 1 day or cant play by the rules..they should add mando 6 months of jail time see who jacks fish then..hats off to the EPO
Good JOB MEP Get these f—!
Poaching is stealing a resource for greed of money. I am a avid striper fisherman who hates a thief!
Thank you Mr Haley for stating the truth despite the feelings of those poacher jerks
Didn’t commercial season open in june?? I don’t get it, and I didn’t know that mass had to clip fins yet
Commercial season is open only on Monday and Thursday. These guys got a jump on the open day and we’re hoping to continue into the opening day [Monday]. From the reports, fishing has been tough due to the high pressured weather. I don’t blame these guys for trying to earn a weekly check. Recreational fisherman think it’s about greed, but they have no idea of the struggle.
Rule breakers should pay heavily! The fishery can’t defend itself. There is no excuses. It is poaching. If you can work within the law don’t work, or just be a better fisherman. They should make anyone with a hunting or fishing license of any type take an ethics class.
Van, at it again are you? Your a complete f—— moron. All you say is oh it’s no big deal or I don’t blame these guys because the fishing is tough. or the fines are to stiff. You must, actually I’m sure you are, a poacher yourself. It’s 27 inches and it was gonna grow to be 28 inches so why wait, close enough That sounds like you. Poachers like yourself infuriate me. No fine is too much or penalty is to harsh. The only protection the fish have are from us. If we just do what we want and make our own rules the fishery won’t last long, it already shows the effects now. Isn’t there a poacher magazine you can read.?? D—–!!!!!
Paul, you sound so uneducated. You’re accusing me of poaching on what basis?. It’s not hard for you to do since you’re an uneducated piece of trash. I have empathy for the commercial fisherman. As I sit in my office guaranteed a paycheck, they’re out there on the grind trying to earn theirs. You probably live under your moms basement so you don’t have to worry about pay. There are many factors that attribute to the decline of the biomass population than the harvest of Massachusetts commercial rod and reel fisherman. At the end of the day, they all obey a quota.
Most cheats have what they think is a good reason.
I’m sure that’s what the guy who raid your garden thinks!
Gee I am in need maybe I should rob a bank so I wouldn’t have to struggle Same approach
Van, people like you are why this country is in decline.
That fine is ridiculously low. They probably made Three times that the next night.
I very much doubt that $1000 in fines will deter poachers. Make it a serious fine and perhaps more will think twice.
Name names and boat names
Totally agree…list the names and boats.
Really. $1,000 in fines. Need bigger fines . this is a joke. They will be back at it. Give them a $100,000 fine and it might stop them.
I say we go down there and fk em all !!!
It’s too bad the Environmental police did not confiscate all the poachers equipment including boats, trailers and trucks.
Van I am going to bang your wife, but just use the tip.
You scare my wife!
Van your unbelievable. Uneducated?. You go with that. This coming from someone who thinks its ok to break the law or take more than the quota or even fish out of season. And you call me uneducated. People like you make me feel like a friggen genius. Idiot. Yeah my moms basement here’s a word I doubt you know it’s called work. Like for the state to keep pieces of shit like you safe. I go to work so you don’t have to so your welcome. Empathy. What? you feel bad because they had tough day on the water. Oh your one of those everyone gets a trophy losers. I cannot wait until you get bagged because going by all your useless posts trying to justify poaching and feeling bad no doubt your time will come. You should really read your posts before you submit it. If you can read. Verbal shit is what you spew. It’s funny how a lot of other people feel the same way about you
You think that’s the only commercial boat that is doing that I think not.Not all of them but some of them scumbags been doing it for years keep up the great work it’s about time they check every boat at the ramps Bang them Bumbs a few times.
I’m sure these officers were on their regular shift anyway so how is it a waste of time and money this is what they are paid to do, I say keep it and good work…
Van if you knew some of these dips—- you’d be singing a different tune.
They should be suspended from commercial fishing indefinitely.
Just stepping out on the limb; greyseals fish without regulations. They weigh 800 lbs and eat striped bass. Their population is 16k strong on the Cape. If I’m mistaken, they attribute to the decline in the biomass. Maybe the MEP should issue a bounty on them and allow the commercial guys to harvest those water swines. Just a thought…
Grey seals!!!!! What the hell is wrong with you? You really are as stupid as you present yourself to be. That’s the funniest thing I think I have ever seen. Maybe if the seals purchased a fishing license we could use the money to get more EPO’s Wait. They eat more than the allotted quota so it’s ok. Their fat and they need the food so you feel bad for them
http://www.asmfc.org/species/atlantic-striped-bass
Who can read a chart?
And a masters degree in masturbating doesn’t count as education!
You are the master baiter
Van don’t get mad at Paul. I popped my head up to take a breath and I told him to say that!!!
Van don’t get mad at Paul. I popped my head up to take a breath and told him to say that!
It’s “your” well educated one
No – it’s you’re.
Examples:
That is your bait.
(Second person possessive adjective, used to describe something as belonging to you)
You’re a master baiter!
(Contraction of “you are”)
They should have taken the boats to. Laws are the law period. Ilegal catching of stripers I hope the licenses are pulled for life from these scum. Take the boats and teach a lesson to every one. It is like a liquor license violation in town a sting is doen if ten out of ten pass great. But if someone gets caught lets make the news and list them as violators. The names of the fined fisherman and there boat names as well as where they are out of should be public record also.
These poachers should have everything they own taken away! Including their families! I have the finest rod and reel custom plugs and 50 years of experience and I still can’t catch a bass in mid July at noontime in the canal. This is absurd it’s their fault the stock is depleted, and a fisherman of my caliber can get skunked time and time again. Why these fish should come to me where I fish when I want them too that’s the sign of a healthy stock. Doesn’t matter if there’s no forge in there for them, it said it was a hotspot on the captain seagull chart! If it wasn’t for these poachers I would be the next canal legend. I support making them a gamefish and if I still can’t catch them then I support a ban of bass fishing except for me. If I still struggle I guess they are extinct and I’ll just go golfing because fishing is only one of the hobbies I have mastered.
The poachers should be severely punished. They broke the law. Maybe not what some of the poster here are talking about. But severely.
But this comment is the winner of the thread. Thanks for the chuckle, and the truth.
Thanks for pointing out the fact that people who want to ban commercial fishing are generally uninformed snobs who aren’t all that talented at catching stripers, and think that because they can’t catch big fish in some tidal creek on the Cape with a fly rod at 1:00 PM in July that somehow it’s the fault of commercial fishermen who have depleted the stock.
There’s plenty of big bass, little ones, you just aren’t willing or capable of doing what it takes to catch them. Big bass live in certain places, are caught at certain times, and if you want to catch them, you need to go there and give up some of your precious time and money and alter your precious sleep schedule. You catching nothing or schoolies is not because a few fish are caught and sold commercially. It’s because you either lack the skill, or are too cheap to drive or to get a boat or to hire a captain to take you to the right place, or because you won’t put in your hours.
Leave the commercial guys who are law-abiding alone. And if you want to catch big fish, go to the places where they live at the times they are there. Don’t blame a commercial fisherman for your lack of fishing skills and your wanting to make your fishing comfortable instead of effective.
Van needs a ride on the short van apparently, duhhhhhhh
Van,
You are a funny guy it is truly impossible for someone to be as big an idiot as you pretended to be.
Comerical guys , business guys all cry ” I’m not making any $$” BS why you stay in it ? For fun ?
You must think we are stupid
Make strip bass a game fish and help put an end to this!
I commercial fish bass mostly out of the boston harbor . The Cape guys have been doing this for years never mind the guys that have 2 or 3 different people on there boats all with permits . They could bust 12 boats every company day . The boston fleet doesn’t get to sit on a biomass we actually have work for our fish
As far as I’m concerned poaching is looting. They shoot looters don’t they? If you’re going to stop these thieves, treat them like the looters they are.
Bob
Little high on yourself ?…..
Prospective Overwatch Investigaztors are presentred with
an active Overwatch button in the main menu, which indicates that there is a pending case for them to
evaluate.
How about starting the commercial day at 7 pm and finishing at 7pm rather than the dumbass midnite to midnite day they have now. That much law enforcement effort for a few hundred pounds of bass that get counted in the quota anyhow is just plain stupid. All those game wardens got paid time and a half for working at nite plus they got a nice cruise in cape cod bay to boot. I’m sure they would love to do that again. Just a simple change in the regs and problem solved.
FREE BRADY !!!!
Having commercially fished for stripers over 20 years ago, I have seen and reported some pretty shady doings. It is true that most abide by the rules, however just like everything else you have a small percentage of cheaters, and yes they give the rest of the guys a bad name.
These are facts:
1) Cheaters sometimes use multiple drop lines to increase their poundage.
2) They fish before the start time,and after the stop time.
3) They sell directly to restaurants thus avoiding the regulations.
I could go on but I think you get the picture. In closing thanks to law enforcement for being so diligent.
I can’t believe there are some people who actually have sympathy for poaching. We’re now in a state where the criminals are put above law enforcement. We are truly doomed.
Game Fish Status… done!
On the Water, get on it!
They must be democrats who can make all illegal actions seem OK when they do them as above the law
Simple,increase the fines to recoop the cost of catching these poachers. Plain and simple revoke the license, no jail time or increased fines for second offenses. Make them think twice about losing their privilege. These guys know the difference between right and wrong. Just as I do know the laws as a sportfisher. The monies we sportfisherman pay for our licenses is meant to improve the species and the few greedy commercial fisherman out there are no different than any of the rest of us who obey the fisheries laws. Doesn’t take rocket science to figure out they are hurting themselves and the other honest commercial fisherman who depend on this fishery for their livelihood.Short sharp no nonsense laws will make them think twice or if it doesn’t then let them pay the consequence.
Wow. I’ve never seen so many replies. Sure is a touchy subject with emotional responses from both sides. I thought the standard fine imposed was $100 per illegal fish. Since all the fish caught were all illegal, sure seems like there would be more than 10 illegal fish across 6 boats. What is up with that??????
I bought a boat from a striped bass commercial fisherman. He and his cousin fished the Elisabeth Islands. He said that he was boarded just like this story by the Coast Guard at 11:55 PM the night of the opening season. Good thing he was honest as they were abiding by the rules and had not started fishing yet. Isn’t that the way it always is? 90% follow the rules and the rotten 10% screw it all up for everyone. That is why the rotten 10% need to be punished just like a bushel of apples. Throw the rotten ones out before they infect the whole bushel. In this case, it seems the fines are not severe enough to get rid of the bad apples. I mean, the picture shows 8 fish so that boat would get a 8x$100 = $800 in fines. Confiscate 4-6 rods and reels = $400-$600 say. So that = $1400. They say only $1000 in fines for 6 boats. Shouldn’t that be more like $1400 x 6 = $ 8400. $1000/6 = $167 per boat. That really doesn’t seem adequate. If the authorities went to all the trouble to organize this sweep, then put the wood to these offenders and fine them to the max. Make them an example that the rules are meant for everyone.
To impound one’s boat for illegal fishing seems like more punishment then fits this crime. Unless someone was netting the bass or using dynamite. But why not level a FINE ON THE BOAT used for illegal fishing in addition to the 100$ fine per fish? Say a $1000 fine on the operator/owner of the boat used for illegal fishing? Now that would make someone think twice if their total fine was say $1500 plus loss of gear. Otherwise a smaller fine is just chalked up to the cost of doing (bad) business.
Also this whining about “taking away one’s livelihood” if there were no commercial striped bass fishing . Please………………………………….
If one does the math, the approximant amount of money a commercial SB fisherman could make is about $20,000. I figure this way: Average weight per fish = 20lbs. (That is being liberal.) times 15 fish limit = 300lbs. Times 6$/lb. = $1800. Times 2 days a week = $3600 per week. Times 6 week season = $21,600. Then you have to subtract costs of fuel, bait, food, maintenance, license. So say $20,000 profit. Sure, that is nice for 6 weeks of work. OK. But no one can live on $20,000 a year in Massachusetts. It is an additional amount if you were a teacher, say, or retired, or had your own business you did on the other 5 days of the week. A good part-time job out on the water -yes. But whining about “destroying my livelihood”? I don’t think so. If you think I am wrong, please reply with exact figures that support your position. I really would like to know.
Fishnphreak… couldn’t have said it better