Watersports blog

In an effort to prevent the extinction of shad and herring, two of three affected fish species along the Delaware, an environment agency in New Jersey is now pushing for the limitation of fishing in the area.

The Department of Environment Protection’s (DEP) Fish and Game Council officials are now pushing for the maximum limit of 10 alewife and blueback herring to be caught every day. The limit on American shad will be from six to three. The rules will undergo public hearing on September 8, 2009 at Robbinsville.

Lewis Fishery personnel Steve Meserve said that the plan sounds feasible because shad and herring are starting to disappear in the rivers as massive fishing has been taking place in the area.

Meserve’s company monitors the health of the river. He revealed that the last few years saw a drastic decline of the aforementioned species in the river.

In the early 50’s, the shad also was in danger of extinction but the numbers rebounded as massive efforts such as river cleanups were conducted at that time. This could be an option that the officials may consider in order to save the species once more.

The Department of Conservation in Missouri conducted last weekend the “Kids Fishing Day” which was a resounding success based on the attendance of many children with their parents.
The kids and their loving parents were present at the Kellogg Lake, located in the city of Carthage where the fishing event was staged.

According to reports, the department placed nearly 300 channel catfish on the lake last week. Kids were visibly happy when the get to catch a fish. However, most of them decided to put it back to the water since they have no intention of eating them or bringing them home.

Parents said that these moments are precious since before they’ll know it, their kids have become grown-ups and won’t find time to hang out with them anymore.

The organizers of this family event revealed that the participation from the public continued to rise for the past eight years. During its first year, there were about 100 kids who attended the event. This year the department accounted 500 children and a thousand people overall.

The goal behind this event, according to department community outreach specialist Kevin Badgley, is for the kids and their families to enjoy nature and spend quality time through fishing.

The fishing industry in the state of Alaska is thriving as always. Despite the ongoing financial crisis in the global market, the fishing industry remains a lucrative market.

According to the data released in the latest issue of Alaska Economic Trends, the number of jobs related in the fishing industry has reached more than 50,000. The numbers usually go higher during peak seasons.

Employment pertaining to fish harvesting declined slightly last year at 0.7 percent thus bringing the 7-year tally to a decline of 17 percent. The figures are affected by the state of salmon markets.

As for fishing jobs, more than 2,300 permits were released in 2007 with 30 percent of the workers connected with the salmon market. Groundfish landings in the state reached four billion pounds and created additional 1,182 jobs last year, not to mention the addition of 1,246 fishermen in halibut fishery.

Overall, the state’s fishing industry helped Alaska’s GDP last year after it contributed more than $770 million. It only shows that the fishing industry in Alaska is not affected by the global economic crisis. Seafood products have generated $2 billion worth of exports for the state in the past two years.

The year’s third quarter is ending and it is nearly time to welcome the last three months of 2008. The weather is turning and the nights are progressively getting cooler. Gone is the sweltering heat of summer. It’s that time of year where the trees start to color and their leaves start to fall. It is a great time for hunting and for picking wild mushrooms and berries. Autumn is also the best time for fishing. Whether you live in near the South Coast or on the Canadian North Coast, you are definitely in for good fishing.

The Salmon are on their way upstream and soon the rivers will be teaming with young, fat and healthy fish ripe for picking. Steelhead is also in season and there are even rumors of good California and Pacific fishing. Klamath and Trinity rivers are the best places to go. There have also been good reviews of fishing out of Eureka and Trinidad. A bit of cold weather is expected in the next few weeks. This is also coupled with a few thunderstorms. The cooler temperature is what is necessary to coax the Salmon to move upstream.

Experts forecast that the second week of October will see an increase in Salmon and Steelhead fishing all over the country.