Reply #9: Well, I've been peripherally involved with both...

[TreasonousBastard]

the sportfishing and commercial fishing industries over the years and my response was pretty much toungue-in-cheek. The buyout plan is probably bullshit and doomed, with any luck, but I really don't know enough of the details to be sure.

What I really think is that more fishing grounds should be pretty much closed down and off limits to everybody. Fat chance of that, though.

Fisheries around the world are collapsing and some species are nearing extinction. "Mining" the seas for fish with the use of longlines and bottom draggers are only part of the problem, but they are a huge part. Even sportfishing is putting enormous pressure on blue marlin, tuna, some sharks, and others. Add fish mining to the problems of loss of wetland breeding areas, salinity and temperature changes, dead reefs, and the other environmental problems and the ocean could very well run out of fish.

Close down the fisheries and treat displaced fishermen, processors and others like we should properly treat any other displaced businesses and workers.

But, again, fat chance.

And, yeah, I know this guy is, or at least was, a scumbag. Four months isn't much, but I guess cutting lines and killing a few thousand fish for no reason doesn't count for much nowadays. They'd impound his boat and he'd likely do a few more years if they found a couple of joints aboard.