The conservation community lost one of its true visionaries with the passing of Coastal Conservation Association founder Walter W. Fondren III last week in Houston. A passionate conservationist, avid hunter and skilled fisherman, Fondren was a driving force in the grassroots movement to save red drum and speckled trout populations along the Texas coast in the late 1970s, and was one of the first to fully grasp the potential of anglers as stewards of marine resources with the creation of the Gulf Coast Conservation Association (now
Walter Fondren, pictured here standing at center, at the signing of the executive order making striped bass and red drum gamefish in federal waters. 2007
Author: kensdock
2-2-10 Kensdock report
Italy halts bluefin fishing for a year: EU
(AFP) – 3 days ago
BRUSSELS — Italy is to stop fishing for bluefin tuna, the lucrative but over-exploited species beloved of Japanese sushi fans, for 12 months, the European Union said on Saturday.
The move, enabled by financial aid from Brussels set aside for the forced tying-up of boats, comes weeks ahead of a European decision on whether to back calls for the fish to be officially listed as an endangered species.
Italy’s intention is to pressure neighbouring Atlantic and Mediterranean fishing giants France and Spain into doing likewise, to allow the world’s remaining stocks of the luxury fish to be replenished.
It may however result in the price of bluefin shooting even higher. A 232.6-kilogramme (512-pound) fish sold for 16.28 million yen (176,000 dollars or 127,000 euros) at auction in Japan earlier this month.
“Member states can do a voluntary freeze on fishing for a year if they want to,” said European Commission agriculture spokesman Michael Mann.
“There is a possibility in the European Fisheries Fund to give fishermen money if they are required to stop fishing for a particular type of fish.
“That’s what’s happening here. The moratorium applies to the big guys who are catching a lot of tuna.
“It’s not new money — its an existing mechanism,” he underlined.
Italian fisheries minister Antonio Buonfiglio said Rome has “decided to tie up the boats because the situation was untenable from an ecological and economic point of view.”
The Italian fleet runs to 49 huge trawlers, with almost 700 fishermen’s livelihoods at stake, and Buonfiglio said they “will receive European aid in exchange” for staying put for a year.
“We are anticipating a unified (European) position, notably on the part of Spain and France,” he also told France’s Liberation daily.
European leaders have to decide whether to back environmentalists, supported by scientists, who want bluefin added to a global list of threatened species agreed by international governments.
“The decision on whether or not we apply for a listing is probably going to be taken by the end of February, by the new commission,” added Mann.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species meets in March in Doha, Qatar.
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| European leaders will decide in a few weeks whether to back calls for bluefin tuna to be listed as an endangered species |
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Kensdock report: Kensdock Flounder rig
This time of the year is great for tying your spring flounder rigs. I caught over one hundred keeper flounder last year and thousands of keepers over the years. I caught all of them on a rig I tie myself. Paying attention to detail is imperative. The bucktails and other lures you buy at tackle shops are mostly tied by a person that not only has never been flounder fishing but most likely has never seen one. The length of the bucktail hair and the flair are vey important. I have a few other details that I have found to by very effective in increasing the amount of hits. If you fish tournaments or would like to just increase the amount of flounder you catch I am putting together a package. The package will include five of my rigs, tied by me, with detailed instructions on tying the rigs and fishing them. I have not figured a price yet, if you are interested e-mail me at kmcder465@comcast.net. Remember I can only tie so many!
Kensdock report Check this out!!!!
Is this how they figure our flounder quota?!!
Take a look!!!!!!!!!!!!
Take a look:
Kensdock report Banned from NJFISHING.COM
This is the reason I was given for being banned from njfishing.com.:
You have been banned for the following reason:
NoneDate the ban will be lifted: Never
The real reason exposing the truth!
Kensdock report 1-8-10
The NJ marine fisheries council voted 7-2 to support a NJ saltwater license last night. According to the saltwater license poll here on the bass barn and every poll I have seen the overwhelming majority of saltwater fishermen also support a NJ saltwater license. This council vote will become a historical step in rebuilding New Jersey’s weakfish population. 
Kensdock report 1-7-10 vacation pick for Cape May co.flounder fishing
When picking a vacation week to flounder fish do not over look rain fall! All factors taken into consideration the first ten days of June are best but keep an eye on the weather. If it looks like rain postpone the vacation
if possible.Ideally you are looking for a week of dry weather prior to your week of flounder fishing.
Kensdock report 1-5-10
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Originally Posted by GoNavy
 Kensdock is an enviro nut who pretends to be a big fishing advocate. He spices his posts with just enough factual info to make them sound ok… However, if you search his posts, you’ll find that his history proves his primary goal is to shut down fisheries.
I’m all for conservation and there is a big problem with several fisheries, but I just don’t trust him. If CaptTB or some of the other guys started a similar post… Ok. But not from Kensdock… |
GoNavy, Obviously you do not know me. Nothing could be further from the truth! I have caught more fish and killed more deer legally under fair chase than most people on the planet! I spent enough time to catch over one hundred keeper flounder last season and catch one of three specs caught in Cape may co.. I have won a few and participated in many fishing tournaments both big game and back bay tournaments like lucky bones flounder. My family has been involved in hunting , commercial fishing, recreational fishing for 5 generations in Cape May co. NJ and continue to be avidly involved today. I am long time personal friends to some of the biggest players in the commercial fishing industry today.Due to my back ground I am able to post information that some people do not want posted on this site and others. I am all for utilizing our natural recourse via harvesting sustainable numbers of fish and game. I am not for abusing our natural resources via over harvest and repeating the same mistakes of the past. I look forward to meeting with Governor elect Chris Christie’s staff to discuss the benefits of a saltwater license. I do not get a dime for writing these post or lobbing our legislators. I do it because I love to catch fish and I know exactly what most be done to dramatically improve our saltwater fishing in New Jersey.
Kensdock report 1-3-10 Virginia fluke?
I spoke with a friend that just returned from a fluke trip. I asked him how he made out. His reply: We were fishing the Virginia commercial fluke season. The fishing was tough, the fluke we caught were way offshore. Nothing on the forty line! We were dragging for four hours for a few boxes of fluke, long trip for little pay. As you know that is 100ft. net being towed for 4 hours in-between haul backs. Note, these guys usually have their quota in less than half the time spent on this resent trip. Fluke traditional school up around the 40 line this time of year.
Why are the fluke not schooled up in the traditional areas?
Do you think the fluke stock is on the decline?
Do you think it is the weather?
The unusual amount of rain this year?
Bad luck?
Have you heard the same reports?
What fish would NJ saltwater fishermen target in the summer if the flounder went the way of the tuna,weakfish and blue fish?
Kensdock report 12-28-09 What happened to the weakfish?
I attended the weakfish hearing and I reviewed all the minutes from the weakfish board. I have spoke with many avid fishermen that fished mainly for weakfish. In Cape May co. NJ we seen a dramatic drop in the weakfish in the spring of 2002. They just did not make an appearance at all. I believe I know exactly why the weakfish did not show up in the spring of 2002 and have not shown up since in any numbers in Cape May co.NJ. On valentines day 2002 six sink net boats rounded what they thought” were blue fish,unfortunately for us sportfishermen it turned out to be hundreds of thousands of pounds of eight to ten pound weakfish.
There is no doubt in my mind that the entire Cape May co.NJ weakfish population was killed on valentines day 2002. The weakfish stock was allowed to be reduced to the point that predation is now a factor! Predation was not the cause of the weakfish decline,very poor management was the cause. It should be noted that recreational fishing groups,commercial groups and letters from prominent politicians pressured the ASMFC into not significantly reducing the weakfish harvest years back. I hope they do not repeat the same mistake with flounder or with weakfish in the future.
It is imperative to the rebuilding of the weakfish stock that we use state of the art hatcheries. New Jersey saltwater fishermen have a choice to make. We either support a saltwater license that will make the saltwater hatcheries a reality in NJ or we do not support a saltwater license knowing that the weakfish may never return to your favorite spot without your help.
Ken's Dock 