Who is that guy?

Pilar · 08-08-2002, 12:58 PM

It was mentioned last night by a group from Garibaldi Charters that a live fish commercial boat is working the area around Cape Lookout.

The interesting thing was that this guy is trying to be slick about it. He is using gear with floats marked NMFS and is not working for them. Also he is using fish traps or pots. And lastly he is using a lot of pots, hundreds of them. Every 50 feet down the entire north side of Cape Lookout.

This comment by the charter boat skipper was a complaint about the gear effectively closing the area to all other use for fear of fouling a prop on the ropes and floats. Evidently there are currently no restrictions on the number of pots or even the use of pots for the live fish commercial fishery.

I just want more specific info. Who is this guy? What is the name of the boat? Does he have a legit license? and is he following the rules?

Can you help? I'd love to use this as an example of the potential problem we face if we fall asleep at the switch on protecting the nearshore.

HawgJaw · 08-08-2002, 01:04 PM

Pilar, I've seen those floats. I'll keep an eye out for anyone checking them when I'm down there. HJ

Bait O' Eggs · 08-08-2002, 01:16 PM

John
I have seen the floats on the 3 arch rocks reef and was wondering why somebody was crabbing on the reef . Didnt dawn on me they were live fish traps.

Last summer I saw a boat on the Transient dock at Garibaldi that had lots of large looking crab traps (about 5 ft x 5ft by 3 feet tall, +/-). They were square and made from black plastic. the doors didnt allow for a crab to get into the pot as it would take a good jumping crab to get up to the door. The exit preventers were long fingers that protruded into the pot, like nothing I have ever seen before. I talked to the guy at the dock one day and he told me they were fish traps. I didnt think to much about it at the time being legal or not.

I do not remember the name of the boat. For some reason I am thinking it was blue and white but wouldnt swear to it. Wish I could be more help

seasquid · 08-08-2002, 01:30 PM

Come to think of it I saw those very same pots on a fairly large vessel this year crossing the bar -- I think in Newport, but it could have been Garibaldi.

Great....just what we need another fringe-legitimate fishery. Well, I wonder when the first meeting to discuss the live fishery will be?

I've got a large sum of money that the answer to Pilar's questions are -- NO!

ss

Pilar · 08-08-2002, 01:44 PM

Monday Aug 12, 1800 to 2100 in Newport, Hatfield Marine Science center. In the best of worlds I would have some photos of this guy in action and the goods on his license and practices when I went to this meeting.

Who checks him at the dock?

Pilar · 08-15-2002, 01:15 PM

The boat is called the 'Network' and the guy that owns it is named 'Paul'. Didn't get the last name.

He came to the Newport Aug 12th meeting. As is to be expected he is pretty defensive about his chosen profession and methods.

He claims to be running only 70 pots and to have 1/3 milion invested. This boat may be one of 5 that gets a permit to run fish pots under the interim nearshore plan.

He seems to be legit, if not a total pain in the behind.