Gibby Dean, president of the Chesapeake Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Association, said that the sign is not good as when you go back fishing after three weeks, the fish have scattered. It takes a few days to find those fish again. The season closed after Maryland Natural Resources Police patrol boats pulled up thousands of yards of illegal nets filled with 10 tons of striped bass, also known as rockfish.
Officers said that the confiscated fish were deducted from February’s quota. After determining that watermen weren’t likely to exceed the 200,000 remaining pounds, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources decided last week to reopen the season for two days. With stars dotting the sky, commercial boats slipped from their berths all around the bay. Watermen crossed their fingers as they played out their nets, hoping to hit the jackpot and beat the edge of a powerful cold front packing dangerous storms.
Cpl. Roy Rafter of the Natural Resources Police, a former waterman, said that they had only two days, and Friday was bad. He added that it all goes back to those knuckleheads who took the season away. The poaching has fueled public anger toward the watermen. More than 5,000 people have signed paper and online petitions asking DNR to ban all nets from the Chesapeake.
