The uses of gill nets really do lot of damages to the fish stocks. The process captures fish by entangling and capturing them in their gills. Yet, efforts continue by hardcore netters to push the removal of mesh size limits on legally-permitted nets. Now the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has decided to consider the proposal during its June 12 meeting in Dania Beach.
The proposal will change the mesh size limit. Currently, seine nets are permitted to sizes of 500 square feet, or up to 100 feet long and five feet deep. However, mesh sizes cannot be more than two inches. The sizes of gill nets were three inches or more, so an increase to the current state regulation would in essence bring about a return to the use of gill nets. According to fishermen the two-inch nets have a bycatch rate of 98 percent and an increased mesh size would allow for a catch of marketable fish and the release of juvenile fish.
Numerous recreational anglers and conservationists claim that the recreational fishery is far superior to the one before the gill net ban. It is said that the commercial anglers will be more profitable using nets with larger mesh sizes, which allow for a more efficient catch. Experts said that the netters are trying to use a larger mesh size to circumvent the clear intent of a constitutional amendment.
