Discovery Chanel's new Swordfish Series.

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Sep 15th, '09, 16:59

Is anyone else as upset as I am about this new series? I guess they're hitchhiking on the success of their Crabbing series "worlds most dangerous catch". Watching these longliners slaughter these noble fish and handle them in the way they do just makes me sick! The species is just making a comeback and they're being exploited again...and on TV with a cheering uneducated audience. If these were elephants or tigers the station would be picketed and boycotted by the environmentalists and PETA. Write The Discovery Channel and let them know how you feel....if you feel as I do. I don't see this as a pro-environment program. Just the opposite. Walter

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Sep 15th, '09, 17:08

I agree!

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Sep 15th, '09, 17:49

Not to start anything, but; long line fishing on the grand banks was not, and is not, the problem. It was the long liners down south where the fish breed. Its closed now to longliners and known as an EEZ. Since it has been closed ,about 6 years, the population of swordfish has gone way up. The American fisherman is the most regulated fisherman in the world. It may not be good to show it on tv. The fact is it is a manged fishery that should be back to the right levels in 2-3 years as congress mandated. There are more swords now that in the last 15 years. They dont show the crabs being dumped it to huge steamers after they had their legs ripped of while they were alive. People dont want to see that. What Im saying is those are hard working Americans doing a tough job, under strick GOV REGS. Im sorry that it makes people sick to see it, and as I said not great to show on TV. Im a commercial fisherman, and a fish monger. I make my living off creatures from the ocean so I may see it a little differant. sorry I cant spell.

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Sep 15th, '09, 18:14

What I don't like about these two Discovery series, crabbing and sword fishing, is that they're not really about fishing. They are about the "reality" bull sh!t, trials, and tribulations between captains and crews. And because the scenery stays pretty much the same, the lameness of the petty crap gets old quick.

That could, I guess, be said also of Chip Foose, Paul & Paulie, Adam & Jamie, but at least the scenery changes more. I call the Discovery channel, "The Rerun Channel". They don't get much of my market share...

This whole "Reality TV" is a load of manure.

jspiezio · Post by **jspiezio** » Sep 15th, '09, 19:06

Brew is right on with this one. Right now NMFS is worried because there are too few boats fishing for too many swords. The recovery of that fishery has been fantastic, very much like the striper and fluke fisheries.

How much do you think they paid Linda Greenlaw to go back off shore?

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Sep 15th, '09, 19:37

How much do you think they paid Linda Greenlaw to go back off shore?

Hopefully she's learned how to operate a GPS and stay out of Canadian waters while sword fishing.

The debate about commercial fishing and the public is the same as dotors vs the lawyers.

Everybody has a side and their side is right.

I do find it troublesome when one fisherman's traps or lines are damaged by another fisherman being the waters are open to everyone or that one fisherman has been known to shoot another.

I understand the protecting their lively hood but that would be like me going to a marina and seeing a new service company there and knifing the tires and putting sugar in the gas tank to protect my territory.

Unless its private property, its fair game.

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Sep 15th, '09, 19:55

How much do you think they paid Linda Greenlaw to go back off shore?

BIG money. Really BIG money... She probably never stopped fishing, but now swords are the by catch.

STeveZ · Post by **STeveZ** » Sep 15th, '09, 20:50

Just a side note, there's a lot of elephant hunting on TV these days. Africa with Craing Boddington and Tracks Across Africa are on weekly, half the hunts seem to be for elephant. I don't know enough about swordfish to comment, but come to think of it you don't see them on the menu as often as you used to...

CMP · Post by **CMP** » Sep 15th, '09, 21:17

Brewster is right on. I never understood how a swordfish can be called noble. I've caught dozens of 'em-they fight like a cinder block. That said, the show sucks ass...

CMP

Capt. DQ · Post by **Capt. DQ** » Sep 15th, '09, 21:18

Steve,

I don't know enough about swordfish to comment, but come to think of it you don't see them on the menu as often as you used to...

It's does not mean necesssarily that they are for US menu's only on what they catch.

Its a big market out there with alot of pressure on those Swords, with BIG $ to be made. Whats really weird is, Swordies are one of the highest mercury content of the all the species swimming with Sharks being second highest rated.

R,
DQ

jspiezio · Post by **jspiezio** » Sep 15th, '09, 21:18

STeveZ wrote:Just a side note, there's a lot of elephant hunting on TV these days. Africa with Craing Boddington and Tracks Across Africa are on weekly, half the hunts seem to be for elephant. I don't know enough about swordfish to comment, but come to think of it you don't see them on the menu as often as you used to...

When my dad and little bro did their "Big 5" safari in Africa (I got married that summer so I didn't get to go) my dad passed on shooting an elephant ( passed on the lion too), he just didn't feel right about it after seeing them. My brother had no problem pulling the trigger.

coolair · Post by **coolair** » Sep 15th, '09, 21:27

My bro is a commercial fisherman here in texas, and he along with alot others have never seen as many snapper as there are now, and we can only keep a couple. the fact that a game warden or some other agent can take his fish for unloading them at 5:59am when he was supose to start at 6:00 am is BS and fining guys thousands and thousands of dollars for keeping a few of there on fish,(guys kept i think 100lbs of fish, got a 30k fine) I have never seen something controlled so heavily its truly disgusting. [/u]

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Sep 15th, '09, 21:36

The shame of it is, the call a 200lb fish a big fish. There was a time that was a small fish and 500lbs was the big fish. Then you see them take that 60lbr.

I understand that its a job and a living but we do not need to commercialize it on TV.

Thank God they are making a come back. I have not, by choice eaten Swordfish in 10 years. I am not a tree hugger I just think Swordfish still need a break to really come back.

Capt. DQ · Post by **Capt. DQ** » Sep 15th, '09, 22:05

Oh I forgot to mention...that both commerical & recreational fisherman that are fishing for Swords are suppose to meet a certain total quota or we could lose our quota's to another country....thats why it is so important to reports recreational catches to the NMF, so they can keep up with total quota's for the US.

Coolair,

Fully understand the Snapper in the Gulf...there's more there this year and they cut the season short in Florida which the Charter & Rec. fisherman are the ones who get screwed too. To bad its about the data on Red Snapper is not correct to me. It needs to be open season on Redfish too...there are way to many and restrictions need to be lifted to thin them down some. To many Redfish can wipe out all the bait fish & crabs in a bay system with big schools of them. But with all the Redfish Tournaments going on now...you can forget it in Florida.

DQ

coolair · Post by **coolair** » Sep 15th, '09, 22:19

ya i just read an article bout how they determine if the fish are over fished ands its wrong, so the signs that the snapper are down actually are saying they are reproducing and population is health

34Hatt · Post by **34Hatt** » Sep 21st, '09, 06:16

CaptPatrick wrote:BIG money. Really BIG money... She probably never stopped fishing, but now swords are the by catch.

No actually she was not fishing in-between. Achie one of the crew is a friend of mine. But any way she was not fishing for years was doing more writing then fishing. Did not find out how they landed up in Canada's waters. But I do know she was up there this summer in court and had to pay the fines out of her pocket!!! Not the boat. So I hope she get something good out of it.

randall · Post by **randall** » Sep 21st, '09, 06:42

i liked her book.

joeh · Post by **joeh** » Sep 21st, '09, 16:50

Ok guys a few thoughts,

1. Very nice to see a hot topic discussed openly as if everyones opinion mattered and by people who cared. For another model see our current congress
2. Regulation on fish is a very good thing. For bad see the menhaden fishery off virginia For the good see Alaska (quickly as it will be melted soon)
3. Soon as we continue to overpopulate somebody will recreate dinosaurs or evolution will change some animal or bug into something that enjoys humans and things will even out.

Just kidding (I think) This thead is a great debate!

Joe

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Discovery Chanel's new Swordfish Series.

Discovery Chanel's new Swordfish Series.

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