Every southern coastal state has enacted measures to protect the Red Drum and the Spotted Sea Trout! Why is North Carolina 28 years behind Texas in this action? Why has coastal gill netting been banned from our border with South Carolina all the way to Mississippi?
Below are the protective measures in place for the Red Drum and the Spotted Sea Trout in our southern coastal states. Why not here? Why not us? Why not now?
South Carolina
Spotted Sea Trout, Game Fish Protection
Red Drum, Game Fish Protection
No Gill netting in coastal waters except in one small restricted area of the Little River with restricted gear.
Georgia
Spotted Sea Trout can be sold when caught with legal gear by properly licensed individuals. Same daily creel and size limit applies to all harvesters. No commercial quota.
Red Drum can be sold when caught with legal gear by properly licensed individuals. Same daily creel and size limit applies to all harvesters. No commercial quota.
No Gill Nets Allowed in Coastal Waters
Florida
Spotted Sea Trout, Can be sold, but restricted to recreational methods of harvest, with 15” to 24” length slot, 75 fish daily limit per commercial licensed vessel, June 1st thru August 31st only season.
Red Drum, Game Fish Protection
No Gill Nets allowed in Coastal Waters
Alabama
Spotted Sea Trout, Game Fish Protection
Red Drum, Game Fish Protection
Gill Netting in Restricted Areas with restricted gear
Mississippi
Spotted Sea Trout, Harvested by net, Quota Limits
Red Drum, Harvested by net, Quota Limits
Gill Netting in Coastal waters Permitted
Louisiana
Spotted Sea Trout can be harvested commercially by commercial rod and reel only, no daily limit, with a 14” size minimum, Season Jan 2- July 31 Recreational limit 15 to 25 daily based on specified areas.
Red Drum, Game Fish Protection
No Gill Nets allowed in Coastal Waters
Texas
Spotted Sea Trout, Game Fish Protection
Red Drum, Game Fish Protection
No Gill Nets allowed in Coastal Waters
North Carolina
To see how NC's Marine Fisheries Commission is doing overall in protecting our resources, please visit the "Stock Status Report" at the following link... http://www.ncfisheries.net/stocks/index.html
Now go to this link to see how well they protected our only other saltwater trout, The Gray Trout or "Weakfish" http://www.ncfisheries.net/statistics/comstat/weakfish.htm
Now we ask you; do you trust these folks to protect our Speckled Trout in the same manner? Do you realize that the NC commercial fishing industry is anxiously waiting to slaughter the Red Drum again now that they are recovering?
The last hope we have for the future of these two fish is that our Legislators in Raleigh will do what the Legislators in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas did, and that was to stand in the gap for these two beautiful sport fish once and forever!
