The Coastal Conservation Association Maryland (CCA MD) has called for greater long-
term study of gill and pound nets in the commercial fishery in a letter sent to Department of
Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary John R. Griffin.
“The commercial industry has called for more intense and frequent Natural Resources
Police (NRP) patrols to help control the outlaws within their ranks,” wrote Ed Liccione, CCA
MD state chairman. He cited that illegal gill nets were set last month even with increased
enforcement efforts.
“Is there a place in Maryland for a fishery that so easily lends itself to abuses while
consuming such a high level of the Department’s resources?”, Liccione continued. “Does the
Department believe a fishery that requires extreme levels of law enforcement, coupled with
stationing DNR personnel at check stations, is sustainable both from a manpower and financial
standpoint?”
Liccione also expressed concerns in the letter about accountability, enforcement and
conservation issues within the pound net fishery.
“Handling non-targeted fish while emptying pound nets may result in significantly high
mortality that is not fully understood,” he wrote. “Pound nets set in the spring have the ability to
catch the spawning populations of striped bass, not to mention hickory shad, American shad and
river herring. Meanwhile, the Department expends considerable financial and manpower
resources elsewhere protecting these very same species, the majority of which can’t be
commercially sold.”
CCA MD asked DNR to” extend its analysis of the gill net fishery to include the pound
net fishery and to make any appropriate management changes there as well.”
In a third point CCA MD focused on recreational angling stating that “recreational
anglers must also be accountable for their role in the fishery.” It called for more intercept
surveys, where NRP officers check anglers catch at boat ramps, and urged the Department to
communicate to a greater extent the principles and benefits of catch and release fishing to help
mortality rates.”