Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
So why exactly is it that for the second year in a row we can’t keep cobia that we catch more than 3-miles out in the EEZ? Oh yeah - it’s because a couple years ago anglers down south caught so many of them that the annual quota was grossly exceeded, which prompted Fisheries to shut the season down in federal waters for everyone, including us here on the Eastern Shore. Heck, we certainly didn’t make a dent in the population, never have, and probably never will. We get our shots at cobia up here but the landings off the coast of Delmarva are pale compared to what’s caught in Dixie. But we’re all paying the price for the over exuberant landings by other fishermen in other latitudes. It’s not fair! You’re darn right it’s not!
Such treatment is nothing new to local anglers who have many times had to help shoulder the recovery of species we didn’t bruise ourselves. Flounder, sea bass, tautog, bluefin, weakfish and dusky sharks all come to mind - but there’s been others. And there will be more that need to be regulated from “us” fishermen that we can’t even imagine right now. Who knows? Maybe sea robins, eels and skates will be next on the list. Just let someone decide that they’re fun to catch, good to eat or might possibly work as an aphrodisiac on the other side of the world and there will be more than just a few hooks pointed at them.
History shows that as soon as fishermen discover a relatively easy way to land an unregulated species, in no time at all, the party will be over as populations fall and regulations tighten up. I’m never keen on hearing about new regulations, but the fact of the matter is, until some kind of regulations are installed to control the harvest, some fishermen just don’t know when to say when. Look at what happened to tilefish in just a few short years!
There are so many fishermen vying for fish these days that the only chance that an unregulated fishery has to stay that way is if all involved maintain a certain level of ethics that keeps them from getting carried away when the “bite is on” and they have an opportunity to overflow their coolers with more fish than a responsible person would or should take. And therein lies the rub, the “E-word” that I for one will step out on a limb and suggest (in a way that these days would probably be considered to be politically incorrect) that ethics is what separates “good” fishermen from “bad” fishermen.
Good or bad is like black or white. It’s pretty cut and dry. There’s no gray area here, either a fisherman is doing the right thing or they’re not. If an angler finds themselves wondering if they’re doing the right thing or not, then they probably aren’t. A few weeks ago, an angler on my boat caught a decent size shark on light tackle. After a lengthy fight, the shark was close to the boat and ready to be held alongside for some photos before it was released. The fish was tired and the angler was concerned about it being stressed out any further while undergoing a photo session at the boat. He wanted a photo of himself with the catch, but insisted on releasing it right away so that it would have the best chance for survival. That’s ethics at work. Not the legal thing to do, but the right thing to do. In this case, the fellow put his ego on hold and didn’t worry about getting a photo for Facebook, but thought instead about the fish “first” and “doing the right thing” – period.
Egos are the ruin of ethics and an ugly skeleton in the closet of most fishermen. An angler’s ego probably results in more dead fish than an empty freezer ever does. It’s pretty hard to find a fisherman who doesn’t have an ego that compels them to strive to be recognized for their fishing prowess and accomplishments, and that includes you and me! If you don’t think you have an ego then the next time you have a really great day of fishing, try not showing or telling anyone what you caught. No photos, no stories, no social media tweets, shares, or Instagrams – nothing! I’ll bet you can’t do it. But don’t worry, it’s something you probably don’t have control over because as a species of hunter/gatherers it’s in our DNA. After a successful catch or kill, I’m sure that our big-browed hairy ancestors couldn’t wait to rush back to their cave at night and grunt out the details of their successes either. The only difference is that with cameras in our pockets and WiFi signals buzzing through our brains, we no longer have to scratch out pictures of our kills on stone ceilings with a burnt stick. With a couple clicks we’ve alerted the universe that we’re the best fishermen on the planet. Look at me! Look at me! And if we don’t fish that day we can “share” with everyone a picture of what we had for breakfast that morning or what our dog puked up on the carpet last night. Naww we ain’t got no egos!
One’s own conscience creates the clash between egos and ethics. An angler brings a big fish up to the boat and his ethics whispers that for one reason or the other he should release the critter, but in his other ear his ego paints a vision of himself standing at the dock while everyone oohs and aahs and congratulates him on his mighty catch, not to mention all those oh-so important Facebook “likes.” Whether it’s ethics or ego that wins the struggle depends upon the “character” of the angler. Think about it, what would you do? Or should I say what “do” you do under those conditions?
Ethics, egos, conscience, character, wow I’m getting into some heavy stuff here, and I expect that by now many of you are wishing I’d just stick my basic topics I usually write about like how to bait a hooks or tie a knot. But wait – there’s more! One last quality then I’m done. How about “tolerance?”
My ethics are probably different from yours as yours are different from the guy who’s fishing next to you. Different doesn’t necessarily mean that one is right and the other is wrong, it just means “different.” So if individual ethics prompt other anglers to fish in ways that are different from the way we elect to fish, then we all need is a big old dose of tolerance to stay happy and friendly and smiley as we share the water with other fishermen. Yeah, I know that can sometimes be a really tough task, particularly when the guy fishing next to you appears to be breaking every rule in your own ethical guidebook. But it’s tough to wiggle into someone else’s mind and beef up their conscience until it overrides their ego. If a fella is intent on killing a bunch of fish he’s probably going to do so, and just yelling at him from across the water or from your keyboard is more likely to embolden rather than deflate his ego. I’ve fought those fights enough times to know that it’s always a losing battle. You can’t drill your own ethics into someone else’s head, you can only plant the seed with them by sticking to your own ethics regardless of what path others around you are taking, and give them the opportunity to recognize and adopt a better way on their own. Lead by example!
I expect that in the weeks to come I will encounter a number of cobia out in Federal waters where if I’m lucky enough to catch any I’ll be required to, and will - release them. I don’t agree with that regulation, and as much as I enjoy the challenge of hooking a cobia, I really-really like to eat them as well, but the law is the law and “my” ethics won’t allow me to break that law. I know that other fishermen with different ethics will catch or spear cobia in Federal waters and then claim that they took the fish in state waters where they are legal, and then, as if to highlight the conquest of ego over ethics, have the audacity to post images of their outlaw fish in the print media and on Facebook pages. I certainly don’t approve of such actions but “tolerance” at least allows me to put up with, if not ignore, anglers who exhibit that level of ethics in their fishing practices.
Cobia, tuna, sheepshead, triggerfish, tautog, there’s been a number of ethical battles brewing among local fishermen lately. We still have most of the summer and hopefully a lot of good fishing ahead of us. Hopefully, between now and the cold weather we can all get along as a “united” fishing community and recognize the importance of listening to our conscience, keeping our egos in check and good ethics steering our course.
Capt. Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat, “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
