Fishing, Gone? : Saving the Ocean Through Sportfishing

290 Pages·5.387 MB·English

by  Sid Dobrin

Fishing, Gone?
THE SEVENTH GENERATION
Survival, Sustainability, Sustenance in a New Nature
A WARDLAW BOOK

FISHING,
GONE?
Saving the Ocean through Sportfishing
Sid Dobrin
Foreword by M. Jimmie Killingsworth
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY PRESS • COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
Copyright © 2019 by Sid Dobrin
All rights reserved
First edition
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/ NISO Z39.48–1992
(Permanence of Paper).
Binding materials have been chosen for durability.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Dobrin, Sidney I., 1967– author
Title: Fishing, gone?: saving the ocean through sportfishing / Sid Dobrin;
foreword by M. Jimmie Killingsworth.
Description: First edition. | College Station: Texas A&M University Press,
[2019] | Series: The seventh generation: survival, sustainability,
sustenance in a new nature | Series: A Wardlaw book |
Identifiers: LCCN 2018045056 (print) | LCCN 2018047809 (ebook) | ISBN
9781623497590 (ebook) | ISBN 9781623497583 | ISBN 9781623497583
(pbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Saltwater fishing—Environmental aspects—United States. |
Saltwater fishing—Moral and ethical aspects—United States. | Fishery
resources—Commercial vs. recreational use—United States. | Sustainable
aquaculture—United States.
Classification: LCC SH457 (ebook) | LCC SH457 .D572 2019 (print) | DDC
639.2/2—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018045056
DEDICATION
This one’s for Asher and Shaia.
They are my world, my ocean.

Praise for Fishing, Gone? Saving the
Ocean through S portfishing
“Dobrin demonstrates his ability to not only spin a yarn but to
accomplish deep research and deliver the results in digestible,
entertaining fashion. Take a look at our planet’s water supply
through another lens. Come to understand why solutions that
are so painfully obvious, remain un-instituted. . . . Knowledge
is power.”
—Flip Pallot, host of Walker’s Cay Chronicles
“In his thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening style, Dobrin elu-
cidates what it means to be a responsible, thinking angler in the
twenty-first century. He systematically unravels and explains some
of the thorniest issues in current saltwater fisheries management
with the particular insight and sensitivity of a passionate lifelong
fisherman.”
—Glenn Law, editor-in-chief of Salt Water Sportsman
“Be forewarned: This is not ‘Me and Joe Went Fishing.’ . . . But I
think Sid is asking the right questions, and the sportfishing com-
munity’s engagement with these issues will lead to the betterment
of our culture and our natural resources. Sid Dobrin is the guy on
your boat to whom you’d say, ‘Just shut up and fish already!’ But
then, later, you realize you were grateful for his company.”
—Jeff Weakley, editor of Florida Sportsman
“Dobrin’s book beautifully dissects today’s major issues, from
catch-shares and IFQs to the Modern Fish Act and Everglades
conundrum. This exceedingly well-written text is peppered with
apt quotes and historical references citing the likes of Dr. Seuss,
Sylvia Earle, and Izaak Walton. If you fish saltwater, read this
book for its sheer entertainment value and to become a more
educated, responsible fisherman.”
—Fred Garth, editor of Guy Harvey Magazine
“ . . . an ambitious scholarly achievement . . . a manifesto by a
waterman and academic that is a must read for anglers—and
everyone else living on this compromised planet.”
—Joe Shields, editor of The Virginia Sportsman
“Using his considerable gifts as a storyteller, Dobrin brings into
focus all the great threats to saltwater sportfishing, including the
catch-shares scandal, menhaden overfishing, red tides, dead
zones, angler apathy, and government overreach. Anyone who
loves the water and the creatures in it should read this book and
heed its warning.”
—Dave Precht, editor-in-chief of Bassmaster Magazine
“A must read for any saltwater angler with precise examples
of why it’s our responsibility to do our part in ensuring future
generations can enjoy saltwater fishing. This may be the most
significant book about recreational fishing written in decades.”
—Tony Hart, editor of Yak Outlaws
“Sid has an incredible ability to match fish and fisheries issues
with stories and passion for angling ethics and conserving our
oceans. He has combined a lifetime of enjoyment on and in the
water and shared it with us in an engaging approach that raises
awareness and presents a call to action to appreciate and con-
serve our precious resource.”
—Glenn Hughes, president of the
American Sportfishing Association
“With great insight, Sid Dobrin exposes the tangled web of salt-
water fisheries management and makes an impassioned case
for American anglers to participate in our democratic process.
Today’s political climate is ripe for this type of thinking. It’s time
we all get on board.”
—Liz Ogilvie, vice president and chief marketing officer of the
American Sportfishing Association and Keep America Fishing
“Fishing, Gone? weaves the disparate threads of recreational
and commercial fishing, angling ethics, and associated issues
into an intricate web that can become an angler’s guide to indi-
vidual and collective empowerment. It’s a fine piece of journal-
ism and a fun read, a rare combination.”
—Bryan Hendricks, outdoors editor of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette