If you have never watched this lecture on YouTube, it’s an absolute MUST.
This is Dana (Donella) Meadows (author of the Limits to Growth) explaining complex systems via the unsustainability of a collapsing wild fishery.
Jump to 23m20s if you want to go right to the wild fishery illustration. The entire 4 part lecture is mesmerizing and worth watching as a part of understanding the history of collapse study.
Spoiler:
spoiler
In part one, she shows how with constant technology, the fishery is sustainable.
In part two, she shows how improving fishing technology creates a predator / prey collapse cycle, and that, furthermore, any additional technology creates a technology trap that damages the ecosystem carrying capacity (overshoot) and causes a system collapse that cannot recover.
That is a shame, wanted to try catching some at some point. Only caught a fish with a net before and it was about 5cm long, caught a few crabs too. Not sure if overfishing is such a problem with crabs but other than shore crabs not sure if I could catch much from the shore.
What crabs you can catch from the shore will depend very much on where you are.
I suppose that is a good point too, green shore crabs are pretty common. Apparently brown crabs can be found although I think they are usually in deeper water. But generally can’t find too much local information, its all about catching popular fish rather than crabs.
You might be able to find a public pier where you could toss a crab pot from if you want to try deeper water.
I had a couple of nets but nothing was interested in them off the end of the pier. Tried the shore end of the pier and caught one much faster, then one of my nets got stuck to the pier, line snapped trying to pull it in by force. Was hoping the net would rip first but I suspect that he metal ring got caught on something rather than just the net.
I guess I could try buying a few more nets and trying in other places. As they are just a couple of metal rings and a thin net I could carry quite a few of them to put out at once. Also could be worth trying other baits.
You might also try the style of trap that is enclosed rather than a net. They’re less convenient as far as size goes, but you’re less likely to have crabs coming and going that way because they can’t figure out how to get out.
For bait, my favorite is fish scraps. I’ve also had good luck with chicken, squid, canned tuna, canned cat food… The stinkier, the better, of course.
Its for placing in short term, also not so sure where fishing regulations go with traps, if they need to be registered or what ever. These types of nets are sold to tourists in every seaside town I have seen. Although usually in bright colours and a big markup they are otherwise the same.
The size is also quite an issue, the nets fit in a backpack easily, I don’t think the enclosed traps would.
sad, its one of my favorite fishes. even decent quality sardines are crazy expensive now, except the ones from the baltic which are completely full of toxic PCBs and flame retardants and such.
The way the climate is heading we all need to eat more flame retardants. Looking forward to my more retardanted future. /s
😅
Who is really eating that much mackerel? I love fish, but this is one I sit out. To add it’s also a major food for many other fish… Going to have a major impact if the stocks drop lower.
I think its bycatch because that particular fish is in the same zone as more desirable fish, it is fished by trawl nets. These are nets that trawl along the ocean and scoop stuff up. Principally they would be looking for flatfish, which are a whitefish.
Mackeral, Kingfish, Monkfish and Herring are all different types of herring.
Filet it. Clean the black shit on the inside. Get a small fire going, you can also do it in the oven, but you lose that smoky flavour. Before you put it on the fire, put some soy sauce, mixed with lemon. Every time the soy sauce caramelizes, brush some more, thin coats. Do that for about 12-15 minutes (depending on the size of the mackerel filet), or until the fish smells cooked.
Eat and cry, because mackerel is going extinct and it’s one of your last chances to enjoy it.
Also delicious is shioyaki: salt fairly heavily, grill or broil the fish whole. Eat with lemon juice or ponzu.
While we still can. :(