September 28, 2015 — With recreational fishing boats left at the docks most days due to strict federal regulations this year, New Hampshire charter boat captains say they are being forced to find other work to make up for lost income.
Recreational fisherman Rick LaPierre said he’s only been booking enough charters to run fishing trips Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. His Yellow Bird Deep Sea Fishing runs out of Hampton State Pier.
“I’m painting my deck right now because I’m not fishing,” LaPierre said Wednesday. “Soon I’ll have to pick up a hammer and jump into construction.”
Another fishing captain, Pat Dennehy, has picked up a full-time job driving oil trucks to make up for lost business. He has usually taken 130 trips out to sea by September on the Tontine, his party charter boat out of Rye. This year, he said, he’s taken 12.
Federal regulations prohibit recreational fishermen from catching any cod this fishing year and limit them to only three haddock per day. In addition, the recreational fishery is banned from catching cod and haddock during this September and October, as well as March and April 2016.