By the way Ed are you a commercial fisherman yourself?
At the moment, i'm doing a bit of landscape gardening, but more usually i'm building.
Living in a seaside town, employment options are limited. Work in the tourism trade for minimum wage, or go to sea is the main choise, apart from moving away. I feel quite lucky to earn a decent wage ashore.
I can therefore sympathise with those who must go to sea to provide for their families. I'm sure they are more worried about paying their council tax, keeping the kids in shoes, and putting food on the table, rather than setting about the total destruction of the marine ecosystem.
I was taught to fish by dad at a young age, and have been hooked ever since. Used to be well into fishing for pike and coarse fishing, but my heart has always been in sea fishing, because at the end of the day, it is mostly free, and you can eat what you catch.
At the moment, i just nip out with the rods whenever i get the chance, which is all too infrquent.
Ed.