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Measuring around 18 miles long, New Hampshire has the smallest shoreline of all coastal states. But for about 400 years, it’s been enough to support small boat fishermen in the Seacoast region. They make their livings cruising New England’s waters for cod, lobster, shrimp and other stocks.For decades, the industry’s been challenged by declining populations of fish and shellfish, as well as changing federal regulations. As of 2010, New England fishermen are allowed to catch a set poundage of fish based on their take over a 10-year span. New Hampshire fishermen argue this change has made the cost of working outpace profits, forced many small boats out of business, and discouraged new people from entering the industry. No matter the cause, figures from the US Census Bureau clearly show an industry in decline. In Portsmouth, the Seacoast’s main city, the Census Bureau reports only 0.2 percent of residents work in the “Farming, fishing and forestry occupations” category. That’s compared to 0.6 percent in 2000. A number of New Hampshire fishermen, politicians, and historians believe that without change, the state’s small boat fishing industry is heading toward extinction.Summary provided by StateImpact NH

Fish And Game Dept. Asks Anglers To Release Radio Tagged Bass

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Gregory Heinrichs
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Flickr Creative Commons

The New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game is asking anglers fishing in the Squam Lakes to immediately release any largemouth and smallmouth bass that were radio-tagged as part of a state study.  
 The bass will have a thin wire protruding from their underside and a yellow numbered tag near their dorsal fin.  
 
The goal of the three-year study is to determine the percentage of bass returning to Big Squam Lake after being lake and weighed in and released in Little Squam Lake, and how long it takes them.  
 Both lakes are popular destinations for bass tournaments and recreational bass anglers. The department says if most of the bass released in the Little Squam don't return to Big Squam, it could lead to increased competition for food and habitat.  
  
 

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