wrote:

Yelp...Mr Sessum was a neighbor of mine near Galveston Bay. He was 90
something in the late 80's. He use to tell me about walking out in
Galveston Bay and picking up oysters as big as your hand, in crystal
clear water. Once he told me after the 1900 storm in Galveston he and a
former slave got a mule and rounded up over 200 bales of cotton that
crossed the bay. Clearlake was clear...Nothing like that today. Both
the bay and the lakes are brown muddy messes....pollution free oysters
reefs are hard to find.

Here is a better baseline flick for the Gordon fisherman. Capt Neal
once posted it on asa, one of his finer postings.

http://www.shiftingbaselines.org/sli...istine_lo.html
Joe

Thank you!

One of the main reasons why I made the big boat plung (39") was to get
a last look at some pristeen coast & seas. Like gordan the fisherman I
spent lots of time raping and pilaging our oceans. Unlike gordan I
realize the damage my role played.

But that picture of thoes abalone really shocked me. My God! thick as
sea lice on a sick halibut.
I suppose some will say it is the "natural" boom and bust process all
species experience.

I too have an oldtimmer story. I was sitting at bus stop in San Diego
1974. this old guy shufled up and sat down. He was 86 years old and was
born and raised on a farm out by Scripts. He strted talking. I let two
of my busses go past just to listen to his stories. San Diego was an
absolute paradise in 1906. Hey, lets go to the beach spend the day
swimming and then pick up two 50 pound sacks of abalone in 20 minuts
befor heading home.


Again thanks for the llink
Bob