I still say fair play to you for being willing to put yourself forward Bob, and I admire your passion and demeanor with your replies .... but .....
I personally feel sick when I see photos of charter boats with the deck covered in dead fish. As much as I did when I saw the recent TV program about discards. Nothing fuels the ANTI fishing brigades fire more than photos of dead fish.
My feelings are that there SHOULD be a limit, although I have absolutely no idea how that could/should be set or policed. So I think we are on opposite tables straight away.
My feelings on the whole commercial/recreational fisherman is a fairly simplistic (nieve) one; Commercial fishermen take fish from the sea for a living, they have invested millions on their trade and pay a heavy price when they get it wrong (sometimes they pay the ultimate price with their lives). We the public demand fish for our tables and we demand it at a cheap price, which means they have to catch more and more and they have to do it as economically as possible. If there was no market then they wouldn't do it.
Recreational Sea Anglers on the other hand do it as a pass time/sport, mainly so we can get a "buzz" by out-witting a fish and we have even started using lighter gear so that the competition is closer and the "buzz" is heightened. How can we complain at being limited just because the commercial guys take what market forces have dictated that they take? or because we only get out once a month/year or whatever.
I personally think that we should limit our bag to personal use, we shouldn't be supplying the neighbourhood or work mates with fish. But if that is what you (or anyone else does) then that is your choice. I won't keep fish just because others do (as was said on another thread recently).
Incidentally; I dont put my fish back because I have to, I put them back because I want to. I had a big smile on my face as I saw a 10LB Bass swim away after release, but thats not to say that everyone feels the same.