SSFFF To Challenge MRFSS Landings Data

[CaptTB]

SAVE THE SUMMER FLOUNDER FISHERY FUND TO CHALLENGE EXISTING MRFSS RECREATIONAL LANDINGS DATA

The Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF), a nonprofit organization formed in New Jersey to seek both scientific and legislative solutions to the continuing crisis facing recreational anglers who wish to fairly access the summer flounder fishery, has announced that HDR Engineering P.C. has been retained to independently review and investigate the governments current 2009 Summer Flounder landings data.

Despite the degree of the economic downturn in the USA, the unprecedented amount of inclement weather this past summer, and by almost all accounts, a general downturn in angler participation, the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) has determined that increasingly significant landings of Summer Flounder have occurred! The MRFSS data also shows effort and participation numbers at odds with first hand industry observations!

This Information is completely contrary to evidence gathered from marine fisheries businesses up and down the coast.

“The fact that MRFSS has once again come up with landings numbers that do not reflect reality should not come as a surprise to anyone,” said Greg Hueth, president of the Shark River Surf Anglers and one of the founders of SSFFF. “Nevertheless, these statistics MUST be challenged and a more accurate picture of landings in the Summer Flounder fishery must be taken if we are to avoid more unnecessary restrictions,” Mr.. Hueth said.

“To even suggest that anglers somehow exceeded their quota in the Summer Flounder fishery in light of the circumstances of the past year is just ludicrous,” said Dave Arbeitman, owner of The Reel Seat tackle shop in Brielle, NJ, and also a founder of SSFFF. “NMFS has yet to fix the MRFSS system as mandated by the newly re-authorized Magnuson Stevens Act, and we fishermen continue to pay the price for bad data.”

Working in concert with the National Marine Fisheries Service, SSFFF has already begun to acquire the landings information to assist in this analysis. “It is our hope that with a thorough analysis of the data, combined with additional information provided by the for-hire industry, the Regional Climate Center and various Marine Trades Associations that we can provide a more accurate accounting of the Summer Flounder recreational fisheries landings for 2009,” said Capt. Tony Bogan, a member of the SSFFF Executive Committee and part of the Bogan Family of fishermen from Brielle, NJ.

The Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF) is a nonprofit organization comprised of recreational anglers, party and charter boat operators, bait and tackle stores, tackle distributors, bait wholesalers, and others whose livelihoods are dependent on a healthy and vibrant recreational fishing industry. SSFFF has as its mission a comprehensive approach to safeguarding the publics‘ access to Summer Flounder.

More information about SSFFF can be found at its website, www.ssfff.net, along with updates on both the legislative and scientific goals it is committed to achieving.

[Bucktail]

It's apparent that the current system in place for measuring the number of fluke landings is inaccurate.  What method of collecting data does the SSFFF and/or the RFA suggest should be employed to more accurately reflect the true numbers?

Thanks,
Bob

[IrishAyes]

I would say the numbers are way past being inaccurate. They are off the wall. Half the fluke season was washed out by the weather. 

We need some reasonable people in these agencies.

Kudos to the SSFFF and the RFA for all their hard work. 

[CaptTB]

It's apparent that the current system in place for measuring the number of fluke landings is inaccurate.  What method of collecting data does the SSFFF and/or the RFA suggest should be employed to more accurately reflect the true numbers?

Thanks,
Bob

An in-depth review of MRFSS was conducted several years ago by the National Academy of Science's NRC, and a detailed list of changes, additions and improvements was given. The new Magnuson Stevens Act mandated that the recreational data collection system be improved, which is where the requirement for the Angler Registry came from.

To date, NMFS has yet to implement those changes (so three years later we are still stuck with the old, "fatally flawed" system) but will begin to "phase in" as they put it components of the "new" data system.

What if any impact it will have on the quality of the recreational catch data is years away from being known.

SSFFF is not looking to re-design a system that is already being re-designed. What we ARE doing is trying to address the obvious flaws in the current years data.

For example (and this is but one example) MRFSS claims that in the months of May and June in New Jersey that anglers caught 40,000 MORE Fluke than in the same time period in 2008 and landed nearly 150,000 pounds MORE!

Of course, we all know that our keeper percentage with the SAME SIZE LIMIT as 2008 was MUCH larger in 2009 during that wonderful weather we had in May and June and that the VAST MAJORITY of our fish were significantly larger, because afterall wee all had massive catches of keepers with limits all around the boat

So, we will pull apart the raw intercept data, combing weather information (which they do not take into account when they expand the landings throughout the fishery in a given state) combined with boat registration and marina splash numbers, etc. etc. and try and figure out how they can claim such outrageous landings numbers when compared with the previous year.

There is much more to it than that (like mnior or no drops in effort and participation despite the fact that the economy sucked all year, bait stores and boats report significant drops in business etc.) but this should give you some idea of where we are coming from.

[Fishin Dude]

I know the SSFFF will fight hard to try to change this, I'm glad we have them in our corner.    <'((((><