Fisheries managers ponder sharper limits

[CapBob]

From the APP Today:

Fisheries managers ponder sharper limits
By Kirk Moore • STAFF WRITER • December 11, 2007

SECAUCUS — Faced with a new report that recreational fishermen may have overrun their catch
limit of summer flounder by almost a third, regional and state fisheries managers this morning are contemplating a steeper cutback in the 2008 season.


"I can tell you, we are serious about eliminating overfishing in this fishery," said
Patricia A. Kurkul, Northeast regional administrator for the Natonal Marine Fisheries Service.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission are meeting today to finalize the summer flounder quota for 2008. The group had agreed in August to reduce the 2007 catch limit of 17.1 million pounds to 15.77 million pounds next year.

But technical advisors' earlier recommendation for an 11.64 million pound limit next year is stil very much in play. The council and commission are under pressure from NMFS, after its national director William Hogarth pointedly warned this fall that 2008 catch overruns could lead the agency to shut down all flounder fishing in federal waters.

A revised estimate from the council's flounder monitoring committee offered a new mid-point possibility; it would reduce New Jersey's share of sport-caught flounder by 49 percent next year, rather than 54 percent as calculated under the more conservative 11.64 million pound limit.

But members were also discussing the latest results from a federal angling survey that showed the recreational sector may have caught 31 percent more flounder than was allocated.

"If his group doesn't take action, we're going t be reduced from 15.77 to 11.64" by NMFS, warned council member Jame Ruhle, a North Carolina commercial fisherman. "I believe that's out there

[mboy]

Where does this bitch get her numbers from? I know A LOT of recreational fluke fisherman and NOT 1 person I know ash ever been asked how many fish they caught on any given day EVER!

She needs to get her head out of her =======!

[IrishAyes]

It's a guess-timate Mboy.  They talk to a hand full of people and multiply by whatever to get their figure.

I think all the regulatory agencies have an ego problem.  All of them must have been dropped on their head as a child.   I defy any of them to explain their numbers and I know all I would get it, 'we us the best science available'.  Well, that's just not good enough.

Perhaps the federal government can subsidize all the rec and comm fishermen to not fish for flounder like they subsidize the farmers for not growing a certain crop?

This is getting WAY out of hand.  These freakin environmentalist (you can bet they are behind all of this) will be the death of this nation!  I hope a big freakin tree falls on them all!   bngh bngh bngh

[CapBob]

In my 35+ years on the water I have only heard of one fish census taker ever even coming close to my boat. This past summer one stopped at my dock around noonish and was asking the Dock Manager about catches. The Manager told him that the rentals come back in around 5PM and that the Charter (me) would be in around 4ish.

The census taker said "oh, I won't be working then" Dock owner asked how he was going to get good info and he said "well I get what I can when I'm working", the census taker was asked why he didn't work from 11AM to 7 PM so he could talk to fisherman and said, "I just do what I'm told".....

and you wonder how/why we are getting the shaft bngh bngh bngh

[IrishAyes]

I have had them ask me two times.  They were college kids making money to pay for their education.  I don't know if they were going to college for fishery subjects or not.   

If I remember right, they measured some fish and wrote down how many we caught.  They didn't do anything with any other boats in the marina, only mine. 

If they ever come on my dock again, you can bet I will toss them off. 

[Hotrod]

[CapBob]

 

[IrishAyes]

 

[Bucktail]

I had a guy that used to work for me.  He was going to school for marine biology.  One of his intern projects was to go on commercial boats and record what they caught.  It was a tough gig for him since most captains didn't want anybody on their boat reporting back what they caught.  Many times he could not even get on a boat to complete his assignments.

My point is, that it is very difficult to get accurate information with the amount of funds that are allocated to do so.  What alternatives are there to the way the data is collected currently?  If they keep doing it the same way, then the data will continue to be faulty, and the recreational fisherman will continue to suffer because of it.

-Bob

[IrishAyes]

My opinion, if it is commercial, should be part of licensing to have recorders onboard.  If you don't let them on your boat, yank their license.

[ped579]

I like so many are getting so frustrated at the lack of common sense that is being used it is almost laughable, if it wasn't so serious.

This is how our government works and they are rising to the level of their ineptness.  I would love to be the fly on the wall in sorm of their discussions.

Paul

[CapBob]

a great way to gather info would be to have the party/charter boats turn in a log at the end of the year. I have to do one now for my striped bass bonus cards, it is no big deal and gives acurate info

[ped579]

Everything we have mentioned are all great ideas but don't you think if they really wanted the correct data they would be doling this anyway.  This just goes to prove it is not their agenda.  Their all about shutting us down, period.

Paul

[Hotrod]

a great way to gather info would be to have the party/charter boats turn in a log at the end of the year. I have to do one now for my striped bass bonus cards, it is no big deal and gives acurate info

[IrishAyes]

I agree with you Paul.  The information is out there to be gathered.  One way or another.  As
Capt Bob said, he, and a lot of us, do this now for the striper bonus tag.  Extend this same thing to fluke or any other species they need a head count on.  They will get their info.

Would people lie?  Some, I'm sure, would.  However, the majority would not.  Expecially if they knew it would help them in the long run.

Anything is better than what they have now. 

[Bucktail]

a great way to gather info would be to have the party/charter boats turn in a log at the end of the year. I have to do one now for my striped bass bonus cards, it is no big deal and gives acurate info

Ok then my next questions would be:

What or who is preventing the data from being collected this way, (or even another way that makes more sense than the way it is done now)?

What is (as many have said) this "agenda" that some groups have to stop us all from fishing altogether?  What would be their gain?  I understand a group like PETA wanting to ban fishing, but an "environmental" group?  What am I missing?

Thanks

[CapBob]

Bucktail,

Great question. Answer no one is preventing it, and all the Capt's I know would be in favor of it....it seems that the powers to be are not interested in gathering way more accurate data than they are using. Perhaps they are a little worried about being found out as "FULL OF SH*T"

[IrishAyes]

I, as many, lump all the anti's when it comes to fishing, hunting, cutting down trees, oil research, etc, as environmentalists.

They feel they have the right to dictate everyone's life to coinside with theirs. 

[ped579]

The question that I raise is what and where is this data that they have been gathering?  Why can't we gain access to it as the freedom of information act states allows us to do?

Where is all this scientific information and who are the specific scientists that are gathering it?

If they are using college students to gather their information, well I was once a college student and I have to say I was influenced by my professors quite a bit.  Could this be skewed because of it?

I have many other questions that I can not get answers to this is why I am so against their studies.

Paul

[IrishAyes]

Here's one of the scientists and his method of determining the rec catch.