[laketrout]

Excellent post Bob. I was just comparing the quotas myself a few days ago and was saddened. I am also a member of the RFA, and have been for many years. Although well intended, I don't have confidence the RFA can do anything to change things. I'm still waiting for them to bump up the winter flounder quota. I just have given up hope that anything will change in the favor of the recreational fisherman.

And yet the discard of millions of pounds of by-catch continues from the commercials. Did the recs kill the ling, whiting, flounder, weakfish, etc. The only reason the blackfish are the last to go IMO is because the commercials cant drag for them as effectively (although the roller draggers certainly do damage). Thankfully, we got the pots off the reef.

Regulators need to accurately account for commercial by-catch and come up with a solution that hinges the by-catch against their quota. This issue is the proverbial "Elephant in the Room" issue which no regulators will take issue on. I commend Norway for finally dealing with this issue this year by banning the discard of all bycatch, as they see it as unethical.

Our story, the story of the recreational fishing community, will end just the way the hand line cod fisherman of New England did (unless changed).