Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski
I think it would be great if people were allowed to keep 1 slot Fluke say between 16 and 18. Problem is the way that would get figured into our regs. I would think plugging a slot fish into their calculations would increase assumed landings against our quota which would likely lead to a shorter season
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I wonder how many people (including those on the ASMFC) actually understand how the figures are input into the algorithm. Everyone, however, understands the final numbers. Just how those numbers were crunched is a mystery, at best. It is part of the science that we are supposed to accept. The science is still just a bunch of numbers, the outcome of which, is determined by what data is plugged in and what variables are not!
How will the slot fish enter into the quota? That's a good question You used the word "assumed" landings. I think that is an accurate description. Assumed is the key word. My "guess" is that the figures that are currently used are far from accurate and have always been that.
Quite a few fluke were caught last year. Quite a few were released. Quite a few died after being released; and of course there were those that were boxed and filleted. Still, those numbers are only conjecture since there are no accurate records of the number of fluke that were taken, released or died. There has to be a way to input the "assumed" numbers of slot fish to offset the "assumed" mortality rate.
Someone, from the recreational fishing community should be given access to the algorithm's data and challenge the findings of the ASMFC by adding additional variables that might have been missing.
My guess for the upcoming report about last year's totals is that we overfished our quota but we will be given a "stay" for the coming year. For the time being, I don't think much will change. The party boat numbers were down due to the pandemic restrictions. Fishing participation, in general, was down. Lots of fluke were still caught, but how would anyone, no less the scientists ever know?
