[Broad Bill]

Detour,

Your post is too logical. I'd bet NMFS will find a way to deflect this entire situation. Case in point, remember I believe it was 2017 through 2018 time frame the commercial sector received a 100% increase in their quota as Allowable Biological Catch "ABC" was liberalized. Recreational possession limits and size minimums remained the same and the explanation was the recreational sector DID in fact receive an increase but MRIP catch number were retroactively restated at much higher levels offsetting the benefit of liberalization to the recreational sector only. The same MRIP statistics they're now saying are grossly overstated and misrepresentative. Smoke and mirrors, the recs on a net basis retained status quo regulations while the commercial sector experienced a 100% increase in quota. Let that settle in for a minute as it's beyond comprehension.

Some how, some way the same will happen here is my bet. It wouldn't surprise me since they are now saying we underfished quota for years, those surplus quotas should have been used to increase subsequent year recreational quotas and if NMFS does that, they'll also have to increase the commercial quota again to keep the pro rata allocation factor of ABC between the commercial and recreational sector in tact meaning commercial quotas will probably have to be increased as well. Wouldn't surprise me to see NMFS come back and increase recreational discard mortality rates to offset the benefits on inaccurate catch statistics, retain status quo again for the recreational sector and watch commercial quotas increase.

Or NMFS will come back and increase daily possession limits but increase size minimums to neutralize the impacts of their mistakes so the recreational sector continues spending massive amounts of money but harvest less fish. And then an even higher discard mortality rate will be assigned the sector for future years due to the effect increased discards associated with higher size minimums has on sector mortality rates.

They have every number of ways to distort the facts and control harvest. One thing I know for sure is NMFS will never admit they were wrong or change their perspectives on how this fishery is being managed.