Immediate Action Needed Marine Fisheries Reform

[Gerry Zagorski]

If you're frustrated by the way our fisheries are regulated and managed, I would strongly encourage you to get involved right here right now and support the efforts underway by the RFA and ASA to make some much needed changes.

A meeting/webinar will be held on Monday 3/28 at 6 - 8 PM discussing Marine Fisheries Reform and alternate means of managing our fisheries into 2023 and beyond. It includes the potential for multiyear regulations instead of doing it one year at a time and taking stock status and other key indicators into consideration when setting regulations.

Right now the regulations are set each year by comparing the previous year’s catch to next year’s quota. MRIP data is used to measure the catch and it's then compared to the quota. If the catch data exceeds your quota you get more restrictive regulations, if it's less you get more liberalized regulations. However, the current system does not take stock status into account. Take what recently happened with Black Seabass... A fishery that has been totally rebuilt and yet because of last year’s highly speculative MRIP data we were are forced to take more restrictive measures this year. Fluke on the other hand had lower MRIP catch numbers compared to our quota but is not totally rebuilt and yet we're looking at a liberalization this year.

Kind of screwy right? Stock status need to be figured in so decisions can be made based in some part on the health of a fishery and we should be able to set regulations for multiple years rather than make knee jerk reactions every year based solely on last year’s data.

ACTION ITEM 1 Register to attend the 3/28 meeting here https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/1135657394291955982 select the 3/28 meeting from the drop down and support the efforts of the reform

ACTION ITEM 2 Sign this petition developed by the ASA in support of the reforms https://keepamericafishing.org/actio...3101%2fRespond

ACTION ITEM 3 Share this post with others by copying and pasting this link https://www.njfishing.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=117879

So here is an abbreviated version of the 5 options that will be discussed. If you'd like to read more about each you can find that here in an overview http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInp..._March2022.pdf. There is also a Decision Tree developed by the ASA and the RFA which is meant to help people like you and I understand each of the options and make a more informed decision https://keepamericafishing.org/wp-co...ndum-Final.pdf

A) No change and keep managing as we have in the past with no consideration given to stock status which includes other key measures.

B) A plan that will consider both quota/vs MRIP and stock status

C,D and E) Rely on model approaches that are still under development and set different tiers/bins of measures of which take stock status into account but also use some combination of other measures like, recruitment, fish mortality, MRIP catch data etc to determine regulations. While that might sound great, the process has been defined in all these options but the measures that result after the process have not been defined and that is cause for concern. One of the proposed models that could be used in all 3 options for determining measures is highly dependent on MRIP so these options could reform the process but the devil could be in the details.

Just so you all know, the RFA is supporting option B because of the current uncertainly in C, D and E.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I've been writing a lot recently about the action items needed to try get people involved in influencing our regulations and fisheries. The reason for the increased frequency is because I learned over time, if you don't get involved early and at key points in the process, many of the most important decisions have already been decided. Let me give you an example...

Most like me used to get involved in the meetings and take an interest in the spring when NJ met to decide our Fluke and Seabass regulations. By the time that meeting occurred the feds and the regional committees already decided what the regulations options would be and the State as well as you and I had to choose from the options that passed federal and regional reviews. At those meetings you'd hear things out of frustration like "Why don't we have a slot Fluke" or "Why are we getting penalized with a 27% reduction on Seabass when the fishery is totally rebuilt"?

I'll tell you why, it's because we got involved too late in the process.

Thankfully we got involved earlier this year due in large part to the convenience of webinars which I hope will continue. We now have a Slot Fluke Option on the table for the first time ever. We went from a 27% reduction in Seabass to a 20% reduction. Do we claim a victory here? No, but it is movement in the right direction and you can't turn a big ship on a dime.

All those action items for those meetings helped but we are talking about the "Mother of All Action Items" here, Recreational Reform. Timing is everything and when opportunity knocks for larger changes that's when you can affect the most change. This reform could actually change the way fisheries are analyzed and managed at a federal level where all the key decisions are made and long before the options get to a state or regional level when it's too late.

If you were to only choose one thing to get involved in the next few years, this would be the one.

There are people at a state and regional levels as well as national organizations like the RFA and the ASA that are trying to support you and me and we need to support them. Please put some wind in their sails and get involved right now.





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[Joey Dah Fish]

Done

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Joey Dah Fish

Done

Thanks brother at least there's 2 of us

[Detour66]

Let's get the ball rolling!!

DONE and shared on varies FB NJ saltwater fishing groups!

[Pennsy Guy]

DONE

[Angler Paul]

Gerry,

Thanks for all the work you did on this. JCAA fully supports your position as well. I signed the petition and shared your post on the JCAA FB page and then shared it with more than 60 other groups. I also emailed it to our member clubs and a few press reporters. It's disappointing that many people say it's a waste of time to comment to our fisheries managers because they have their minds made up and don't care about what we have to say. That may be true but we will never succeed if we don't try. Though I am often frustrated by their actions or lack thereof, I have no intentions of giving up.

Paul Haertel
JCAA Past President/Board Member

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Angler Paul

Gerry,

Thanks for all the work you did on this. JCAA fully supports your position as well. I signed the petition and shared your post on the JCAA FB page and then shared it with more than 60 other groups. I also emailed it to our member clubs and a few press reporters. It's disappointing that many people say it's a waste of time to comment to our fisheries managers because they have their minds made up and don't care about what we have to say. That may be true but we will never succeed if we don't try. Though I am often frustrated by their actions or lack thereof, I have no intentions of giving up.

Paul Haertel
JCAA Past President/Board Member

Thanks Paul appreciate you rallying the troops and getting behind this!

[hammer4reel]

Pretty sad turnout . Most I saw online was 59. And only 50 stayed until the end .
.
Also pretty sad when they have a formal document to vote on , and it’s half baked.

.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Yep and this is exactly why we were suggesting option B.