ASMFC meets tomorrow to review Fluke reg's for Mass & RI

[hartattack]

– The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board will meet via
conference call on Thursday, March 30 at 12:30 p.m. to consider approval of 2017 summer flounder recreational
fishery proposals from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. These proposals require Board approval since they offer
alternative management measures from those specified in Addendum XXVIII to the Summer Flounder, Scup and
Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan.**

http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/..._March2017.pdf

http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/58...LProposals.pdf

Addendum 28 option 5 was approved with a 7-3 vote. MA, RI, NJ voted no!

[dales529]

Interested and will listen if I have time as to what alternative measures they are proposing. They could have drawn a line like NJ and really said NO. Instead they chose to approve Addendum 28 Option 5 with alternative measures within their region which is different than ours ( CT, NY and NJ)

[hartattack]

Originally Posted by dales529

... what alternative measures they are proposing...

The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MarineFisheries) is proposing to adopt the following
regulations for Massachusetts’ 2017 summer flounder recreational fishery: a 17" minimum size, a 5-
fish possession limit, and a 125-day season from May 22–September 23. In terms of projected harvest,
these regulations are conservationally equivalent to the Addendum XXVIII option 5 requirements for
Massachusetts (17" minimum size, 4-fish possession limit, and 125-day season).

RI: Applying the following recreational measures in 2017:
 Minimum Size: 19” (same as option 5)
 Season: May 19 – Dec 31 (227 days vs option 5's 245)
 Bag Limit: 6 fish (option 5 is 4 fish)

[dales529]

Both States proposals failed.
MA: 2 Y / 8 N / 1 abstain MA and RI Y
RI: 3 Y / 7 N / 1 abstain MA, RI and CT Y

[Gerry Zagorski]

So once again, states desire to deviate from the NMFS options falls on deaf ears

I wonder what would have happened if RI and MA had joined us here in NJ to refuse any of the NMFS options??

As usual these meetings are fruitless since they've already decided on the options and won't budge. Time to make a stand and take our fisheries back!!

Not sure how things are going to work our here in NJ but we are not going down without a fight!!

[reason162]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

I wonder what would have happened if RI and MA had joined us here in NJ to refuse any of the NMFS options??

The short term answer might be very different from the long term results.

If all the states succeed in revolting, check back in 10 years and you might be singing a different tune.