2017 Fluke Regulations Not Looking Good

[Reel Class]

Originally Posted by 1captainron

I hate to get Political, but I am tiered after a LONG Career of getting it shoved up my #@*!! Hopefully our newly elect President, through the RFA, will see how we have been getting screwed year after year.....This non-sense has to stop! SSFFF has been working hard for several years with real data on Sexting Studies that we now have to show how the Regulations have taken the fishery down the wrong road! Will the powers that be except the data and do the right thing? Time will tell....less Government involvement and Fire the *******s who got us to this place of No return!!!

Too many people have to justify their jobs....Never "Status Quo", or your not doing your job. That's Bullshit! While way too many Party and Charter boats go out of Business every year and the Customer base declines are worse than the God Dam depreciation, who has had our Back? Hope and change my Ass, how did that work out? Let's talk some real hope for the future. Give us all a chance to enjoy a Simple day out on the Water catching a few fish, without looking over our shoulders! "WE THE PEOPLE" Demand it!

I'm hoping that Mr. Trump, in his push to empower small businesses, can get a hold of this flawed information and see how it NEGATIVELY affects small businesses that dot our coastline IN THE FISHING INDUSTRY. Hopefully he will get it, and step in and somehow liberalize regs a bit so all of us can make $$$$

[Slip It In]

Came across this short history lesson from another website few months ago. See the below link if it works. Really gets under my skin.

I really feel bad for the Charter and Party boat owners. How about the people who actually see the fish on the deck every day have a say in the regulations, like the Charter and Party boat owners. I guess that would put a few federal bean counters out of work and open up tons and tons of fishing boat owners and mates jobs. And to make some money!

I will stop self regulating my catch as soon as my taxes are reduced by 30% each year like the fishing regulations.


http://www.njsaltfish.com/index.php/...s-history.html

[Ryelof]

I would love to see the "science" of this reported over fishing, I probably went fluke fishing 12 times this summer and not once did we have a boat limit and never had any one survey our catch for the day. So where do these numbers come from?

[Pete]

Getting grouped in with NY does nothing to help the NJ cause. Since this happened. The NY anglers have been enjoying the best seasons in years. Meanwhile NJ has continued to struggle. Based on reports, NY doesn't have as much of a problem to catch 18" fish, as we here in NJ do. I was led to believe that most 18" or larger fish are females, the breeders that are routinely taken, while the shorter fish are set free. Seems counter productive if these so called regs. are designed for rebuilding fish stocks. We NJ anglers need to stand alone. That is and should be the first step in the right direction. I'd like to think that Trump would be a catalyst in sorting this mess out. But, realistically he's got much bigger fish to fry at the moment. And, remember when Gov. Christie got in, we believed he was the answer! We know where that got us. If I've learned anything it's that there really isn't a politician who can get us out of this mess. Not in the foreseeable future, that is.

I do believe that there can be some legal battle waged such as the SSFFF has done in the past. But, that takes a lot of money, time and expertise. And, fishermen in general, not all mind you, aren't ready to donate money when they can't put there hands on something tangible. Furthermore, instant results are desired But, this type challenge takes time, assuming the funds needed are raised. So, I'll continue to donate and hope. But, more than anything I'll pray. Because guys, we need a higher power to fix this mess. It has gone on far too long. Year after year, season after season and species and more species.

I consider myself very fortunate that I don't do this for a living. And, I really feel for you guys. Wish I had an answer.

[Gerry Zagorski]

The situation we are in right now is a 2 headed beast that needs to be fought politically and scientifically.

The RFA is taking the political route. The good news here is that Jim Donofrio and the RFA believes that the new administration will be much more open to introducing some Flexibility in the Magnuson Stevens Act... As it stands right now, there is no Flexibility built into the Act and Fisheries management, by law, has to take drastic measures if a Fishery is deemed over fished. So the combination of the current stock assessment, believe the numbers or not and no Flexibility, we are looking at a shorter season, lower bag limits or increased size or a mix of all the above.

The SSFFF is fighting on the Science side by trying to introduce detailed sex structured and discard information into the Scientific Assessment model. Similar methods were used very successfully to better assess Halibut stocks several years ago. They've recently funded projects with Rutgers and Cornell to collect sex and discard information and hope to have this information ready to present in the next Peer Review. That is expected some time in 2017 or 2018 and this is when NOAA Scientists get together to review best practices for Stock Assessments.

One thing to be very clear on here and the SSFFF has said all along. This is not about getting more favorable fishing regulations for us... This is to make sure we get the right regulations to sustain the fishery by using better science.

Both these organizations need our continued support.

[Pete]

Gerry thank you for the informational post and the respective organizations purposes regarding the fishermen's plight and the mission of each.

I do remember some years back when the SSFFF managed to get a judge to agree that the "emergency" hastily enacted in season sea bass closure was in error. However, the injunction came after the legitimate closed season was already in effect. So, we lost those fishing days anyway. But, the judge did rule that the closing was unnecessary. And, this is the type legal front to which I refer.

I fish and do believe conservation measures are necessary. I further agree that the methods used are flawed and that has been proven and attested to by experts.

My rant over the grouping with NY is what it states. The NJ struggles are obvious and NY has been enjoying some very productive years. But, their lofty numbers are factored in with our paltry ones. So, we take any prospective hit along with them. Conversely, we would reap the rewards, if there were any to be had. Oh yeah, we did get the 1/2 inch reduction in size! Hooray!

The target is and forever will be a moving one. Considering weather, low stock years and the continued use of flawed information. This will be a way of life for a long of time. If they ever get it right, the cuts may not be as deep. We shall see.............

[jmurr711]

I am sure PEOTUS will make the limits like it was in 1950 just like he wants to do with every other aspect of this country........ WE ARE F#CKED NO MATTER WHO IS IN CHARGE

[Offshoreafflicted]

Originally Posted by jmurr711

I am sure PEOTUS will make the limits like it was in 1950 just like he wants to do with every other aspect of this country........ WE ARE F#CKED NO MATTER WHO IS IN CHARGE

Somebody has been watching too much CNN

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by offshoreafflicted

somebody has been watching too much cnn:d

pmsnbc

[NoLimit]

The fact that we are allowed to take only breeder fluke while full grown 17" male fluke die of old age proves that our bureaucrats are clueless.

I wish they would be forced to come on social media to defend themselves. Instead they are locked in their ivory towers.

Maybe Trump can do something about that.