"Fresh Fluke" at local chain grocery store

[Blackfish Doug]

Originally Posted by celticcross

The reason why the regs stay at 14" for the commercials and only the quota changes is that they would have to get new nets every time there is a size change.They would go out of business. We all enjoy stuffed flounder at our favorite restaurant or on our seafood platter. how do you think it gets there.

There should be no size limits for the commercials just a pound limit. Very few of those fish that are under 14" will survive a release. It's better they take what they catch & leave. Plus very few of those fish are 14" a very good majority of those fish are a lot bigger. the reason why they created the 14" size was for dead discards.

Originally Posted by Blackfish Doug

There should be no size limits for the commercials just a pound limit. Very few of those fish that are under 14" will survive a release. It's better they take what they catch & leave. Plus very few of those fish are 14" a very good majority of those fish are a lot bigger. the reason why they created the 14" size was for dead discards.

Doug I totally agree with your post. Problem is with no on board monitoring, culling has to be taking place for boats traveling essentially to the canyons this time of year. Smaller fish are going back dead to fill the quota with larger significantly more valuable larger fluke. The reg was put in place as you said to minimize dead discard but there's no means of monitoring whether that's actually the resulting impact. Problem with maintaining the smaller mesh size is the smaller less valuable fluke end up dead, increase the mesh size and those fish at least stand a chance of survival. Problem with both options is too many larger breeders are being taken under either scenario which is why reproduction is off by 80% from the 80's to today based on a spawning stock biomass that is almost two and a half times larger than it was in the 80's. Reproduction has been crushed while NMFS and ASMFC sit on their ass and propose regulations and policies that compound that very problem. No one is currently addressing the deterioration in reproduction, everyone is focused on total catch which is absolutely not the problem. Between 1989 and 2002 when the biomass exploded upward by 600%, annual catch averaged about 50% of the biomass every year. 50% annual catch ratio of the biomass and the biomass hit historically high levels. Today catch is averaging between 15% - 20% and the biomass has been shrinking every year since 2003 as size limits continue to be increased. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see what's happening and again as I've mentioned this is all based on NMFS and ASMFC's own data, not conjecture or third party information.

[Billfish715]

https://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/..._quota2019.pdf

https://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/comquotas.htm

The new commercial regs for fluke landings seems to have been reduced for 2019 by about 70,000 pounds (if I'm reading the letter correctly). What stands out, though, is the total allotted pounds of commercially landed fluke for the months of January and February and September and October. The quotas are drastically increased during the months when fluke are either on their spawning grounds or massing during their migration to those spawning grounds. The commercial boats may land 1500 pounds of fluke per week during those periods. The commercial limits are encouraging fishing for the spawning stocks which will eventually hurt everyone's future fishing potential including those of the commercial guys. Wake Up! I could be wrong, but I'll bet the wholesale price of fluke increases substantially during the same period. If so, the stimulus to catch more spawning fish is also substantially increased. Change the distribution of the quotas to put less pressure on the spawning fish.

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Billfish715

https://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/..._quota2019.pdf

https://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/comquotas.htm

" I could be wrong, but I'll bet the wholesale price of fluke increases substantially during the same period. If so, the stimulus to catch more spawning fish is also substantially increased".

This post stated fluke was being sold retail at $25 a pound... How much higher can it go???.. If people are really THAT stupid that they'll pay $30-35 a pound for fluke, then they get what they deserve, Fluke is good, yes, but not THAT damn good.. no better than a haddock bergall, ling or any of a dozen other local species...,, bob

[june181901]

As sport anglers we are unable to hire the very effective lobbyists that the commercial groups do. We are very unorganized by comparison.

[Capt John]

Originally Posted by june181901

As sport anglers we are unable to hire the very effective lobbyists that the commercial groups do. We are very unorganized by comparison.

No truer words have been spoken. Been that way for years. Here is something I Googled....The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an American scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce. "Commerce" remember that and you'll understand where the problem is.

[Billfish715]

https://shop.fultonfishmarket.com/fr...iped-bass.html

https://shop.fultonfishmarket.com/bu...ern-fluke.html

https://shop.fultonfishmarket.com/fr...-sea-bass.html


This post stated fluke was being sold retail at $25 a pound... How much higher can it go???.. If people are really THAT stupid that they'll pay $30-35 a pound for fluke, then they get what they deserve, Fluke is good, yes, but not THAT damn good.. no better than a haddock bergall, ling or any of a dozen other local species...,, bob

Hey Bob, Here are a few links to prices for popular wild fish which are sold "on line" through Fulton Fish Market. I guess there are some people who are really that "stupid". There is no explanation for taste or in this case price.

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Billfish715

https://shop.fultonfishmarket.com/fr...iped-bass.html

https://shop.fultonfishmarket.com/bu...ern-fluke.html

https://shop.fultonfishmarket.com/fr...-sea-bass.html


This post stated fluke was being sold retail at $25 a pound... How much higher can it go???.. If people are really THAT stupid that they'll pay $30-35 a pound for fluke, then they get what they deserve, Fluke is good, yes, but not THAT damn good.. no better than a haddock bergall, ling or any of a dozen other local species...,, bob

Hey Bob, Here are a few links to prices for popular wild fish which are sold "on line" through Fulton Fish Market. I guess there are some people who are really that "stupid". There is no explanation for taste or in this case price.

$37?.. FOR A FLUKE??.. Too many people smoking crack out there.. That $37 would buy pound each of big scallops and Gulf shrimp... bob

[porgylber]

Originally Posted by Billfish715

https://shop.fultonfishmarket.com/fr...iped-bass.html

https://shop.fultonfishmarket.com/bu...ern-fluke.html

https://shop.fultonfishmarket.com/fr...-sea-bass.html


This post stated fluke was being sold retail at $25 a pound... How much higher can it go???.. If people are really THAT stupid that they'll pay $30-35 a pound for fluke, then they get what they deserve, Fluke is good, yes, but not THAT damn good.. no better than a haddock bergall, ling or any of a dozen other local species...,, bob

Hey Bob, Here are a few links to prices for popular wild fish which are sold "on line" through Fulton Fish Market. I guess there are some people who are really that "stupid". There is no explanation for taste or in this case price.

Thanks for providing my laugh for the day! $6 for a 1 lb ling?!? $10 for a 1 lb mackerel?!? This is pure insanity. I’d love to know what their profit margin is. Someone is making a fortune!

[porgylber]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

$37?.. FOR A FLUKE??.. Too many people smoking crack out there.. That $37 would buy pound each of big scallops and Gulf shrimp... bob

To put it in perspective, over the summer I went fishing out of Venice, LA. By the port there was a trailer, selling fresh jumbo Gulf shrimp...right off of the shrimp boats. The price? $4 a lb! The same shrimp that is being sold by this site for $120, for a 5 lb bag. Incredible.