RFA Says Shared Recipe for Disaster Could Be No Fluke

[dales529]

SUMMER FLOUNDER REGIONALIZATION

A SHARED RECIPE FOR DISASTER


January 16, 2014 - The regionalization plan proposed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) for the management of summer flounder pits state versus state, angler against angler, and business owner over business owner.



As such, the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) sees the ongoing effort to create regions along the Atlantic Coast for sharing season, size and bag limits on summer flounder as being a recipe for disaster which does not attack the truly systemic management failures under the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) during the past two decades.



RFA executive director Jim Donofrio said the organization has spent the past 7 years rallying coastal support for efforts to fix the federal fisheries law, and calls this summer flounder debate at the ASMFC another 'train wreck' in the making.



"All of us who fish, no matter which state we're in, recognize the insanity of this management debacle," Donofrio said. "In 1998 when the summer flounder stock was rebuilding and not yet as fully robust as it is today, New Jersey had 2.7 million fluke while the state of New York had 1.2 million fish, yet here we are with a healthy, rebuilt fluke stock and we're looking at 75% of that 1998 fishery allocation under a status quo, do nothing management approach."



Donofrio said it's easy to see why states are up in arms and fighting for whatever scraps are available in the fishery, but he's worried that NMFS' flawed data could lead to excruciating payback measures in 2015 under a regional approach.



"It's patently unfair to punish anglers by continuously reducing quota due to erroneous landings estimates produced by a still broken recreational data collection system, and it's critical that NMFS dismiss the overages predicted under this survey program under a new system is fully implemented, properly calibrated by NMFS, and ultimately peer-reviewed at a federal level," Donofrio said.



Donofrio said the reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Fisheries Management and Conservation Act in 2006 contained dangerous and arbitrary provisions which have ultimately denied anglers access to rebuilt fish stocks, something RFA has been working to change for more than 7 years.



"Anyone with common sense, perhaps not a PHD in science or high-level marketing position at an environmental society, would be dumfounded to think that we were assigned more fish when the stock was rebuilding and 75% less once the fishery was declared rebuilt," Donofrio said, adding "and therein lays the fatal flaw in the management system."



"It's a system that's been designed primarily to benefit the commercial fishing industry, with the former Bureau of Commercial Fisheries (NMFS) still geared towards preserving the interests of the commercial fleet at the expense of the recreational sector," Donofrio added.



"Forcing neighbors to argue with neighbors over a totally inadequate and scientifically untenable quota allotment is result of our government's inaction and I just don't see this plan can to cure the ills of a broken management system," said RFA Board member Nick Cicero about the ASMFC fluke debate. "More importantly, the proposed changes will do nothing to address the real problem which is clearly the repeated management failures at NMFS during their 20 years of irresponsible stewardship."



"The real issue now is which U.S. Senator is going to step up and tell Senator Harry Reed, Senator Mark Begich and the rest of congressional leadership that Magnuson has to be fixed and it has to be fixed immediately," added Donofrio. "NMFS has to get an accurate and transparent data collection system in place now and stop wasting money like the $25 million they just assigned to create catch share systems in the Gulf of Mexico."



According to Donofrio, while recreational anglers in the Gulf of Mexico for example of spearheaded opposition to sector separation plans and assigned fish tags there, the regional management body under pressure and funding through NMFS is moving forward with plans to divide the recreational sector.



"The fisheries service says they have no money for data collection, yet they've been wasting all of these federally allotted funds on non-science based initiatives to further keep anglers and recreational business owners fighting one another at the state and regional level," Donofrio said.



RFA said the overall problem in the recreational community is that anglers and business owners don't often get active in protest and reform efforts until the pendulum swings in the opposite direction.



"It's time for everybody in all the states and all the groups to get on the same page and call for Magnuson reform," Donofrio said, adding "this hurray for me, I don't care about you attitude is killing our industry and destroying our opportunity for change."

[shrimpman steve]

I hate to say it, but I've had it with this shit. I am a law abiding citizen, but this crap is rediculus!

I don't care what the regs are. The Feds have finally turned me into a pirate. I will buy my eye patch this week

[Jay]

Originally Posted by shrimpman steve

I hate to say it, but I've had it with this shit. I am a law abiding citizen, but this crap is rediculus!

I don't care what the regs are. The Feds have finally turned me into a pirate. I will buy my eye patch this week

I'm with you there! My avatars says it all!

[hartattack]

You can provide input through the commission website on the Public Input page at www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. The deadline for comment is 5 p.m. on January 24th.


Send comments to Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (fax) or via email at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum XXV).
and comments@asmfc.org.

[SaltLife1980]

Originally Posted by shrimpman steve

I hate to say it, but I've had it with this shit. I am a law abiding citizen, but this crap is rediculus!

I don't care what the regs are. The Feds have finally turned me into a pirate. I will buy my eye patch this week

Ill be flying the flag as well!!

[AndyS]

They gloat over sea bass stocks being rebuilt so what do they do, close the season, This is just the tip of the iceberg, wait till striped bass goes to one fish in 2015

[stevelikes2fish]

Originally Posted by shrimpman steve

i hate to say it, but i've had it with this shit. I am a law abiding citizen, but this crap is rediculus!

I don't care what the regs are. The feds have finally turned me into a pirate. I will buy my eye patch this week

exactly my feelings!!!!!

[Capt Sal]

Four fluke and next year one striper?If this happens they win and the already starving for hire boats will be a thing of the past.We all say we will be pirates but this does not fix the problem.This was a long time coming and now we are all saying we need more public input.It is not over yet..I would say most of the people on this site are informed and up to date about what is going on with fisheries management.On the other hand you would be amazed how misinformed the average anglers are.Running a charter boat for years you meet new people everyday.One of the main things I hear is-Why doesn't NY and NJ get together and have the same bag limits.It is not that simple.NY would love that and so would i.These people out number the die hards and we also need them onboard.

[bunker dunker]

They are stealing what is not theirs to take.these fish belong to all of us.the system is so corrupt that it dose not matter if we march,sing or swear up and down.the see dollar signs and its going to the highest bidder.

[italianfisherman]

the future of fishing.