Spent the better part of yesterday in Philadelphia with my cousin Willie and Capt. Adam at the advisors meeting.

While the "official" report will be sent out to council members the week before the next MAFMC meeting (December 8th is the first day of the meeting by the way) and will be available at the Council meeting on December 8th, here is my "unofficial" report.

Summer Flounder - Every state advisor except NY was in favor of maintaining Conservation Equivalency. To those that might not know, that means each state setting its own regulations.
New York advisor was in favor of a single, coastwide management plan (which was expected)

Scup - The advisors, amongst recommending other things, unanimously recommended status quo on the regs until such time as the MAFMC sends the quota recommendation from the SSC BACK TO THE SSC and the Monitoring Committee!

Sea Bass - The advisors, amongst recommending other things, unanimously recommended status quo on the regs until such time as the MAFMC sends the quota recommendation from the SSC BACK TO THE SSC and the Monitoring Committee!

We have reached a point where "settling" for the scraps we are thrown can no longer be tolerated, and no one was willing to even discuss the ridiculous options we are being offered. With both Porgies and Sea Bass we have a peer reviewed stock assessment that says the stocks are NOT over fished and are ABOVE their rebuilt targets, but still have a quota that, for Sea Bass, is the same as it was for an overfished and non-rebuilt stock and for Scup that is literally a FRACTION of what the science says it should be.

Update 11-20-09

Please keep in mind that THESE OPTIONS MAY CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND THE DECEMBER 8TH MAFMC MEETING< BUT PROBABLY NOT MUCH. Also, different options may arise between now and then or at the meeting in December. These are the options the advisors were presented with and they are typically close to what is presented at the meeting in December. Sometimes there could be a big change when the October and November landings numbers come in (usually right about the time of the December meeting) if they re much larger or smaller than projected, but with Sea Bass being closed since October 5th no one knows what to expect since there were still state waters landings, etc.

Sea Bass

1) 12.5 inch  -  25 fish  -  September 1 through October 19

2) 12.5 inch  -  25 fish  -  May 19 through August 22

3) 13 inch  -  10 fish  -  September 17 through December 31

4) 12.5 inch  -  1 fish  -  September 1 through December 31

Please keep in mind, the advisors REFUSED to even discuss these ridiculous options based on the fact that the stock is now above the rebuilt target. These options come as a result of the assinine quota that was set by the SSC at the LOWEST LEVEL IN HISTORY for Sea Bass despite the fact that the stock is now COMPLETELY REBUILT, and the Bull$h!t MRFSS numbers.

We all agreed, this far, no further when it comes to things like this!

So, feel free to discuss which "option" if you can call it that you might be willing to live with but I will not even waste my time discussing them, they are a waste of time IMO.

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 11, 2009
United Boatmen Joins With the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund to Challenge MRFSS Landings Data

United Boatmen has joined forces with The Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF), the nonprofit organization formed in New Jersey to seek scientific and legislative solutions to the crisis facing those whose livelihoods depend on a healthy and vibrant recreational summer flounder fishery, in SSFFF’s challenge of the 2009 Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Surveys (MRFSS) landings data for Summer Flounder.

SSFFF has initiated an in-depth analysis of the landings numbers generated by MRFSS in response to angler and fisheries business owners’ anger at yet another year of the unrealistic and unexplainable assertions made by MRFSS.

“The fact that MRFSS has once again come up with landings numbers that do not reflect reality should not come as a surprise to anyone,” said Greg Hueth, president of the Shark River Surf Anglers and one of the founders of SSFFF. “Nevertheless, these statistics MUST be challenged and a more accurate picture of landings in the Summer Flounder fishery must be taken if we are to avoid more unnecessary restrictions,” Mr. Hueth said.

Recognizing that any review of MRFSS data will mean searching through angler intercepts of all species, United Boatmen has joined with SSFFF to expand the review to include Scup and Black Sea Bass.

“In light of the ridiculous landings numbers for Sea Bass and the unprecedented closure of a rebuilt, healthy fishery based on those landings numbers and the existing quota, a review of the landings numbers for both Sea Bass and Porgies (Scup) was most certainly warranted,” said Capt. Ed Yates, owner of the charterboat “Hunter” and member of United Boatmen.

“The fishing community of anglers and the businesses that service them have accepted severe restrictions in many fisheries over the years in the hopes that once rebuilt, those fisheries would offer the opportunity for anglers and businesses alike to both enjoy them and prosper from them.” said Capt. Tony Bogan, President of United Boatmen. “Instead, as our fisheries like Sea Bass and Scup are rebuilt, we continue to see little change in fisheries regulations and even more severe restrictions as is the case with Sea Bass as a result of, amongst other things, flawed recreational landings statistics. This situation can no longer be tolerated and must be challenged,” said Capt. Bogan.

Recognizing SSFFF’s singular goal of dealing with the sensible management and sustainability of the Summer Flounder Fishery, United Boatmen has decided to assist in the review of the 2009 MRFSS Summer Flounder landings data and its expansion into other fisheries.

United Boatmen is a nonprofit organization comprised of party and charter boat owners and tackle and bait store owners and others whose livelihoods are dependent on a healthy and vibrant recreational fishing industry. Its mission: “United Boatmen is an organization that has been fighting for the interests of New Jersey Party Boat, Charter Boat and Tackle businesses, their patrons, and the fisheries that we enjoy and prosper from for over 30 years.
Viable, healthy fisheries with sensible management practices benefit everyone.”

More information on United Boatmen can be found at its website, www.unitedboatmen.com.

Well, today the lawsuit was filed!

The outcome is obviously unknown. And, the impact even a positive outcome can have on our Sea Bass fishery for next year is not known based on the fact that if these ridiculous landings numbers stand and/or there is no movement on the quota for next year our regulations without a closure will likely be extremely severe.

So why sue? The answer is simple: If NMFS is allowed to take this action without being challenged who knows what fishery will be next?

NMFS has now closed two fisheries (Sea Bass and now Amberjack) based on nothing more than preliminary MRFSS data. Data that, according to the NRC, is not even capable of determining our landings, let alone capable of real-time monitoring.

THAT is the primary reason for this lawsuit as far as I am concerned.

"I don't fish for Sea Bass" you may say, "So why should I care?"

Well, if this closure stands unchallenged and NMFS is given free reign to close any fishery it wishes on a whim or "just in case" then you can change the headline "SEA BASS FISHERY CLOSED" to :(insert fishery name here) FISHERY CLOSED"

And it WILL be a fishery that you DO care about! We need help fighting this lawsuit NOW! The turn out of supporters from the industry is pathetic. If you know a boat or business owner (tackle store, partyboat, charterboat, marina, 7-11, Diner or restaurant near fishing boats, etc.) ask them if they could help us help themselves.

Capt. Tony Bogan