Today someone made the comment online about this seeming like (based on comments on-line) an "anti-Obama rally more than anything else."

Since I figured others might think this way if they spend time in fishing forums I thought it appropriate to post my response here as well.

Whether or not you like the president is irrelevant, it is his appointments and the policies that are being forwarded by those appointees combined with the apathy from Congress to our situation that has created a legislative and regulatory nightmare.

This Congress AND the current Administration are driving fishermen out of business and off the water, it really is that simple.It did not start with this congress and administration, but it has been accelerated by them and they are allowing it to continue. The fact that it came to a head under this administration may be a coincidence, it may not, but that misses the point.

If you think it is going to be an anti Obama rally you need to look at the bigger picture. This is a pro fishermen rally and a (hopefully) wake up call to the congress and administration that if they (Obama included) don't get off their collective asses and stop actively supporting positions, policies and legislation that are destroying an industry and a national pastime that they will not be here in a few years.

I liked the t-shirt idea from another website I read:

"I wouldn't be here if you'd let me fish"
"You won't if you don't"

Capt. TB

The MAFMC sent out its press release summarizing last weeks Council meeting. (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRESS RELEASE)

As I said last week, the major accomplishment from the meeting was getting the Council to vote to have the SSC and Monitoring Committee meet to discuss the Sea Bass quota. This gives us at least a chance for improvement.

The recommendation for Porgy regulations was also made, and thanks to the efforts of those in attendance at the meeting we were able to get the council to vote to keep January and February open (the staff position was to close those two months) but as a direct result of some outrageous landings numbers (so outrageous that a review of the wave 3 Mass. numbers is currently underway) and another example of the quota being set ridiculously low (only a fraction of what the stock assessment says it could be)we are looking at another drop in the federal bag limit.

The state waters regs for porgies will be decided at the February ASMFC meeting.

Summer Flounder quota went up again (thank you SSFFF) and it appears as if every state except for DE and MD will be able to maintain or somewhat relax their regs for 2010. NJ specifically is looking at either about the same regs as last year or a minute change up or down, we are still waiting for the wave 5 numbers to arrive.

And now to the march on D.C.! - SSFFF will be arranging bus service to D.C. and I will be working closely with the SSFFF Board to arrange a bus for UB members as well, since a multi-bus charter will provide a somewhat better price per person. Stay tuned for details.

Capt.TB

Well, took the day off of work and drydock to attend the MAFMC meeting in Wilmington, DE this past Tuesday.

Suffice to say the attendance by the for-hire industry and recreational anglers was pathetic. a Big thanks goes out to those who did attend and fought for YOUR businesses and livlihoods.

Capt. Jim Cicchitti, Capt. Paul Thompson(UB), Capt. Adam Nowalski(RFA), Capt. Jeff Gutman, Capt. Howard Bogan(UB), Capt. Paul Forsberg(UBNY), Capt. Dennis Kanyuk(UBNY)

I will go into the details after the weekend as I have very little time to spend on the computer by the time I return from drydock each day.

I will say that we were able to convince the Council to send the Black Sea Bass quota back to the SSC to be discussed again, and had it not been for the tireless efforts of Capt. Adam from the RFA-NJ chapter and the comments from everyone who attended the meeting this would not have happened. While there is no guarantee anything will change, without the efforts of those mentioned there would have been no chance at all. Now we at least have a chance.

The council also voted to continue with conservation equivalency (state by state regulations) for Summer Flounder (Fluke) and it looks as if NJ will see little to no change in our regs for the upcoming 2010 season.

If only the same could be said for Sea Bass and Porgies.