hogsniper
07-21-2007, 06:20 PM
F’’ISSUES July, 2007
Fishing Issues from the FRA.
Preserving and protecting our fisheries and our heritage of fishing.
F’ISSUES has a new set of authors. As keeping FRA members and supporters aware and informed of current events is the goal of the publication, each F’ISSUES will include links to the Gulf and South Atlantic Council web sites, which provide meeting minutes, current laws, upcoming meetings and proposed legislation.
GAG GROUPER
The issue on everyone’s mind right now is Gag grouper, a premier offshore fish for the Gulf and South Atlantic recreational anglers. As most of you are already aware, a second stock assessment was convened due to very questionable science during the first assessment.
The FRA was instrumental in this unprecedented move to perform this second assessment.
We are nearing the third and final phase of the second assessment and while some problems have been corrected, the FRA maintains that many mistakes are still occurring.
The FRA feels that one of the biggest problems is the discard mortality estimates being attributed to the recreational angler.
Much of the data that was used to determine this erroneously high discard mortality came from studies where sample fish were caught by commercial fisherman using high speed electric reels in water much deeper than the vast majority of recreational fisherman ever fish!
NMFS still pegs the number at 20% discard mortality while the FRA contends that the number is the same as, or less than, the agreed upon number for Red grouper which is 10% discard mortality.
If this and other problems with the second assessment continue and the assessment is ratified, then the Council will have no choice except to recommend drastic reductions in recreational take to NMFS.
AMBERJACK/TRIGGERFISH
AJ’s and triggerfish have both gone through stock assessments and both have been declared over fished. The FRA maintains that bad science is driving additional restrictions including an unprecedented preferred alternative on amberjack of lowering the bag limit to ONE fish for every two anglers! This could pave the way to future bag limits being based per boat instead of the current per person!
MRFSS data (which has been declared unreliable and unsuitable for management purposes by the Washington based National Academy of Science) is still being used heavily in these stock assessments.
In addition… excessively high discard mortality rates are again being blamed on recreational anglers.
RE-ALLOCATION
The FRA does not feel that reallocation should even be discussed until MRFSS is fixed.
We feel it is simply a diversionary tactic by NMFS to further drive a wedge between the fishing sectors.
MRFSS
The FRA has been appointed to the National panel that will hopefully repair the MRFSS system and give us an accurate picture of who is catching what.
This is big news!!
GOLIATH GROUPER
Goliath grouper has been one of the most hotly debated topics in many years.
Due to public outcry from various sectors, the Florida Wildlife Commission voted last year to move forward with a limited scientific harvest in order to study the feasibility and impact of such a harvest.
The State has asked for the FRA’s help in obtaining this much needed data.
There has been much confusion about this as some FRA members are already involved in a tagging study on Goliath grouper.
The FRA board of directors wishes to clarify that NO FRA monetary resources are being used on this project and nothing is being taken away from other battles on any other front.
This project is going forward with or without the FRA’s input.
The FRA asks; Who is better to help collect data than the people who interact with these animals on a regular basis??
RED SNAPPER
Red snapper has been in a quagmire for nearly twenty years. The FRA has strongly opposed much of the current management measures through public testimony, letters, and meetings with elected/ public officials.
The FRA feels that the Red Snapper stock assessment does not accurately characterize the red snapper stock.
Data from the Eastern Gulf as well as the thousands of oil rigs that dot the Gulf have not been used for these assessments’.
The FRA, along with other groups has asked the Council to split the Gulf into two separate, management areas for Red Snapper. The Council is seriously looking into this proposal.
Again, this is good news!!
We will continue our claim that the real problem with Red Snapper lies in the fishing gear that kills 80-90 percent of the juvenile Red snapper: bottom trawl shrimping gear.
These are just some of the battles the FRA is fighting for you.
We continue to question the value of MPA’s as a management tool.
We continue to work for and support artificial reef building around the South-East United States.
We have been involved in the Mutton Snapper stock assessment and lobster symposiums this past year.
We continue to fight for fairness in fisheries management.
And, we continue fighting for our Fisheries and our Heritage of Fishing.
The FRA’s strength and numbers continue to grow. We are becoming more active in issues which affect the Atlantic coast as well as national issues which affect Fisherman around the Country.
In order for our influence to grow, we must grow.
If you are not a member, please join now at www.thefra.org
If you are a member, please, tell a friend to join the FRA today, and forward this email to every angler, diver and sportsman that you know.
Take a moment and figure out how much you spend per year at your tackle shop, marina, dive shop, marine supply outlet, etc. and let them know that this dollar figure will sharply decline if our fisheries managers continue to restrict recreational fishermen based on bad science and agenda driven politics. Get involved and get them involved!
http://www.gulfcouncil.org/
http://www.safmc.net/
Fishing Issues from the FRA.
Preserving and protecting our fisheries and our heritage of fishing.
F’ISSUES has a new set of authors. As keeping FRA members and supporters aware and informed of current events is the goal of the publication, each F’ISSUES will include links to the Gulf and South Atlantic Council web sites, which provide meeting minutes, current laws, upcoming meetings and proposed legislation.
GAG GROUPER
The issue on everyone’s mind right now is Gag grouper, a premier offshore fish for the Gulf and South Atlantic recreational anglers. As most of you are already aware, a second stock assessment was convened due to very questionable science during the first assessment.
The FRA was instrumental in this unprecedented move to perform this second assessment.
We are nearing the third and final phase of the second assessment and while some problems have been corrected, the FRA maintains that many mistakes are still occurring.
The FRA feels that one of the biggest problems is the discard mortality estimates being attributed to the recreational angler.
Much of the data that was used to determine this erroneously high discard mortality came from studies where sample fish were caught by commercial fisherman using high speed electric reels in water much deeper than the vast majority of recreational fisherman ever fish!
NMFS still pegs the number at 20% discard mortality while the FRA contends that the number is the same as, or less than, the agreed upon number for Red grouper which is 10% discard mortality.
If this and other problems with the second assessment continue and the assessment is ratified, then the Council will have no choice except to recommend drastic reductions in recreational take to NMFS.
AMBERJACK/TRIGGERFISH
AJ’s and triggerfish have both gone through stock assessments and both have been declared over fished. The FRA maintains that bad science is driving additional restrictions including an unprecedented preferred alternative on amberjack of lowering the bag limit to ONE fish for every two anglers! This could pave the way to future bag limits being based per boat instead of the current per person!
MRFSS data (which has been declared unreliable and unsuitable for management purposes by the Washington based National Academy of Science) is still being used heavily in these stock assessments.
In addition… excessively high discard mortality rates are again being blamed on recreational anglers.
RE-ALLOCATION
The FRA does not feel that reallocation should even be discussed until MRFSS is fixed.
We feel it is simply a diversionary tactic by NMFS to further drive a wedge between the fishing sectors.
MRFSS
The FRA has been appointed to the National panel that will hopefully repair the MRFSS system and give us an accurate picture of who is catching what.
This is big news!!
GOLIATH GROUPER
Goliath grouper has been one of the most hotly debated topics in many years.
Due to public outcry from various sectors, the Florida Wildlife Commission voted last year to move forward with a limited scientific harvest in order to study the feasibility and impact of such a harvest.
The State has asked for the FRA’s help in obtaining this much needed data.
There has been much confusion about this as some FRA members are already involved in a tagging study on Goliath grouper.
The FRA board of directors wishes to clarify that NO FRA monetary resources are being used on this project and nothing is being taken away from other battles on any other front.
This project is going forward with or without the FRA’s input.
The FRA asks; Who is better to help collect data than the people who interact with these animals on a regular basis??
RED SNAPPER
Red snapper has been in a quagmire for nearly twenty years. The FRA has strongly opposed much of the current management measures through public testimony, letters, and meetings with elected/ public officials.
The FRA feels that the Red Snapper stock assessment does not accurately characterize the red snapper stock.
Data from the Eastern Gulf as well as the thousands of oil rigs that dot the Gulf have not been used for these assessments’.
The FRA, along with other groups has asked the Council to split the Gulf into two separate, management areas for Red Snapper. The Council is seriously looking into this proposal.
Again, this is good news!!
We will continue our claim that the real problem with Red Snapper lies in the fishing gear that kills 80-90 percent of the juvenile Red snapper: bottom trawl shrimping gear.
These are just some of the battles the FRA is fighting for you.
We continue to question the value of MPA’s as a management tool.
We continue to work for and support artificial reef building around the South-East United States.
We have been involved in the Mutton Snapper stock assessment and lobster symposiums this past year.
We continue to fight for fairness in fisheries management.
And, we continue fighting for our Fisheries and our Heritage of Fishing.
The FRA’s strength and numbers continue to grow. We are becoming more active in issues which affect the Atlantic coast as well as national issues which affect Fisherman around the Country.
In order for our influence to grow, we must grow.
If you are not a member, please join now at www.thefra.org
If you are a member, please, tell a friend to join the FRA today, and forward this email to every angler, diver and sportsman that you know.
Take a moment and figure out how much you spend per year at your tackle shop, marina, dive shop, marine supply outlet, etc. and let them know that this dollar figure will sharply decline if our fisheries managers continue to restrict recreational fishermen based on bad science and agenda driven politics. Get involved and get them involved!
http://www.gulfcouncil.org/
http://www.safmc.net/