Fishing regulators voted today to restrict gag grouper fishing over objections!
http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2008/01/gag-grouper-fis.html

January 31, 2008
Gag grouper fishing to face quota
ST. PETERSBURG - Fishing regulators voted today to restrict off-shore gag grouper fishing despite objections from commercial and recreational anglers.

The tentative ruling will not be confirmed until the next quarterly meeting in April to allow time for public hearings and written comments. The rules would then be posted in the Federal Register for further comment. The earliest they would go into effect is late 2008, said Roy Crabtree, administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service's Southeast region.

The restrictions would close down recreational grouper fishing for three months in the winter, just when tourists arrive. Anglers would be limited to one gag per trip, and three grouper total. Commercial fisherman would face a quota on gag for the first time, with limits tight enough to shut down the entire grouper fleet every year by October or so -- forcing restaurants and consumers to rely on imports.

The restrictions are designed to reduce gag fish in the Gulf of Mexico by 45 percent. They apply to federal waters, which begin nine miles from shore, but the State of Florida typically matches such rules for inshore fishing as well.

Today's vote by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council comes one day after several hundred anglers, charter boat captains and marine supply store objected to the new restrictions.

Go here for more on the proposed restrictions and here for more on grouper, the Gulf of Mexico fish that is a something of an icon at Tampa Bay area restaurants.

-- Steve Nohlgren, Times staff writer

January 31, 2008 in Business | Permalink

well, that is that i guess...

this really suks for alot of people...:banghead::banghead:

It won't be over until April. It will be interesting to see what the Governors Office and Senators Nelson Office has to say.

Who knows maybe the state will not follow the normal progression and leave the limits the way they are. Can they do that?:pray:

It won't be over until April. It will be interesting to see what the Governors Office and Senators Nelson Office has to say.


Do we need to bombard nelsons office with letters?

Sent one this morning with my Post Council Meeting Inputs. I would send letters to both offices and mention that the peoples voice is being ignored and the message needs to come from our elected officials.:pissed:

Dec 16, 1773. Look it up....

http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/5600/5624/boston_tea_party_1_lg.gif

I am interested to see the FRA position on the latest news and where we go from here as an organization. I think the FRA will need a CASH infusion. Time to make some additional donations.

This just can't be. They practically killed our fishing industry over here, and now they're shutting down the rest of the Gulf. Seriously, on a perfect day over here when you should be seeing 50 boats heading out at dawn, you see two or three. Our last three trips I never counted more than six boats out at the rigs all day long.

Like everyone said, they had their minds made up before we showed up. The fight is not over...

Denny.....what can we do??????

Dec 16, 1773. Look it up....

http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/5600/5624/boston_tea_party_1_lg.gif


Count me in for the tea party.

Like everyone said, they had their minds made up before we showed up. The fight is not over...

Denny.....what can we do??????

they knew this last year what would happen this year..

The party has started!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

they knew this last year what would happen this year..


I think this just proves we need to do something to collect our own data to prove them wrong. I don't know how 10 people on a board who probably don't even know how to use a rod and reel, dive gear, or even start a boat can tell a bunch of people who are actually out there what the condition of the grouper stock is. I don't care if they do have 15 guys standing at boat ramps asking people how many fish they caught.

Tell me what I can do. I have a boat to take people out on. I have money I can donate to the cause. I have the scuba equipment to go down and count fish with. What can I do to help get an acurate assesment?

I think i'm going to target the pink mouth grunt population ! If they think we like it , they for sure will forget about grouper and jump on " Save the Pink Mouth's ".

For the record the below information was first posted on SB from Chad Carney. He should get all the credit for breaking this important story. It appears I used the title of his post and well.... I plagiarized. Hope Chad will forgive me.

and back to your regular scheduled programming.

I think the FRA will need a CASH infusion. Time to make some additional donations.

I just dropped them $100.

C'mon guys :bringiton:

For the record the below information was first posted on SB from Chad Carney. He should get all the credit for breaking this important story. It appears I used the title of his post and well.... I plagiarized. Hope Chad will forgive me.

and back to your regular scheduled programming.

I think Steve Nohlgren, the Times staff writer broke the news, not Chad.

I don't care much who broke it really but what was reported is most important.

FRA will get my donation in the morning since Friday is pay day.:toast:

This is a great oppotunity to be decisive. But I refuse. The important thing is now everyone should pull together and help the FRA.

A true travesty.........Pony up spearo's

For the record the below information was first posted on SB from Chad Carney. He should get all the credit for breaking this important story. It appears I used the title of his post and well.... I plagiarized. Hope Chad will forgive me.

and back to your regular scheduled programming.


Don't feel like you have to tell us that. Chad is responsible for plagarizing someone else's work just as much as you are. Just because he is allowed to write an article every so often for the St pete times does not mean he can copy/paste someone else's work from the same organization at will.

Personally, I wouldn't ask for his forgiveness, I would tell him to get over himself and focus on the issue at hand. Actually, I just did, since he is obviously lurking here.

Thanks for posting that story.

For the record the below information was first posted on SB from Chad Carney. He should get all the credit for breaking this important story. It appears I used the title of his post and well.... I plagiarized. Hope Chad will forgive me.

and back to your regular scheduled programming.

Don't worry about Chad Coney, he isn't the one who broke the story and as far as the title of his thread, he merely changed a few words in the beginning of the article for the title, it isn't like you plagiarized anything from the guy.

Only in his mind is he so great that anyone would bother to plagiarize anything from him.

For the record Chad and I got it straightened out. Cools heads prevailed and focus was put toward more important things.:smthumbup:

FOR THE RECORD>>>>>>> The Gulf council voted on the PREFERED ALTERNATIVE ONLY!! This WAS NOT the vote put these regulation into affect.

Back on track here, What is the next step, What can we do to fight this? How can we disprove thier findings? Or is all lost?

All is far from lost!!!! The FRA ALWAYS needs funding, write or Gov and legislature. Everyone needs to keep a cool head and get organized behind Denny!!!

I just got back from Lowes, I was wearing a Fishing T-shirt and oddly enough two people commented to me about fishing, I told them about the proposal, I am trying to get the word out, But up here in Liberal land I am cautious to who I confide in. There are a lot of Scientist/Environmentalist/Vegetarians around here. Don't want them to add more inertia to the other side. Where can we get a copy of the committees so called scientific findings?

Try the FRA website.

By the way, if you want to help out, one simple way would be to pay your 2008 FRA membership right now. It doesn't matter if you paid in October, pay it now for the new year and simply renew this time each year. Also, buy one of the remaining FRA calendars, we have a few left and need to move them before we get too late into the year. The remaining calendar revenue could provide funds for Denny to attend more meetings. I promised to help Denny with the membership renewals in 2008, but I am working 3 jobs right now and have not had the time to follow thru, many of you may have noticed my absence online for the past few months.

There are alot of meetings coming up that will require Denny's attendance. The council only voted on the preferred alternative, not to implement the change. This is now a scramble to be sure that Denny has the financial backing to be there and demand good science for the benefit of the fishery and the fishermen. Also, make sure all your dive buddies and H&L buddies do the same. www.thefra.org (http://www.thefra.org)

I think it is important to note that we have recieved numerous offers of support and volunteers in the past few days. Everything is appreciated, but now is the time to let us know what exactly you can do to help so we can assign tasks. We really need about 4 people to start working a call list and mailing list to get the FRA membership to renew early this year.

Contact me on pm or preferrably at howiesca@yahoo.com if you can help or would like to make a donation of cash or goods to the FRA. I will point you in the right direction. I can't tell you how much it means to recieve so much support for the FRA.

I still have about 15 FRA Calendars to sell at Aquatic Obsessions. I will pay for half of the $20 cost per Calendar for anyone who picks one up by next Friday or as long as they last.
That's only $10 cost per Calendar for anyone who want's to help out the FRA.
Come on, this is a no brainer - lets put $300 Calendar bucks in the FRA's account NOW!
Capt. Bill

Thanks Bill, the first 15 people that go to AO on Central Ave in St. Pete get a $20 FRA calendar for $10. Don't forget to thank Bill for his part in helping fund the calendar printing.

I just dropped them $100.

C'mon guys :bringiton:

I matched NSEARCH donation this morning $100.

Who's next?

JOIN THE FRA TODAY!
http://www.thefra.org/joinfra.htm