Tag Archives: Recreational fishermen
Anglers seek trawler buffer zone as Atlantic herring stock declines
Recreational fishermen in New England say commercial trawlers are threatening the survival of smaller businesses relying on a healthy stock of Atlantic herring. Rich Hittinger, first vice president of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association, said years of overfishing depleted the population and continue to have negative effects on the ocean ecosystem. “The predator fish, like the striped bass, they’re scrounging for anything that they can eat,” Hittinger observed. “And we often see fish that are long and thin because they’re really not getting sufficient nutrition.” Hittinger noted anglers want the New England Fishery Management Council to reestablish a 12-mile offshore buffer zone to force large commercial trawlers out to sea and reduce conflicts with businesses closer to shore. The council is accepting public comments through April. more, >>click to read<< 06:27
Rep. Andy Harris hosts anti-wind hearing in Ocean City ahead of final authorization of US WIND project
US Representative Andy Harris hosted a hearing in Ocean City Saturday to push back against efforts from US WIND to develop offshore wind power off the coast of Ocean City. Rep. Harris tells 47ABC he is opposed to projects proposed both by Orsted and US WIND, but the event focused on the US WIND plan that is in its final approval stage from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). “Once you you drive these out, the pilings and you put these windmills up, they’re going to be there a long time,”Rep. Harris said. Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan says they do not support it the measure moving forward, citing damage to their local industries. “You have the concerns of the commercial fishermen, the recreational fishermen, the environment, environmentalists, there are so many there are so many more questions than answers,” Meehan said. more, >>click to read<< 19:43
President-elect Joe Biden has chosen Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo as his commerce secretary
The Biden transition team announced the president-elect’s choice of Raimondo for this key economic position Thursday night. The agency has a critical role in everything from technology policy to climate change to promoting American industry. Beyond that, the statement said she has “worked to quickly bring the state economy back from the depths” of the pandemic; “expanded clean energy jobs and put Rhode Island on a path to achieving 100% renewable energy.” >click to read< 10:40
New Jersey Offshore wind developer is hosting a webinar for recreational fishermen this coming Wednesday. The purpose of the meeting is to get feedback from recreational fishermen. The group has brought on for-hire vessel operator Captain Adam Nowalsky as the recreational fisheries representative and liaison. >click to read<
With Coronavirus pandemic ravaging our country, temporary relaxation of fishery regulations is urged to help fishing industry
Thanks to our Senators and Congressmen who worked to get specific aid to the fishing industry, that has been hit particularly hard by the closure of restaurants, where 70 per cent of seafood in this country is consumed. Fishermen and wholesalers have had to adapt on the fly and find other ways to market their product to various degrees of success. The closure of so many vital aspects of our domestic economy will have effects that will still be felt a long time after the Virus is tamed.,, I am requesting that NMFS immediately contact the various management councils and commissions to request that special meetings [webinars] of fishery advisory panels be held to discuss the pro’s and cons of this idea, and what fisheries could benefit.,,, By Jim Lovgren. >click to read< 20:48
Ban on commercial striper fishing weighed
Stripers were pushed to the brink of extinction in the late-1970s but made a dramatic comeback. Now recreational anglers say the coveted fish again is struggling, and they’re lobbying Beacon Hill to implement new limits that include making the fish off-limits to commercial fishermen. One proposal, filed Rep. Walter Timilty, D-Milton, would limit commercial licenses to fishermen who can demonstrate they’ve caught and sold more than 1,000 pounds of striped bass annually over the last five years. Another proposal, offered by Rep. Thomas Stanley, D-Waltham, would phase out commercial fishing for striped bass by 2025 and establish fines up to $500 per fish for violators of new regulations. click here to read the story 19:29
Recreational Fishermen caught with nearly 300 more black sea bass than allowed
On just the second day of the black sea bass fishing season, two boats of fishermen were caught by harbormasters with nearly 300 more of the black sea bass than allowed in the recreational limit. The Wareham Harbormaster Department alerted the Massachusetts Environmental Police to the two boats on Sunday at the Tempest Knob Public boat ramp. When officers inspected the first boat, which had four people aboard, they found multiple coolers that contained 225 more black sea bass than the recreational limit allows, Environmental Police said. Fifty-nine of those fish were smaller than the 15-inch limit. That boat also had 98 more scup than legal possession limit, as well as two undersized tautog and one 17-inch striped bass. Click here to read the story 17:25
Poor season drives a black market for crabs in Qld
Poor weather over summer has resulted in a lucrative black market for the sale of mud crabs in Queensland. Recreational fishermen have been caught taking to websites such as Facebook, eBay and Gumtree to illegally sell mud crabs for up to $50 to try to reap the benefits of a poor crabbing season. It comes as the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol was preparing for a busy long weekend as thousands of people were taking to the water over the Easter break. Fishers and crabbers have also been found resorting to illegal activities such as keeping undersized and female mud crabs after a dry summer saw fewer mud crabs being caught in Queensland’s waterways. Earlier this year, a man was fined $3100 after pleading guilty to five crab-related offences, click here to continue reading 13:24
Party boat captains irate over summer flounder cuts
Few things are causing more ire among recreational fishermen than the summer flounder cuts. Some party boat captains have called it “nail in the coffin” measures that are being taken by fishery management that starts from the top down with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “It seems that every time we make a sacrifice there ends up being less boats on the water. It seems like they want us off the water,” said Gambler party boat owner and captain Bob Bogan. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is recommending a 3.77 million pound recreational harvest limit for 2017. That’s down from 5.42 million in 2016. Read the story here 18:32
Recreational fishermen can target cod starting Monday
As of Monday, recreational anglers will get a chance to reacquaint themselves with the much-coveted Gulf of Maine cod when federal fishing restrictions for the species are lifted until the end of September. The bag limit for the iconic species, whose stock NOAA Fisheries maintains is in freefall, will be one cod per fisherman per day. (Anglers are mentioning the huge numbers of cod they have to throw back.) The anglers’ comments are representative of the overall narrative of local fishermen — commercial, recreational and lobstermen — who continue to insist they are seeing far more cod in the water than the scientists at NOAA Fisheries say are there. It is a disconnect that, in many ways, has come to define the plight of the commercial fishing industry and its lack of trust in the science that comes out of NOAA Fisheries. They hear one thing in the stock assessments. They see another with their eyes when they’re out on the water. Read the story here 09:16
Three recreational fishermen arrested for fin clipping violations in Rhode Island
Three men have been charged under new laws crafted to prevent the illegal sale and harvest of Atlantic striped bass in local waters, the state Department of Environmental Management announced on Friday. Authorities said Chad W. Braga, 31, of Swansea, MA, Brandon DeFaria, 34, of Rehoboth, MA and Michael A. Saviano, 35, of Warren, RI, were arrested for fin clipping violations and found to be in possession of bass that had not been clipped.The regulations require recreational fishers to clip the right pectoral fin of striped bass 34 inches or larger when caught. Fish dealers cannot trade in fish without the fin. The idea is to prevent fish caught recreationally being sold in the commercial market to bypass catch limits and fishery restrictions. Read the rest here 08:39
Not Counting Fish – MARCO report woefully lacking info from recreational fishermen
MARCO stands for Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean, and it was created to provide information on all the various uses as well as all the animal and mineral concentrations in the ocean off the Mid-Atlantic coast. Similar councils have been formed to investigate the same things all along the coast of the United States. President Barack Obama issued an executive order asking for this information so future ocean planners can make informed decisions before issuing permits to build windmill farms, or perform ocean mining or oil and gas exploration. These councils are the result of that order. Read the rest here 08:36
RECREATIONAL DATA TAKEN HOSTAGE BY GULF SNAPPER ANGLERS
If you pay any attention to fishery management issues (and if you’re reading this blog, it’s pretty clear that you do), you know that one of the most contentious issues, which comes up year after year, is the estimate of recreational landings. Commercial landings are pretty easy to measure, because commercial fishermen, as well as the processors and packing houses that purchase their products, are generally required to report such landings on a timely basis. To be sure, there are holes in the process. But when it comes to recreational landings, it’s not that easy. There are thousands of commercial fishermen on the coast; there are millions of anglers. Read the post here 14:10
Net Effect: A different tack, and Campbell: Fishing regulations
Our new WRAL documentary takes a different tack. It’s the result of a growing chorus of recreational fishermen, associated organizations and environmental groups that have raised legitimate concerns about certain commercial fishing practices. They practically beat down our door, giving us information, showing us data and offering up experts to interview. Their concerns are backed up by a number of state officials, including a scientist. Read the rest here – Campbell: Fishing regulations: After publishing my column about this topic in September, a coastal newspaper that had long printed my offerings immediately said they would no longer publish me. Read the rest here 09:49 Macaluso: Recreational anglers demonized by Commercial Fishermen in GMFMC hearing
After listening to the testimony during Wednesday afternoon’s Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s public comment period, it’s clear, when it comes to red snapper, commercial fishing interests are determined to demonize recreational fishermen. Commercial fishermen talk about how a certain fishing segment “steals” fish from them, and there’s no veiling their comments that the “segment” refers to recreational fishermen. Read the rest here 07:49
Macaluso: Will new Congress take stance?
Unless and until Congress changes the Magnuson-Stevens Fish Conservation and Management Act, the federal mandate with a long name, Gulf of Mexico recreational fishermen will continue to have their pockets picked. That’s because when it comes to the management tactics and schemes, recreational fishermen have suffered far more than the commercial side. Read the rest here 09:56
The Lie’s and Deciept of the Florida Propaganda Machine – Did 1994 gill-net vote mislead?
The question now is whether the people were duped into voting for the ban in November 1994 by a sophisticated propaganda campaign that included misrepresentation and reporters for major newspapers who were paid employees of the man behind the ban — two decades later, net-ban proponents continue to use questionable tactics to counter any challenges to the net ban. Unbelievable! Read the rest here 22:05
Cod prohobition imperils deep-sea fishing charter businesses
Gibson said the ban on cod possession probably will remain for two years and could last a generation if cod stocks don’t recover. In recent years, a ban on cod possession lasted only a few months. During those months, business dropped by half, said Tim Tower, who runs Bunny Clark Deep Sea Fishing in Ogunquit. “They said, ‘We won’t be going out fishing again until we can keep cod,’” Tower said. Read more here 22:52
The “New” Gulf of Maine Fish War – Local fishermen fight ‘ridiculous’ recreational ban
Recreational and charter boats are essentially banned from fishing due to this, and local fishermen believe this decision is flawed because they say they have data that indicates the commercial fishermen are the ones doing more harm to fish populations. Read the rest here photo, eastmans.com 13:22
Summer flounder ‘scoping’ meeting a new twist for fishermen
Last week was the first summer flounder (fluke) “scoping” meeting for me and many others. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), both responsible for managing summer flounder in our State, held a summer flounder scoping meeting. Read the rest here
South Mississippi’s recreational and charter fishermen want more snapper
BILOXI — If South Mississippi recreational fishermen and charter boat operators had their way, they would get a larger share of the red snapper quota. That was the message of voting Tuesday night at the Red Snapper Summit put on by the state Department of Marine Resources. Read more here 13:32
VAN ZANT: Commercial squid season brings issues
Good news! As of April 1 the commercial squid season is underway. Many recreational fishermen question why that is good news. Personally I have always thought the commercial guys took too many of our fish from the ocean and left we local anglers with much fewer in the bag than we deserve. continued
