ASFMC Striped Bass Addendum for Public Comment

[Roccus7]

Here it is: http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/StripedBassDraftAddVI_PublicComment_Aug2019.pdf

 

[george]

"The current recreational striped bass management program uses bag limits and size limits to limit the number of fish that are harvested. However, these measures are not designed to reduce fishing effort and subsequent release mortality. While the proposed measures herein result in lower overall removals, the majority of them also increase dead releases. In order to address dead releases, effort controls that are better designed to reduce the number of fishing trips that encounter striped bass should be considered "

This is a scary document for recreational anglers that enjoy fishing for striped bass. The first thing they want to do is reduce fishing time.

There's a lot here so I'll comment as I go over the next few weeks.

 

[george]

It's a flip of the coin:

Projecting Harvest Reductions to Achieve the Fishing Mortality Target The PDT used the same forward projecting methodology that was used in the 2018 benchmark assessment to estimate the removals needed to achieve F target (0.20) in 2020 with a 50% probability

Can't we do better than this?

 

[george]

Note for all commercial fishery quota options: quotas are allocated on a fishing year basis. In the event a jurisdiction exceeds its allocation, any overage of its annual quota will be deducted from the state’s allowable quota in the following year. None of the scenarios propose changes to existing commercial size limits or the quota transfer provision.

Note for all recreational fishery options: the options herein are designed to reduce harvest and total removals; they are not designed to address effort, and in effect, release mortality. The proposed measures are projected to increase releases because effort is assumed to be constant (i.e., the same level of fishing trips encountering striped bass in 2016 and 2017 will occur in . . .

If the fishery is being overfished why are rec anglers the only ones to take a reduction? We were all fishing the required regs, and it landed on tails. I get that we're taking most of the fish, but that's the point is we should all be taking the same hit. And while I'm not yet familiar with the quota transfer, it sure doesn't sound good.

 

[george]

I'd like to throw in here, I'm resource first, but I don't think we should be taken advantage of. The truth is if we threw back every fish they'd find a way to add it to the com quota, just as we're doing with bluefish.

 

[Roccus7]

"The current recreational striped bass management program uses bag limits and size limits to limit the number of fish that are harvested. However, these measures are not designed to reduce fishing effort and subsequent release mortality. While the proposed measures herein result in lower overall removals, the majority of them also increase dead releases. In order to address dead releases, effort controls that are better designed to reduce the number of fishing trips that encounter striped bass should be considered "

This is a scary document for recreational anglers that enjoy fishing for striped bass. The first thing they want to do is reduce fishing time.

There's a lot here so I'll comment as I go over the next few weeks.

Note for all commercial fishery quota options: quotas are allocated on a fishing year basis. In the event a jurisdiction exceeds its allocation, any overage of its annual quota will be deducted from the state’s allowable quota in the following year. None of the scenarios propose changes to existing commercial size limits or the quota transfer provision.

Note for all recreational fishery options: the options herein are designed to reduce harvest and total removals; they are not designed to address effort, and in effect, release mortality. The proposed measures are projected to increase releases because effort is assumed to be constant (i.e., the same level of fishing trips encountering striped bass in 2016 and 2017 will occur in . . .

If the fishery is being overfished why are rec anglers the only ones to take a reduction? We were all fishing the required regs, and it landed on tails. I get that we're taking most of the fish, but that's the point is we should all be taking the same hit. And while I'm not yet familiar with the quota transfer, it sure doesn't sound good.

I'd like to throw in here, I'm resource first, but I don't think we should be taken advantage of. The truth is if we threw back every fish they'd find a way to add it to the com quota, just as we're doing with bluefish.

Was waiting for you to chime in. The 50% probability of success really frosts me too. It's totally a CYA move by the councils since a Judge said that's the minimum that has to be done. "Hey we did the minimum". Truly sad...

I can't wait to see how states will "reduce the number" of bass fishing trips. I'm sure the Montauk 6-pack crew will really embrace that one. Bass are the ONLY inshore game in town up here, unless they are going to try to convince us that mackerel are a prime inshore target. I've got no worries, since I've caught mackerel on poppers up here I can always say I was targeting mackerel...

 

[george]

Was waiting for you to chime in. The 50% probability of success really frosts me too. It's totally a CYA move by the councils since a Judge said that's the minimum that has to be done. "Hey we did the minimum". Truly sad...

I can't wait to see how states will "reduce the number" of bass fishing trips. I'm sure the Montauk 6-pack crew will really embrace that one. Bass are the ONLY inshore game in town up here, unless they are going to try to convince us that mackerel are a prime inshore target. I've got no worries, since I've caught mackerel on poppers up here I can always say I was targeting mackerel...

This one is kind of a killer. The last thing I want to see is fewer people fishing in the NY marine district. Striped bass have helped us introduce new anglers to the sport over the past few decades. These are educated anglers that for the most part, truly care about the health of the fishery. A reduction in take is one thing, but a reduction in actual fishing participation is another. And while there is no sense in arguing the numbers, that mortality rate on releases they're using is just too vast and vague. We did a study in NY conditions decades ago and it showed virtually every fish 28-inches and under survived yet they're claiming we're killing half the quota on releases.

Common sense, something not found often in fisheries management, is that there simply can't be one blanket number when it comes to release mortality. Does anyone believe that fish are stressed the same throughout the season, or does it seem obvious that warmer water is more stressful? In the days ahead I'm going to look further into this to see exactly what studies they're basing it on. This is by far the biggest challenge.