Time to Comment on EEZ Extended - Plus a few articles

[Mark Cahill]

From NY POST (http://www.nypost.com/sports/2712.htm)

Newark Star-Ledger (http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/1062307871208940.xml)

New Bern Star Journal (http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/1062307871208940.xml)

[Onshore]

Stripers Forever was kind enough to send out a reminder yesterday that NMFS has extended the time to comment on opening the EEZ for Striped Bass Fishing. I have taken advantage of that time and sent the following letter requesting that it be re-opened. I urge everyone else to do the same.

September 9, 2003

National Marine Fisheries Service
Att: Ann Lange, Chief
State-Federal Fisheries Division
1315 East-West Highway, Room 13317
Silver Springs, MD 20910

Re: ASMFC Request to Open EEZ

Dear Ms. Lange:

I am in favor of NMFS re-opening the EEZ for Striped Bass Fishing.

I have fished for Striped Bass since the late 1940’s. Before the moratorium on fishing for the species, it was a common practice for fishermen to take stripers in the EEZ. That occurred most notably on Stellwagen Bank and the Nantucket Shoals areas in Massachusetts, but also offshore in other states.

When the EEZ was closed it was not done for any scientific reason. It was done as part of a coastwise moratorium on taking the species. Now, the species is restored to numbers that none of us have ever experienced in past years.

As in the past, there has been no scientific reason advanced for keeping the EEZ closed to angling for Striped Bass. Therefore, I would hope that NMFS would accede to the wishes of the ASMFC and re-open the EEZ for Striped Bass fishing. Reopen that historic and traditional area off our coastline for fishing.




William D. Hubbard

[kwakr]

I'll take a 180 to Bill's position and encourage thinking recreationals to oppose the reopening of the EEZ. The time has come to end the commercial harvest of stripers, not to spread it over a wider area. The state representatives to the ASMFC actually voted against opening the EEZ. The deciding votes were cast by the NMFS and USF & W chairs, as Bill well knows.
Just as there may have been no overwhelming scientific evidence to close the EEZ to striper fishing, there is none to justify reopening it.
I think the arguments against reopening advanced by CCA and Stripers Forever are persuasive.

[Onshore]

Opening the EEZ will be of more benefit to and is supported by more recreatonal and charterboat fishermen than it is by commercials fishermen.

Why should we not be able to access an area we fished for years before the moratorium ?

[kwakr]

Bill
Where does that information come from? And does that mean that two recreational/charter boat captains have expressed support vs one commercial operator? I know that NMFS and the ASMFC can't count fish very well, but who's the source of the support you quote?
As to why not fish where we did prior to the moratorium, maybe fishing there was one of the causes for needing the moratorium in the first place.

[Onshore]

Originally posted by kwakr
Bill
Where does that information come from? And does that mean that two recreational/charter boat captains have expressed support vs one commercial operator? I know that NMFS and the ASMFC can't count fish very well, but who's the source of the support you quote?
As to why not fish where we did prior to the moratorium, maybe fishing there was one of the causes for needing the moratorium in the first place.

I know of many charter captains in Gloucester, Rye, NH and the Cape who support opening the EEZ and the same is true of many private recreational boat operators.

I think we all know what caused the need for the moratorium. There was overfishing by everyone on the coast coupled with heavy pollution causing unsuccessfuly spawning for a number of years in a row in the Chesapeake.

Most Rec. fishermen didn't even know what the EEZ was back then unless they were fishing it.

BH

[kwakr]

So what you're saying is that you are the source of the information. That's comforting indeed.
And, I repeat my previous point that perhaps the EEZ being open for fishing years ago was one of the reasons we needed the moratorium.
As for your point that most fishermen didn't know what the EEZ was, so what? They know now.

[Onshore]

I can see no point in prolonging this back and forth between us. No one else seems to be interested enough to comment. We'll see what NMFS does.

[kwakr]

Ah c'mon. We were just getting warmed up!:)

[jmccall]

I have never met a recreational fishermen who supports this idea. The only people I know who think think this is a good idea are guys who sell every fish they catch, and I refuse to consider them recreational fishermen

[CMP]

Mr. Hubbard is 100% correct. There is not now, nor was there EVER any biological or fisheries-related justification for closing the EEZ-NONE. NMFS and ASMFC will do the right thing and pressure will be less concentrated than it has been since the ban was enacted. Keep up the good work, Bill...

CMP