EEZ meeting in Portsmouth Nov 5

[kwakr]

FYI

From Stripers Forever - for those that have not heard of this, a public hearing on the proposed opening of the EEZ is scheduled as follows: STRIPED BASS PUBLIC HEARING - NOVEMBER 5 - URBAN FORESTRY CTR., 45 ELWYN RD., PORTSMOUTH, NH - 7:00 PM
we hope that you will go to this hearing and voice your opposition to this measure. How can anyone think that striped bass need an increased source of harvesting pressure?

Stripers Forever

[flatts1]

A closed EEZ is closed to both commercial fishermen as well as recreational fishermen.

A closed EEZ will do nothing to remove pressure from the resource. Dead striped bass are still dead striped bass whether they are taken from within 3 miles of the coast or beyond.

I hope that someone from Stripers Forever will explain this in at least one of the upcomming EEZ hearings.

Although I don't expect them to.

In the time since SF has been formed, I have yet to see anyone from this group represent this organization in any capacity at any striped bass hearing - at least in Massachusetts. That's pretty sad when you consider all of the criticism that Stripers Forever has directed toward the Mass DMF and yet they don't have the courage to actually show up at public heaings to express their concerns face to face with those who write the regs. Rather, they offer nothing but pot-shots with misleading emails.

Doesn't SF have any members in Massachusetts who are willing to describe themselves as such in public and go on record as supporting and explaining what Stripers Forever advocates?

Even CCA has enough faith in their convictions to at least show up and make a statement. I often disagree with their message but at least I can respect them for taking the time to get involved where it really matters - at public hearings where folks can scrutinize positions face to face with those who are advocating them.

Then again, Stripers Forever is free and I suppose its members are getting what they are paying for.

Folks, before you send any donations to Stripers Forever, ask yourself, what does this group actually do other than maintain a website (at a cost of $4000 which is a rip off) and send emails filled with misinformation?

I suggest to anyone truely interested in what is best for the striped bass resource that you get informed by actually attending one of the upcomming hearings. You will learn more information there than in any post on any internet website.

Then decide for yourself if commercial fishermen are the single greatest threat facing striped bass today. I think you will be surprised.

The remaining EEZ hearing schedule follows. I hope to see you in Bourne this Monday.

Best,
Mike Flaherty
Quincy, MA

----

Tuesday, December 2, 2003 - Old Lyme, CT, 7-9 p.m.
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Marine Headquarters
Boating Education Building
333 Ferry Road
Old Lyme, CT 06371

Monday, December 8, 2003 - Portland, ME, 7-9 p.m.
Holiday Inn By The Bay
88 Spring Street
Portland, ME 04101

Tuesday, December 9, 2003- Bourne, MA, 7-10 p.m.
Canal Club
100 Trowbridge Road
Bourne, MA 02532

Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - Narragansett, RI, 7-9 p.m.
University of Rhode Island, Bay Campus
Corless Auditorium
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, RI

[kwakr]

Mike

I want to ask you straight out: Do you have (or have you had) a commercial permit to fish for striped bass in Massachusetts?
Because, if you don't, you are the only purely recreational fisherman I have heard of who favors reopening the EEZ.
Because I think you are a straight shooter, I expect you will give a clear, non-evasive answer.

[flatts1]

I do not hold a commercial fishing license for any species of fish.

I have never held a commercial fishing license for any species of fish.

I have never sold any species of fish not do I plan to.

When you read my critisism of groups like Stripers Forever, I write it because it frustrates me to see folks spend so much energy on issues that are politicaly motivated and do so very little to benefit the resource. Sure SF would have you believe that they "only" want to end commercial fishing of striped bass. However, a closed EEZ is a closed to both recreational fishermen and commercial fishermen. What else will this group advocate that will impact me as a recreational fisherman?

I understand that this site frowns on posting links to other websites so I am going to post some content here that I posted on another site but I don't have time to edit it so forgive me if it may be a bit out of context.

Also, I am not speaking for Onshore, but I think he is another solely recreational angler who wishes to see the EEZ opened. Though, I could be wrong. I think Onshore and I both look at this issue with an open mind that is not blinded by an agenda. It would behoove others to do so as well.

I want to see fisheries managment based on the best available science and not fear/politics.

====

Bruce,

As you are probably aware, I have written a letter to NMFS on this matter some time ago. It can be found at...

{link removed per site guidlines}

With regard to your questions, here is some food for thought. However, keep in mind that I am only familiar with how the regs work in Mass.

We often here from those opposed to opening the EEZ (mostly just stripersforever and CCA) that it will lead to more commercial fishing and that netters in the EEZ will lie and claim that they caught their fish by hook and line.

First of all, commerical striped bass fishing is bound by a very hard quota in Massachusetts. If it is exceeded one year, the overage is subtracted from next year's quota. So in other words, opening the EEZ is a conservation nuetral measure.

Secondly, it is pretty much common knowledge that large amounts of striped bass are caught all the time in the EEZ as bycatch while fishermen are targeting other species (cod, haddock, etc). Since it is currently illegal to catch these fish in the EEZ, they are released belly up along with overages of the netter's targeted species (a total waste by any measure). Now, at least in Massachusetts, it is illegal to fish for striped bass by any other means than rod/reel. The following is an excerpt of a letter from MA DMF Director Paul Diodati that he sent to ASMFC regarding Amendment 6 that explains this...

Mr. Diodati wrote:
Massachusetts allows only striped bass by hook and line and prohibits the landing of any striped bass taken by a vessel rigged for netting or with longlines aboard.

So the bottom line is that commercial netters are still not allowed to take stripers in the EEZ and they would risk losing their license if they did .

OK, now for a moment let's buy into the rhetoric made by stripersforever, and their kind, that commercial fishermen are essentially the root of all evil and that netters will indeed take striped bass in the EEZ. I would argue that this would actually offer some conservation benefit to the striped bass resource.

Allow me to explain. As I said, large numbers of striped bass are released dead right now as unintended bycatch. That also means that they are unaccounted for. Now let's say that these fish sold instead of discarded. These striped bass would then fall under the commercial quota for the season which, as I said, is very finite (~1 million pounds). As a result, the commercial quota would be reached much sooner and the commercial fishery would be shut down in no time at all.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating that netters should be allowed to take stripers at all. For one thing, it would drop the market price even further for folks who are commercial fishing legally and traditionally with a rod/reel. I'm just saying that as far as the striped bass resource is concerned, don't buy into all of the doom and gloom. A closed EEZ is closed to recreational fishermen as well as commercial fishermen.

I know that it is blasphemy in many recreational circles to say the following but I believe that there is and always has been plenty of room in the striped bass fishery for both recreational and commercial fishermen.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not calling for more commercial quota but if recreational fishermen can take a reasonable number of fish (currently 2/day) and that figure does not exceed the target F rate (.30), then I have no problem with commercial folks harvesting the difference. That's what sustainable fisheries are all about. Of course that goes both ways too though. In other words, if more recreational fishermen enter the fishery which results in a F rate that approaches the target rate, then I say commercial folks should still get the difference but it will of course be lessened.

The way I look at it, recreational fishing encompases EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO FISH, whereas commercial fishermen encompasses EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO SELL FISH. With regard to striped bass, I think there is room for everyone so long as "the public has first crack at the resource", as a local outdoor writer, Ed Nowak, puts it. By the public, I (and Mr. Nowak) am referring to those who are willing and able to go fishing and who may or may not take some home. Even when the commercial striped bass season closes, there is nothing that stops the same fishermen from enjoying a day out striped bass fishing - or even running a charter service for others to do so.

Later,
Mike Flaherty
Quincy, MA

[flatts1]

The link to my letter to NMFS (in support of opening the EEZ) that I removed above may also be found on RT at the following link {scroll down a little after clicking}...

http://reel-time.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=32811

Mike