quote:
Originally posted by empty pockets 2reducing new permits say 2017 year would make prices more stable and actually increase trips instead of reducing which people seeing now
Are you joking with us? Everything the government regulates has serious cost increases! Less competition will drastically raise prices!
Time is running out to stop efforts to limit the number of charter and head boats – the first step toward for-hire catch shares!
This Wednesday, June 13th, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will again consider snapper-grouper for-hire limited entry at its meeting in Ponte Vedra, Florida, so it’s important to tell the SAFMC that you oppose limited entry as soon as possible.
Please click here today to submit a comment – just a sentence or two will do:
https://safmc.wufoo.com/forms/qh32oi91u5utom/
Many thanks to all who have already submitted comments!
Tom Swatzel
Executive Director
Council for Sustainable Fishing
www.Sustainablefishing.org
This one is very important! Back to the top!
Our thanks to Rep. Hewitt for his efforts on behalf of fishermen.
Tom Swatzel
Executive Director
Council for Sustainable Fishing
www.Sustainablefishing.org
Tom , I just visited the SAFMC site and could only find 3 posted comments - Can you post a link to this? Also, has the response against the proposal been substantial?
Thanks for your efforts
Carl
www.no-miss.com
Carl, thanks for your efforts!
Here’s the link to the SAFMC comment form:
https://safmc.wufoo.com/forms/qh32oi91u5utom/
Comments opposing for-hire limited entry need to be submitted ASAP.
Here’s the link to view the comments that have already been submitted:
https://safmc.wufoo.com/reports/safmc-june-2017-council-meeting-public-comments/
Of all the comments on limited entry, so far only one has been in favor.
Hope this is the information you were looking for.
Tom Swatzel
Executive Director
Council for Sustainable Fishing
www.Sustainablefishing.org
Read the comments. 99.9% are against this. Time is running out . Protect your rights now!
Apparently our comments mean NOTHING to the council. The latest news is that they have decided to draft an amendment to restrict for hire -charter grouper snapper licenses. An out of control federal agency stripping away our rights.
To bad the Loudmouth in Charge is so caught up bailing his ass out of the mess he’s created he hasn’t had time to get Obama appointees out of places like NOAA, etc. He’s (**() sure not helping us.
Since December, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has gotten 246 on the record comments opposing limiting the number of charter and head boat permits and just 5 comments in favor.
Yet last week the SAFMC voted 9 to 3 to move forward with for-hire limited entry in the snapper-grouper fishery. This despite the overwhelming opposition and no scientific justification: there has been a 40 percent plunge in for-hire fishing effort since 2007 and no growth in for-hire permits.
This is a disappointing vote that will start the process of picking winners and losers in the for-hire fishery, and could set up a “stock market” for permits and a step toward for-hire catch shares. We’ll remain vigilant in fighting against limited entry.
Tom Swatzel
Executive Director
Council for Sustainable Fishing
www.Sustainablefishing.org
Where are we with the closure of the Georgetown Hole to bottom fishing? Is this motion still waiting on the Sec of Commerce to sign or has this already been pushed through?
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs
Snapper-Grouper Amendment 36, which will establish deep-water Spawning Special Management Zones, which includes about a 3 sq. miles area of the Georgetown Hole, is in the last stages of Dept. of Commerce approval.
Tom Swatzel
Executive Director
Council for Sustainable Fishing
www.Sustainablefishing.org
Tom, I apologize for hijacking this thread but one last question. Is there any hope in teaming up with FL, GA, NC to put pressure on the Sec of Commerce to allow weekend seasons for the rec crowd as was done in the Gulf States? There is obviously a larger political backing down there and NOAA used the extended season to bring the sates back in line with the Federal regulations, just wondering what it would take to get that pushed through here. We may not have the right environment to make it happen.
I would also like to know exactly what they see as an issue with the red snapper fishery. Is it that the numbers are there but the stratification of age across the population is skewed? And these fish are slow growing and need 27 years to recover? If our discards exceed their allowable take numbers does that mean they consider this fishery still in decline? There seems to be no transparency as to how they think their efforts are helping, what they are doing to manage the recovery efforts accurately and an estimated timeline as to when the stocks will recover.
Also, in your personal/professional opinion as someone who works very closely with this group, are they legitimately attempting to manage a fishery to the best of their ability or is this a set-up down the road to become a revenue source with catch-share allotments and a “tag system”?
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs
Is there any hope in teaming up with FL, GA, NC to put pressure on the Sec of Commerce to allow weekend seasons for the rec crowd as was done in the Gulf States?
I don’t think there is any hope for any opening of the red snapper fishery this year, but there is for 2018.
I would also like to know exactly what they see as an issue with the red snapper fishery. Is it that the numbers are there but the stratification of age across the population is skewed? And these fish are slow growing and need 27 years to recover? If our discards exceed their allowable take numbers does that mean they consider this fishery still in decline?
The problem right now is the inability to come up with landings and discards that are reasonably accurate to be able to set an ACL. John Carmichael, SAFMC Deputy Executive Director for Science & Statistics, made a presentation to the council last week that pointed out the 2016 estimate of discards and landings totaled 86 percent of the estimated total red snapper population, an incredibly high number. That is five times higher than estimated in the latest stock assessment. Here’s a link to the presentation:
Also, in your personal/professional opinion as someone who works very closely with this group, are they legitimately attempting to manage a fishery to the best of their ability or is this a set-up down the road to become a revenue source with catch-share allotments and a “tag system”?
I think the SAFMC is committed to responsibly managing the red snapper fishery. I think they get side tracked on management issues that have no bearing on sustainability like limited entry and catch shares because there are some members who strongly push that stuff.
Hope this helps.
Tom Swatzel
Executive Director
Council for Sustainable Fishing
www.Sustainablefishing.org
quote:
Originally posted by CFSFpointed out the 2016 estimate of discards and landings totaled 86 percent of the estimated total red snapper population, an incredibly high number.
I think common sense should tell them that their stock assessments are fatally flawed if they truly believe that fishermen caught 86% of the entire population last year. Unfortunately, they cling tight to their false assumptions about the age distribution metric and can’t see the light of day here. One day, they will figure out that red snapper are not the same as golliath grouper and hogfish.
Tom, can you publish how samfc members vote on the various issues that come up , especially the South Carolina members voting on South Carolina issues.
The vote on for-hire limited entry was not a roll call vote (it was just a show of hands), so there is no official record of how SAFMC members voted. However, it’s my understanding that all SC members voted for limited entry.
Tom Swatzel
Executive Director
Council for Sustainable Fishing
www.Sustainablefishing.org
Thanks Tom. What is the huge motive for the negative vote? Are most of the SC council members voting charter/commercial guys? Its looking to me like the council is trying to get the for hire & commercial under the same heading. Is this expected to be a complete moratorium in issuance of licensing or a limit - say 20 a year?