Hey guys, passing along some info that has become a hot topic up here in the Chesapeake Bay area. Potential (unavoidable?) closure for recreational cobia in federal waters?
“[…] a closure in federal waters is inevitable. The public can make comment about the 2016 closure but will likely not impact the decision as it is required by law.”
Obviously would have a big impact on fishing the SC coast, at least here in VA most of the bay is state waters so could potentially have different regulations. (although as pointed out in the discussion above most states don’t have the sack to break from the Feds…)
Maybe this is old news but these things usually seem to get a lot of discussion here, hadn’t seen anything so thought I’d bring it up.
There needs to be an inshore closure per the results in Port Royal and St. Helena Sound in the past 2 years, but the offshore population has not been impacted nearly as much. The numbers are down offshore, but they are still healthy enough IMO to keep 1 per person while fishing 3+ miles off the coast.
Cobia are cultivated in many countries They grow quickly and are profitable . They do very well in hatcheries Weren’t hatcheries important in the red fish recovery?
On a serious note though…These egg heads probably don’t differentiate what is known to be two different sub classes of fish. The ones that reproduce in the river, and the ones that do it out at Sea. From what I have read they are not one and the same. So of course the reaction will be to close them down. I doubt the ones we catch 40 miles offshore are the same as the ones that run up the Broad (which have been over harvested )
The article says over 1 million pounds of cobia was caught last year. If the average fish was around 35lbs, that’s over 28,500 fish. Really? You guys been catching that many cobia?
I think they’re making up numbers.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 20 year old (boy of leisure)
1 - 17 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
The article says over 1 million pounds of cobia was caught last year. If the average fish was around 35lbs, that’s over 28,500 fish. Really? You guys been catching that many cobia?
I think they’re making up numbers.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 20 year old (boy of leisure)
1 - 17 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
ECFC
Don't forget about Florida, the state that ruins it for everyone... These ACLs are for the entire jurisdiction, not just SC.
Florida east coast has their own separate quota as those fish stocks are more related to the Gulf of Mexico stocks. The jurisdiction for the northern stock is Georgia to New York.
Cobia are cultivated in many countries They grow quickly and are profitable . They do very well in hatcheries Weren’t hatcheries important in the red fish recovery?
Probably not an option for the SAFMC
Between 2001 and 2009, a total of 64,768 hatchery raised cobia from Waddell were released in Port Royal Sound.
I hate that I’m making this my first post to the forum. Wonder if SCDNR will follow suit with a closure in state waters?
SOUTHEAST FISHERY BULLETIN
(South Atlantic)
FB16-018
Sustainable Fisheries Division
727-824-5305
March 9, 2016
NOAA Fisheries Announces the Atlantic Migratory Group (Georgia to New York) Cobia Recreational Fishing Season will close on June 20, 2016
The recreational harvest of Atlantic migratory group cobia (from Georgia to New York) will close at 12:01 a.m. on June 20, 2016. Recreational harvest of cobia will reopen on January 1, 2017.
The Atlantic migratory group includes cobia from Georgia through New York. Cobia off the east coast of Florida are part of the Gulf of Mexico migratory group. There are separate annual catch limits for the recreational and commercial sectors of Atlantic migratory group cobia. If the annual catch limits are exceeded, accountability measures are in place to ensure overfishing does not occur. If the Atlantic migratory group cobia recreational and total (recreational and commercial combined) annual catch limits are exceeded, NOAA Fisheries is required to reduce the length of the recreational fishing season in the following fishing year.
In 2015, both the recreational and the total annual catch limits of Atlantic migratory group cobia were exceeded. Thus, the accountability measure is triggered for 2016. Because the commercial annual catch limit was not exceeded, this closure is only for the recreational sector. During the closure, recreational harvest or possession of cobia is prohibited.
This closure is required by regulations implemented under the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region and is necessary to protect the cobia resource.
This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register. For more information, please see frequently asked questions here:
