the good 'ole SAFMC is trying to slip the vessel monitoring system again - for commercial fishers. If they get it for the commercial guys - very soon it will be forced on rec fishers too. We really need to stop this. How will you feel when you get a citation in the mail weeks later for stopping in an MPA?.. Kinda like the Ridgeland motor home speed trap. Remember that one? If we sit on our hands they will take it all away!
I just posted the very same thing on Frying Pan Tower, ankle bracelet analogy and all
But one thing to point out… this applies to recs too. SAFMC has told me in emails previously that they can apply vessel monitoring requirements to recs that they “choose”, whatever that means.
SOUTHEAST FISHERY BULLETIN
FB15-001
Catch Share Customer Service
866/425-7627
January 9, 2015
Southeast Region Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Implementation Plan Available for Public Comment
There is a growing need for more timely and accurate data for fisheries management and science. Recognizing the growing demands for data collection, NOAA Fisheries drafted a regional electronic monitoring and electronic reporting (EM/ER) implementation plan for the Southeast Region.
The goal of the plan is to provide an operational strategy for implementing and expanding the use of electronic monitoring (e.g., video cameras, vessel monitoring systems) and electronic reporting (e.g., electronic logbooks) for federally managed fisheries in the Southeast Region. The primary objectives of the plan are to: (1) Define regional objectives for the use of EM/ER; (2) establish a framework for EM/ER development and implementation; (3) identify challenges impeding the use of EM/ER in the region and potential solutions for overcoming those challenges; (4) develop a prioritized list of fisheries suitable for EM and/or ER; (5) identify and quantify (where possible) costs and infrastructure needed for expansion of EM/ER use; and, (6) develop a process for reviewing progress made toward plan implementation.
NOAA Fisheries is interested in receiving input on the draft implementation plan. Initial input has already been received from the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils.
Request for Comments
NOAA Fisheries is requesting comments on the EM/ER regional implementation plan through February 9, 2015. Comments submitted will be reviewed and considered during development of the final draft EM/
I think the scariest part is that any commercial bottom numbers (which is essentially EVERYTHING off of our coast) will become PUBLIC RECORD. There will be no secrets in our fishery anymore. “Secret spots” are the ONE THING that makes our local fishery as good as it is. Secrecy is a natural limitation on pressure. Basically, anyone in any part of the world with an internet connection will have your favorite fishing spot in their GPS. Once these coordinates become public record, we will have thousands more Bugcatcher’s coming up from South Florida every year to get their “fair share”. You know, the guys that limit out in the morning, head back to their rental house to unload their catch, and go back out to get another limit in the afternoon. A complete collapse of our fishery is what we would be dealing with. If you have ever fished in the South Florida or the keys where pretty much everything is public, you would realize our fishery is way better. Say goodbye to large fish and hello to “growth overfishing” (which means all fish are killed the minute they hit the legal length and you hardly ever see fish larger than that).
I by no means am a expert on this subject or much else for that matter (just dont tell my wife), but I am smart enough to know when the government get involved it can only go WRONG. In this case really wrong.
A wise man once said “Do as I say not as I do” Good advice when I tell you that.
Last time this came up it took a difficult, concentrated effort involving our elected official’s. There trying to wear us down. I hope we can weather this storm. I just sent my objection/comment.
It has been a while since I posted on here but felt the need to weigh in on the Orwellian Monitoring System topic again. Please read my public comments to NOAA about this issue and keep the discussion going. We have stopped VMS twice and will only stop it a third time if enough concerned citizens and elected officials publicly oppose it.
Public Comments to NOAA Regarding Electronic Monitoring and Reporting
I am Chris McCaffity, a commercial fisherman who has been advocating for positive solutions to protect our fisheries and the public?s access to them. Please consider these public comments with an open heart and mind.
There has been a rush over the past few years to meet hard deadlines contained in the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This rush has created some severe negative impacts for fish, fishermen, and consumers. Before passing any more laws we need to Stop and Review existing regulations to see what?s working and what isn?t. We need to focus on finding solutions that reduce Regulatory Discards rather than trying to calculate this unnecessary waste. Our goal should be to limit discards while promoting release techniques that give illegal fish the best chance of survival.
Electronic Reporting could be a good thing that most people would support. Any reporting website should include a forum where stakeholders can log in with our license/permit number and a password to have discussions and hold votes on how our fisheries will be managed. We should be allowed to pick who represents us on management council?s and decide how each sector?s TACs will be managed with a 2/3 majority vote from participating stakeholders.
There is a growing distrust for the entire fishery management system that will be exacerbated by pushing for any kind of electronic spy devices that are blatant violations of our civil and constitutional rights. Please consider working with willing fishermen to collect better data while reserving any expensive and intrusive Electronic Monitoring as punishment for poachers. We need to work to
Based on the boat us article,it doesn’t seem like they are listening to the recreational fishermen anyway you cut it…I may be wrong and I may ruffle some feathers but it looks as if we are gonna lose the few days we have while the commercial/guides look to benefit the most…
I say puck em all but I’m just an old sum ***** tired of the BS…
Most commercial and charter fishermen along the southern east coast oppose Catch Shares just as much as VMS. There is a small minority of mostly investors who want to privatize our public resources for personal gain. VMS and Catch Shares seem to go hand in hand as a way to push independent fishermen out of the fishery. The key to defeating both bad ideas is a united message from recreational and commercial fishermen opposing these attacks on our freedom to fish.
About catch shares… There are guys in the gulf coast that “own” tens of thousands of pounds in catch shares. I’ve heard stories about a few guys that lease out their catch shares to other people. Meanwhile, they are sitting on fat incomes of 6 figure salaries from the money they earn by leasing them out. In other words, they aren’t even the ones filling them, yet collecting income from them because they “own” the shares. Crazy!
Will the SAFMC use the previous rounds of comments in their consideration of this matter - or are we starting over? It seems almost like a violation of the double jeopardy laws to continue bringing this up after such a huge outpouring of negative response. About catch shares - isn’t it possible for the enviro groups like ED to purchase blocks of catch shares? They could effectively shut down a fishery!
Peanuts,Tobacco,Immigration say hello to Catch Shares…
The never ending fight is really against greed…
Its a never ending line of people with their hand out from the commercial guy who owns enough catch shares to lease them out, to the lawyers and politicians fighting for one side or another…Governor appointed Board members and per diems to people doing “surveys”.Then you got someone who’ll do anything to get his or her ankle bracelet company off the ground and running …
How else can somebody sit there with a straight face and feel like this proposal is a good idea…
Scotty beam my a$$ up!!!
There is talk about letting recreational anglers in the gulf lease commercial shares so they can eat some of the public resource fish they catch that are privately owned by investors. Environmental Defense, oil companies, or any entity with enough money can buy shares to monopolize the market or shut down fisheries. To the SAFMC’s credit, they did mention our opposition to VMS in their letter to NOAA about this. We need to keep bringing that past opposition up as we fight this battle again. It does seem like there should be some sort of double jeopardy law that would prevent agencies from repeatedly pushing for regulations that have already been stopped by public opposition. Greed is the endless enemy of freedom.
Is there a lobby group for recreational fishermen/women? Where the heck are they? Why are they NOT up in Nikki’s face getting us out of these fiascos?
I spoke w Nikki over a year ago about the councils overreaching activities and proposed closures…I asked her if she was aware of Kupkas agenda and the economic impact it would have on the state of SC…
Ms.Nikki’s response left no doubt that she had no clue as to what I was talking about.She did request my number and stated she would do some checking and get back with me…
The groups lobbying against this need more of your money to stand up to theses clowns…Don’t believe me,just ask them…
Do not suggest anything radical like a boat convoy to Columbia to shut down traffic or raise public awareness… Some idiot suggested that a while back,what a dip&@&$…
Do like you are told and let the process work itself out…
In the meantime bend over and measure your ankle like the rest of us.
PS.when Nikki calls me back you’ll be the first to know.
Nicki will never call back or recognize the plight of fishermen in SC. She won re-election and has no reason to care. Her re-appointment of Cupka tells the story.
GOLDFINCH FOR GOVERNOR!
The law she signed that dismantled the Ridgeland, SC motor home speed trap required that a citation be delivered IN PERSON within 1 hour of the violation. Perhaps this could be used to defeat this!
quote:Unfortunately, by that time, they will have a full catalog of all of the bottom fishing coordinates in the Southeast. No more secret spots...
Originally posted by natureboyNicki will never call back or recognize the plight of fishermen in SC. She won re-election and has no reason to care. Her re-appointment of Cupka tells the story.
GOLDFINCH FOR GOVERNOR!
The law she signed that dismantled the Ridgeland, SC motor home speed trap required that a citation be delivered IN PERSON within 1 hour of the violation. Perhaps this could be used to defeat this!
It would be fun to go see her.Make her explain why the streets are in a cluster with 4-500 boats,trucks and trailers with 5 alive news broadcasting every bit of it.
I’ll say it one more time for any of you with CCA stickers on your trucks or coolers who might want to stick your heads in the sand on this.
IF VMS GETS PUT ON COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN, THEN IT WILL HAVE TO BE PUT ON RECREATIONALS ALSO BECAUSE OF CONSTITUTIONAL EQUAL PROTECTION.
Do not be fooled like you originally were with catch shares (it took them actually being implemented in the Gulf and you seeing first hand what a dumpster fire that became for them) in thinking that you may as well do nothing and sit back and watch the commercial guys get squeezed out.
VMS is bad for everyone just like catch shares are.
SkinneeJ is correct in what will happen to the numbers, and he hasn’t even touched on how the government will also be able to know WHERE EXACTLY THE MOST PRESSURE is located during particular times of the year. They are well on their way to closing down more areas and implementing more seasonal closures. What do you think they will do with all the hard data from all our boats- nothing but enforcement of MPA’s? YEAH RIGHT! They’ll make justification for more MPA’s!
You’ve got to understand that, except for a few species, the NMFS has rebuilt most of the fisheries it was tasked to. Do you not find it interesting that we have less stock assessment data now than at any other time in the last 25 years?! They don’t want accuracy if it will mean there’s no reason for them to keep receiving funding! They spending more of our tax dollars and fine money on peddling catch shares propaganda than they do on actually getting accurate assessment data or accurate recreational landings data. That would be sound science, you see, instead of starting with a theory and hypothesis and working backwards to prove it.
http://www.sustainablefishing.org/
www.joinrfa.com
Luke 8:22-25
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
SC code of laws = 56-5-70. wouldn’t be a huge stretch to apply this law to water.