Looks like CT and NY will be 4 fish at 18"min for sure, possibly RI too.
RI may catch a break and have 5 at 17" min.
We'll see
http://mrc.virginia.gov/Notices/ASMFC/ASMFC_010814.pdf
RI may catch a break and have 5 at 17" min.
We'll see
http://mrc.virginia.gov/Notices/ASMFC/ASMFC_010814.pdf
I saw the same thing,plus a longer season
http://outdoortom.com/2014/02/ny-fluke-regs-4-fish-18-inches-128-day-season/
http://outdoortom.com/2014/02/ny-fluke-regs-4-fish-18-inches-128-day-season/
As was widely reported last week, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) on February 4, 2014 passed a proposal to manage fluke catches in NY, NJ and CT as a single region under a combined quota. In the amendment, an example of how the fishery might be managed was provided using an 18” minimum size limit, four fish creel limit and a 128-day season for all three states.
“That was the example being considered at the time of approval,” said Capt. Tony DiLernia, New York’s representative to the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, “but the new regional management ruling only guarantees all three states will share the same minimum size limit, bag limit and number of days in the open season. The specifics of the regulations are still subject to final approval.”
http://outdoortom.com/2014/02/new-fluke-regs-for-ny-nj-and-ct-not-so-fast/
“That was the example being considered at the time of approval,” said Capt. Tony DiLernia, New York’s representative to the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, “but the new regional management ruling only guarantees all three states will share the same minimum size limit, bag limit and number of days in the open season. The specifics of the regulations are still subject to final approval.”
http://outdoortom.com/2014/02/new-fluke-regs-for-ny-nj-and-ct-not-so-fast/
As was widely reported last week, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) on February 4, 2014 passed a proposal to manage fluke catches in NY, NJ and CT as a single region under a combined quota. In the amendment, an example of how the fishery might be managed was provided using an 18” minimum size limit, four fish creel limit and a 128-day season for all three states.
“That was the example being considered at the time of approval,” said Capt. Tony DiLernia, New York’s representative to the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, “but the new regional management ruling only guarantees all three states will share the same minimum size limit, bag limit and number of days in the open season. The specifics of the regulations are still subject to final approval.”
http://outdoortom.com/2014/02/new-fluke-regs-for-ny-nj-and-ct-not-so-fast/
It's a shame they put on the charades with the rod and reel guy when this is how the commercial guys deal with the regs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=inSNl01unzw
don't know where to begin with that video................seen many just like it..............makes me sick...............there's been many a days when I can't "buy" a legal fish inshore...............not educated on the subject enough to offer a solution but that same scenario plays out on thousands of vessels daily worldwide with every species that swims..........we're in trouble!
Probably the most disturbing fishing video I've ever seen. That cannot continue to happen while maintaining even a sub par fishery. If they are dragging and they are fishing for other species and these fish end up in the net and are too injured to go back, why not film the entire catch and sorting process to show they have no other option but to keep the catch. Unless they want to outlaw this type of fishing, makes no sense to me. Tossing thousands of dead breeders back...all of those flats were impressive in size too. Terrible.
Just got off the phone with David G. Simpson, Director of CT Dept of Environment Protection.
I expressed my concerns about new limits in CT but more importantly the dead "throw away" of hundred of thousands of fish...I talked about the video hoping he would ask to see it. He actually explained he did in fact see it and was not happy.
He was a professional and took the time to explain the fishery is regulated federally. The big problem right now is the fluke are moving north from places like North/South Carolina and other southern states. These states steam to Ct, NJ and RI and are legally allowed to snag up to 30,000 lbs or so of our fluke and take it back home. Mean while the local fisherman have something like 200lbs.
Federal fishing regs I'm told are made by John Bullard @
john.bullard@noaa.gov
Last edited by snapper on Wed Feb 19, 2014 4:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
I expressed my concerns about new limits in CT but more importantly the dead "throw away" of hundred of thousands of fish...I talked about the video hoping he would ask to see it. He actually explained he did in fact see it and was not happy.
He was a professional and took the time to explain the fishery is regulated federally. The big problem right now is the fluke are moving north from places like North/South Carolina and other southern states. These states steam to Ct, NJ and RI and are legally allowed to snag up to 30,000 lbs or so of our fluke and take it back home. Mean while the local fisherman have something like 200lbs.
Federal fishing regs I'm told are made by John Bullard @
john.bullard@noaa.gov
Last edited by snapper on Wed Feb 19, 2014 4:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
Dr. Mr. Bullard-
Just finished a phone call with David G. Simpson, Director of CT Dept of Environment Protection.
I expressed my concerns about new proposed recreational fluke limits in CT for but more importantly the dead "throw away" of hundred of lbs of fluke on a video dated back to 2010 ...I talked to David about the video hoping he would ask to see it. He actually explained he did in fact see it and was not happy.
He was a professional and took the time to explain the fishery is regulated federally. The big problem right now is the fluke are moving north from places like the Carolinas and other southern states up to CT, NY and RI. The southern states from what I understand have huge quotas of up to 30,000 lbs of fluke, while CT has 200lbs. What the southern state commercial fishing outfits are doing, is traveling here to our states, fishing out our fishery and steaming back south. Also, i understand CT draggers are allowed only 200 lbs of fluke.
This does not seem sustainable or fair to the local commercial fisherman. But what is most troubling for me personally
is attempting to understand why these huge problems that need to be ironed out continue. And the focus seems to be placed on tighter regulations on CT, NY, and NJ for "recreational fisherman" just to land a few keepers. Is seems the wrong group of people is being targeted.
Can you please let me know what I can do to get involved as it seems we don't seem to be working fairly to find better resolutions to these issues.
Regards,
P.S I do not condone with the way this fisherman chose to express himself, but I thought I would include the video to show the waste of just one days fishing which has been going on for years and how this must be depleting the fishery
rapidly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=inSNl01unzw
Just finished a phone call with David G. Simpson, Director of CT Dept of Environment Protection.
I expressed my concerns about new proposed recreational fluke limits in CT for but more importantly the dead "throw away" of hundred of lbs of fluke on a video dated back to 2010 ...I talked to David about the video hoping he would ask to see it. He actually explained he did in fact see it and was not happy.
He was a professional and took the time to explain the fishery is regulated federally. The big problem right now is the fluke are moving north from places like the Carolinas and other southern states up to CT, NY and RI. The southern states from what I understand have huge quotas of up to 30,000 lbs of fluke, while CT has 200lbs. What the southern state commercial fishing outfits are doing, is traveling here to our states, fishing out our fishery and steaming back south. Also, i understand CT draggers are allowed only 200 lbs of fluke.
This does not seem sustainable or fair to the local commercial fisherman. But what is most troubling for me personally
is attempting to understand why these huge problems that need to be ironed out continue. And the focus seems to be placed on tighter regulations on CT, NY, and NJ for "recreational fisherman" just to land a few keepers. Is seems the wrong group of people is being targeted.
Can you please let me know what I can do to get involved as it seems we don't seem to be working fairly to find better resolutions to these issues.
Regards,
P.S I do not condone with the way this fisherman chose to express himself, but I thought I would include the video to show the waste of just one days fishing which has been going on for years and how this must be depleting the fishery
rapidly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=inSNl01unzw
Dear Mr. Blah blah,
On behalf of John Bullard, thank you for your email with the attached video. John asked me to reply as I am the Senior Fishery Policy Analyst who works on summer flounder, among other fisheries. I hope I can provide some background on the management of the summer flounder fishery.
The fishery is jointly managed by three organizations: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (www.mafmc.org); the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (www.asmfc.org); and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The Council and Commission meet frequently to develop recommendations that we (NMFS) implement as regulations for Federal waters (3-200 miles off the coast). The measures we implement are done so under the parameters of the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that was developed by the Council in the 1980's and has been updated and amended several times since.
Under the FMP, the available quota of summer flounder is first divided between the commercial fishery (60 percent of the quota) and the recreational fishery (40 percent of the quota). The commercial quota is then allocated on a state-by-state basis such that all landings of summer flounder in a state count against that state's allocated quota. Connecticut, for example, is allocated 2.26 percent of the overall quota. Under the guidance of the Commission, each state may set its own regulations (including possession limits, fishing seasons, etc.) to manage its commercial summer flounder fishery. We monitor the commercial landings in each state and work with the states to close the commercial fishery in each state when the state's quota is landed.
The recreational fishery is managed slightly differently, as we do not have the capacity to monitor each landing or track quotas the way we can with the commercial fishery. The recreational fishery is allocated a target level of catch, and the states set management measures (bag limits, fishing seasons, and minimum fish sizes) that make the most sense for each state to constrain recreational catch to its share of the recreational target. For 2014, the Commission is working with the states to develop a regional approach to management, rather than state-by-state, in an attempt to provide some parity among closely aligned states (e.g., Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey).
If you would like to get more involved in the management of the summer flounder fishery, I encourage you to attend meetings of the Council and/or Commission when summer flounder will be on the agenda. The best meetings for this are usually the joint meetings held in August and December. The August meetings have a focus on the commercial fishery, while the December meetings focus on the recreational fishery. If you follow the links provided above, you should be able to get more information on these organizations and see their meeting schedules.
If you have any further questions or if I can provide any additional information, please feel free to give me a call at 978-281-9283.
Mike Pentony
---
Michael Pentony
National Marine Fisheries Service
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
(formerly the Northeast Regional Office)
Sustainable Fisheries Division
55 Great Republic Drive
Gloucester, MA 01930
Phone: 978-281-9283
Email: michael.pentony@noaa.gov
Internet: www.nero.noaa.gov
On behalf of John Bullard, thank you for your email with the attached video. John asked me to reply as I am the Senior Fishery Policy Analyst who works on summer flounder, among other fisheries. I hope I can provide some background on the management of the summer flounder fishery.
The fishery is jointly managed by three organizations: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (www.mafmc.org); the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (www.asmfc.org); and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The Council and Commission meet frequently to develop recommendations that we (NMFS) implement as regulations for Federal waters (3-200 miles off the coast). The measures we implement are done so under the parameters of the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that was developed by the Council in the 1980's and has been updated and amended several times since.
Under the FMP, the available quota of summer flounder is first divided between the commercial fishery (60 percent of the quota) and the recreational fishery (40 percent of the quota). The commercial quota is then allocated on a state-by-state basis such that all landings of summer flounder in a state count against that state's allocated quota. Connecticut, for example, is allocated 2.26 percent of the overall quota. Under the guidance of the Commission, each state may set its own regulations (including possession limits, fishing seasons, etc.) to manage its commercial summer flounder fishery. We monitor the commercial landings in each state and work with the states to close the commercial fishery in each state when the state's quota is landed.
The recreational fishery is managed slightly differently, as we do not have the capacity to monitor each landing or track quotas the way we can with the commercial fishery. The recreational fishery is allocated a target level of catch, and the states set management measures (bag limits, fishing seasons, and minimum fish sizes) that make the most sense for each state to constrain recreational catch to its share of the recreational target. For 2014, the Commission is working with the states to develop a regional approach to management, rather than state-by-state, in an attempt to provide some parity among closely aligned states (e.g., Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey).
If you would like to get more involved in the management of the summer flounder fishery, I encourage you to attend meetings of the Council and/or Commission when summer flounder will be on the agenda. The best meetings for this are usually the joint meetings held in August and December. The August meetings have a focus on the commercial fishery, while the December meetings focus on the recreational fishery. If you follow the links provided above, you should be able to get more information on these organizations and see their meeting schedules.
If you have any further questions or if I can provide any additional information, please feel free to give me a call at 978-281-9283.
Mike Pentony
---
Michael Pentony
National Marine Fisheries Service
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
(formerly the Northeast Regional Office)
Sustainable Fisheries Division
55 Great Republic Drive
Gloucester, MA 01930
Phone: 978-281-9283
Email: michael.pentony@noaa.gov
Internet: www.nero.noaa.gov
Dear Mr. Pentony-
Thank you very much for your speedy Email response. While its content does an excellent job with regard to explaining, regulation, the information looks similar to a "cut and paste" of how regulation currently works. I would be dishonest to report I wasn't disappointed. None of the concerns described in my original Email were addressed.
As an infrequent angler taking an avg of six fishing excursions per year in CT, I may catch one or two keeper size fluke per year.
According to the data, it appears I need to begin looking for new fishing areas. However, to make a claim the avg. weekend fisherman even on a party boat with very tight regulations could possibly bag 40 percent of the total fluke compared to industrial full time draggers is preposterous. As stated previously in your correspondence there is no way to even verify this claim, so I'm wondering who calculates this and how is it calculated.
I'm wondering what efforts are being made to keep un targeted fish from being from being caught and killed in alarming numbers in nets. Netting, width and size, new technology, are there eggs in these fish and can they be harvested, fertilized, bred through the DEEP for a period of time like Salmon and reintroduced to the environment. Could this be another way for hard working fisherman to increase revenue while sustaining the fishery.
"Connecticut, for example, is allocated 2.26 percent of the overall quota. Under the guidance of the Commission, each state may set its own regulations (including possession limits, fishing seasons, etc.) to manage its commercial summer flounder fishery. We monitor the commercial landings in each state and work with the states to close the commercial fishery in each state when the state's quota is landed."
If commercial boats from other states are allowed under these sanctions to fish in CT waters and return their catch with much higher allowances because of the larger state they originated from, this appears extremely unbalanced in a system supposedly designed to create balance.
If a commercial boat from North Carolina comes to CT waters and returns to port, is that fish offload counted as a small CT quota, or a large North Carolina quota.
From any logical perspective, CT is a small state. As such, out of state commercial boaters choosing to fish here in CT, RI or NY should have a system of abiding by the creel limit of the state being fished in. Not their home state.
In my own humble opinion, as regulations stand now, I'd feel comfortable making a common sense estimate. Commercial boats probably account at least 80 percent of fish caught, sold, or dumped dead into the open ocean. There is no way the CT weekend fisherman is pulling in 20 percent of strictly regulated over 17.5 inch fluke. In the past three years, I myself have only caught three in CT.
Mr. Pentony, have any of these ideas or points of view been discussed? What efforts are being put into place to sustain the fishery where the problems jeopardize it the most instead of directing towards the common angler.
Respectfully, Blah
Last edited by snapper on Wed Feb 19, 2014 7:25 pm; edited 1 time in total
Thank you very much for your speedy Email response. While its content does an excellent job with regard to explaining, regulation, the information looks similar to a "cut and paste" of how regulation currently works. I would be dishonest to report I wasn't disappointed. None of the concerns described in my original Email were addressed.
As an infrequent angler taking an avg of six fishing excursions per year in CT, I may catch one or two keeper size fluke per year.
According to the data, it appears I need to begin looking for new fishing areas. However, to make a claim the avg. weekend fisherman even on a party boat with very tight regulations could possibly bag 40 percent of the total fluke compared to industrial full time draggers is preposterous. As stated previously in your correspondence there is no way to even verify this claim, so I'm wondering who calculates this and how is it calculated.
I'm wondering what efforts are being made to keep un targeted fish from being from being caught and killed in alarming numbers in nets. Netting, width and size, new technology, are there eggs in these fish and can they be harvested, fertilized, bred through the DEEP for a period of time like Salmon and reintroduced to the environment. Could this be another way for hard working fisherman to increase revenue while sustaining the fishery.
"Connecticut, for example, is allocated 2.26 percent of the overall quota. Under the guidance of the Commission, each state may set its own regulations (including possession limits, fishing seasons, etc.) to manage its commercial summer flounder fishery. We monitor the commercial landings in each state and work with the states to close the commercial fishery in each state when the state's quota is landed."
If commercial boats from other states are allowed under these sanctions to fish in CT waters and return their catch with much higher allowances because of the larger state they originated from, this appears extremely unbalanced in a system supposedly designed to create balance.
If a commercial boat from North Carolina comes to CT waters and returns to port, is that fish offload counted as a small CT quota, or a large North Carolina quota.
From any logical perspective, CT is a small state. As such, out of state commercial boaters choosing to fish here in CT, RI or NY should have a system of abiding by the creel limit of the state being fished in. Not their home state.
In my own humble opinion, as regulations stand now, I'd feel comfortable making a common sense estimate. Commercial boats probably account at least 80 percent of fish caught, sold, or dumped dead into the open ocean. There is no way the CT weekend fisherman is pulling in 20 percent of strictly regulated over 17.5 inch fluke. In the past three years, I myself have only caught three in CT.
Mr. Pentony, have any of these ideas or points of view been discussed? What efforts are being put into place to sustain the fishery where the problems jeopardize it the most instead of directing towards the common angler.
Respectfully, Blah
Last edited by snapper on Wed Feb 19, 2014 7:25 pm; edited 1 time in total
Do believe I have wasted time with incompetence.
Makes me feel like....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1iFJL_Y1e8
Makes me feel like....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1iFJL_Y1e8