NOAA fluke harvest 30% reduction for 2016

[7deadlyplugs]

Here it is, reduction in fluke 30%. Sucks.

NOAA Fisheries announces the 2016-2018 regulations for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass.

The summer flounder catch limit is reduced by 30 percent (from 23 million lbs to 16 million lbs) due to 4 years of below average recruitment (young fish entering the fishery). The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has requested a stock assessment update for next year.

The scup catch limit is slightly reduced compared to 2015 levels, but is still well above recent catch.

The black sea bass catch limit will increase from 5.5 million lbs to 6.67 million lbs for 2016 and 2017. This is based on the revised recommendation of the Mid-Atlantic Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The 2018 regulations will be determined after the next scheduled stock assessment.

http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/regs/2015/December/15sfsbsb20162018specsfr.pdf?utm_source=Final+Rule% 3A+2016-2018+Summer+Flounder%2C+Scup%2C+and+BSB&utm_campaign=Final+FSB+Regs&utm_medium=email

[captnemo]

Found this on nj.com. Article talks about the quota with some comments.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/12/heres_how_much_flounder_you_can_catch_this_summer. html

[voyager35]

"I am most disappointed in the restrictive rule for our commercial and recreational fishermen in New Jersey," said Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "They depend on a sufficient summer flounder quota and without one, New Jersey's economy faces a threat as it continues to rebound from Superstorm Sandy."
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service said the limits were needed to avoid overfishing as there has been a decline in young fish. Pallone said he would work with other members of the state's congressional delegation "for more favorable catch limits in the future."

That is all BS as far as I am concerned. Pallone has been talking about "working for fishermen" for years. Years later and he has not accomplished much at all. Just a bunch of political grandstanding to look good for the press. jmo

[jigfreak]

Every word that comes out of Pallone's mouth is a lie. End of story.

[baitstealer]

Read that there is going to be a meeting-
A public hearing on Amendment XXVII of the 2016 Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan will be held on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Stafford Township Municipal Building at 260 East Bay Ave., Manahawkin. A proposal for a Delaware Bay Special region that will allow N.J. boats to keep fluke at the lower Delaware size will be discussed.

[captnemo]

The latest meeting is tomorrow. From nj.com

The New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council will be meeting at 4PM on Thursday, March 3rd at the Galloway Township Public Library, 306 E Jimmie Leeds Rd, Galloway, NJ 08205. The regulations for fluke and sea bass are expected to be set at this meeting. Though public comment will be accepted, it appears that there will only be one regulatory option offered for each species. The NJ Bureau of Marine Fisheries worked hard to develop various options. They were tweaked a little at the Advisers meeting and the end result was that a clear majority of advisers supported the following options.

Fluke – 5 fish at 18" with a season beginning on 5/21 and ending on 9/25 --- except for Delaware Bay, where there will be a 4 fish limit at 17" -- and at Island Beach State Park where there will be a 2 fish limit at 16".

Sea Bass – 10 fish at 12.5" from 5/23-6/19, 2 fish at 12.5" from 7/1-8/31 and 15 fish at 13" from 10/22-12/31.

Striped Bass – An overview of the 2015 fishery will be given but the regulations, including those for the bonus bass program, are expected to remain the same.

[finchaser]

meeting is tonight

[robmedina]

ALL politicians lie.

[finchaser]

The 2016 regulations for fluke and sea bass were set by the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council meeting on March 3rd. The NJ Bureau of Marine Fisheries worked hard to develop various options. A clear majority of advisors and others in attendance supported the following options. The council unanimously approved the following regulations:
Fluke – 5 fish at 18” with a season beginning on 5/21 and ending on 9/25 except for Delaware Bay where there will be a 4 fish limit at 17” and at Island Beach State Park where there will be a 2 fish limit at 16”.
Sea Bass – 10 fish at 12.5” from 5/23-6/19, 2 fish at 12.5” from 7/1-8/31 and 15 fish at 13” from 10/22-12/31.
Striped Bass – An overview of the 2015 fishery was given but the regulations, including those for the bonus bass program will remain the same.

[bababooey]

The 2016 regulations for fluke and sea bass were set by the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council meeting on March 3rd. The NJ Bureau of Marine Fisheries worked hard to develop various options. A clear majority of advisors and others in attendance supported the following options. The council unanimously approved the following regulations:
Fluke – 5 fish at 18” with a season beginning on 5/21 and ending on 9/25 except for Delaware Bay where there will be a 4 fish limit at 17” and at Island Beach State Park where there will be a 2 fish limit at 16”.


So they shortened fluke season for most of NJ? Guess I can live with that. Thanks for the report.

[voyager35]

JMO but it is always on the backs of the recreational fishermen. Meanwhile the commercial netters can take 14" fluke and we have to throw them back. These regs actually encourage folks to target the females because they are bigger. When I was a kid we had a fantastic fluke fishery in jersey. I don't think we will ever see that again till they start to manage them like stripers and regulate fishermen to take smaller fish and limit taking of the larger. Otherwise it is like smoke and mirrors, robbing Peter to pay Paul, and the numbers never really grow. We just maintain and maintain.
I am not a stats guy, just speaking from experience. I wish the SSFFF could get involved and show them some sort of analysis that shows better overall future growth if we were allowed to keep only smaller ones and limited on the larger ones, say no fluke above 24" or so. That would be a good start.
Anyone know the SSFFFs official position on this?

[basshunter]

^^^ Very well said and I agree. I think that is wishful thinking though.

[finchaser]

^^^ Very well said and I agree. I think that is wishful thinking though.

We fought it and are pushing for NJ to be on its own again next year we(SSFFF ) have scientists working with Noaa trying to get a sex based quota right now we thrown back males and kill females as most fluke over 18" are females suggested a mixed bag limit where maybe lets a few smaller fish will be able to be kept would really benefit surf guys.

NJ never came close to the 2015 quota NY and CT went way over even utilizing our qutoa we are grouped in with them. Since we were so far under we really don't have a 30% because we are not exspect to reach our state quota for 2016 either
AS far as the seabass with warmer water the lager seabass ended up in RI and MASS as far up as ME where they were decimated as there really was no bag limit parse up there

[clamchucker]

We fought it and are pushing for NJ to be on its own again next year we(SSFFF ) have scientists working with Noaa trying to get a sex based quota right now we thrown back males and kill females as most fluke over 18" are females suggested a mixed bag limit where maybe lets a few smaller fish will be able to be kept would really benefit surf guys.

NJ never came close to the 2015 quota NY and CT went way over even utilizing our qutoa we are grouped in with them. Since we were so far under we really don't have a 30% because we are not exspect to reach our state quota for 2016 either


Well said. Thank you for the ssfff updates. Was wondering about them myself. They are a good group to support.