Poaching: the market for live blackfish

[DarkSkies]

This is a problem that has existed for many years. It won't be solved overnight. Nothing I say or do will change that. However, by talking about it here and raising awareness, maybe a few more people will get involved and report blackfish or undersized fish poaching when they see it.

When people poach, they are stealing from not just the resource.

They are stealing from you, and me, as we have more restrictive bag limits placed on us.

Here's a resource for NJ and NY poaching violations.

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=45
(NJ post #4)

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=148
(NY post #6)

I have the private cell #s of many of the NJDFG officers, if you can't find a number above that serves your needs.

I'm developing quite a few F&G and Coast Guard contacts in other states who would love to have quality intel about illegal poaching of any species.
Feel free to contact me any time if the numbers you need are for different areas.

Feel free to add anything about blackfish poaching in this thread. Thanks, guys and girls. :thumbsup:

[DarkSkies]

http://www.ccany.org/news/blackfish.shtml

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 20, 2008

CCA NY PRAISES NEW TAUTOG REGULATIONS; URGES ACTION TO HALT ILLEGAL FISHERY
WEST BABYLON, NY—Coastal Conservation Association New York has expressed its satisfaction with new regulations issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which were intended to restore the population of tautog (often known as "blackfish"), a fish species which is popular with recreational anglers but has suffered a decades-long drop in population. The new rules reduce the bag limit from ten fish to four, and institutes a shortened fishing season that runs from October 1 to December 20, and from January 17 to April 30. The 14-inch size limit has not been changed.
"The blackfish recovery has been stalled for more than 20 years," states Brian O'Keefe, Chair of CCA NY's Government Relations Committee. "The new regulations should finally cut fishing mortality and allow spawning stock biomass to increase, so that we all can start seeing more fish."

The debate over the new regulations saw the interests of private anglers, who fish from shore or from their own boats, clash with those of the for-hire fleet. Traditionally, most of New York's recreationally-caught tautog were landed during the spring and fall.

However, after the collapse of the winter fisheries for cod and whiting, many for-hire vessels, particularly those sailing out of New York City and western Long Island, began targeting the species during the winter, putting new strains on the population and shifting the majority of the harvest into the winter months. The for-hire fishery urged that the beginning of the season be delayed long enough to avoid a winter closure, a move that would have effectively denied access to the fishery to "family fishermen" and others unwilling or unable to brave New York's cold and rough winter seas....


CCA NY was also pleased to learn that the DEC will close the tautog fishery on April 30, a move that will protect the fish when they aggregate in inshore waters to spawn, something that occurs in May, June and sometimes July.

"Spawning blackfish are extremely easy to target and catch," notes O'Keefe. "While recent reports don't show high spring landings, May and June have historically accounted for a large part of New York's recreational harvest, and the DEC acted properly in closing the season before spawning begins. CCA NY has wanted such a closure for a long time."

However, while CCA NY is happy with the new rules, it believes that there is quite a bit of work left to do.

The live-fish market for tautog, which has exploded in the past thirty years, has put significant pressure on the stock. Far worse, it has attracted many illegal commercial fishermen, including both unlicensed individuals operating completely outside the law and licensed commercial operators who, with varying degrees of frequency, ignore size limits, bag limits and catch reporting requirements.

The State of New York requires commercial fishermen to fully report all of their tautog landings. In 2006, the last year for which complete information is available, New York's reported commercial tautog landings were a mere 68,432 pounds, worth $183,848, or about $2.68 per pound, at dockside.

"The officially reported commercial landings reflect only the tip of the iceberg," declares Charles Witek, State Chair of CCA NY. "Commercial fishers who fully comply with the laws affecting this fishery appear to be in the distinct minority.

The problem lies in the live fish market, which is so lucrative that people can't resist the temptation to break the law. How can fishermen freely talk about getting four dollars, five dollars, even nine dollars per pound at times, for live blackfish, then report an average price of less than three dollars per pound on the reports that they file with the DEC? Whether they're filing false reports or not filing at all, they're clearly not complying with the regulations, and if they're not afraid to violate the reporting rules, why should we believe that they're complying with bag and size limits?"

"We must outlaw the live fish market for blackfish," declares Witek. "If the market continues to operate, and continues to pay high prices for live tautog, there will always be fishermen willing to break the rules in order to supply it with product. Only after the sale of live blackfish, whether at the wholesale or retail level, is outlawed in the State of New York, will we have a realistic chance of rebuilding and maintaining a healthy tautog population."

[7deadlyplugs]

Dude, you have no idea how many times I have seen guys at the jetties catching small tog and slipping them in buckets with aerators. Thanks for the #s.

[finchaser]

Grass hopper
Sorry this came as a surprise to you and oh yes!!!!!!!!!!!

The pots on the reefs are not lobster pots they are black fish and sea bass pots. All going to the Asian market,as our politians fight to keep the pots there. Some are even exported live to Asian counties.

Lets not forget the pots in Raritan bay during spawning season.

Many people with buckets and aerators also fish the canal guess where those fish go.

You might also want to check why eels are about to go on the endangered species list, you guessed it (Asian Market). The live fingerling eels (4 to 6 inch) are in great demand,they swallow them live.

[voyager35]

Is it just the Asian market? We have lots of residential and commercials here in our own country who are poachers. The question is how to stop it. There are not enough officers to combat the problems. By the time they get the info either the perpetrator or the evidence is long gone.