Sea Bass and fluke updates

Found this on the net


Sea bass

On 2/14/13 the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) voted to accept the recommendation of their Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) to increase the Allowable Biological Catch (ABC) to 5.5 million pounds. This is an increase of 1 million pounds from what was initially approved. The ABC will be split with 51% going to the recreational sector and 49% to the commercial sector. However, we are still going to end up with more stringent regulations than last year as the increase will not cover the overage that occurred in the recreational sector last year. Still, regulations are expected to be much better than the draconian measures that the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) was set to consider at their upcoming meeting on 2/21/13. The various proposals included reductions for New Jersey that ranged from approximately 44-53%. At their upcoming meeting, the ASMFC will discuss various state by state and regional options but with the increase in the harvest limit the reductions will no longer be as severe. Once one of the options is approved it will be up to the individual states or regions to develop regulations that comply with that option. The New Jersey representatives to the ASMFC will work closely with the New Jersey Bureau of Marine Fisheries (NJBMF) in attempting to have the best possible options and regulations approved for our state. On 2/26/13, the NJBMF will hold an advisors meeting before the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council (NJMFC) is expected to finalize our regulations at their March 7th meeting.

UPDATE – 2/21/13
I listened in on the sea bass portion of ASMFC webinar today. The commission voted for option 4 of Addendum XXIII which is for Ad Hoc Regional Measures. They also approved the 1 million pound increase that the MAMFC previously approved. Our state will now be in the region with the states to our north. This will result in New Jersey and the other northern states having to develop regulations intended to reduce their catch by about 32-34%. The exact reduction percentage will be calculated within the next few days after which the States will have to come up with proposals that meet the mandated reduction. This may take time and therefore it is unknown if our State will have any proposed regulations approved by the ASMFC in time for the advisors meeting. The size limit is expected to remain at 12 ½” but the bag limit may be reduced. Our season will be shortened significantly and I anticipate that we will have a lengthy mid-season closure. Though that is no good, it would likely allow sea bass season to be open after the fluke season closes. At least that would give inshore fishermen something to fish for as not many stripers will have arrived and the limit on blackfish at that time of the year will probably be only one.

Fluke

New Jersey has been forced to take approximately a 15% reduction from the recreational
quota it had last year. This is due to a cut in the overall coastwide quota and the fact that New
Jersey slightly exceeded its quota last year. This may very well renew the battle that we had last year when
commercial representatives on the NJMFC overruled the standing motion recommended by the advisors
and the council’s recreational representatives. That resulted in a shorter season with a 17 ½” size limit and a
5 fish bag limit rather than a longer season with an 18” size limit and 8 fish bag limit that the vast majority
of JCAA member clubs favored. The NJBMF has recently developed a number of preliminary options for
this year including those with varying seasons and size limits. However, all have the same 5 fish bag limit
that we had last year. Unfortunately, at this time no options are being considered to return the bag limit to 8
fish as there is insufficient data to increase the bag limit when increasing the size limit. The JCAA pointed
out last year that it was not a good idea to give up a portion of the bag limit unless it is absolutely necessary.
While a 5 fish bag limit is really not all that bad, most fishermen would not want to reduce it any further.
This could become a problem if we exceed our quota this year. Therefore, this year’s battle will be between
those preferring a shorter season with a size limit of 17 ½” and those who prefer a longer season with an 18”
size limit. Last year, even with the 17 ½” size limit, we had a season that lasted 147 days. This year if we
keep the size limit at 17 ½” we will be forced to reduce the season to 117-122 days. On the other hand if
we raise the size limit to 18” we will probably be able to have a season ranging from 131-149 days. Below
are some of the preliminary options being considered. Some of these may be modified or deleted and others
will be discussed as well at the advisors meeting on 2/26/13. Ultimately though, only a few options will be
chosen for the public to have input on at the NJMFC meeting on March 7th. The meeting will begin at 4:00
PM and is will take place at the Galloway Township Library on Jimmie Leeds Rd. in Absecon. The
regulations will be set immediately after the public comment portion of the meeting. Therefore, those
interested are encouraged to attend and give their opinions.

The 2012 season had a 5 fish bag limit at 17 ½” and ran from 5/5 – 9/28 for a total of 147 days.
Below are just a few of the preliminary proposals being considered for this year. All have a 5 fish bag limit.

17 ½” with a season from 5/11 – 9/4 for a total of 117 days
17 ½” with a season from 5/18 – 9/16 for a total of 122 days
17 ½” with a season from 5/24 – 9/22 for a total of 122 days
18” with a season from 5/25 – 10/2 for a total of 131 days
18” with a season from 5/2 – 9/12 for a total of 135 day
18” with a season from 5/4 – 9/29 for a total of 149 days

That's a bit of good news thanks for posting bababooey. I am sick and tired of the picking away at the quotas each year. The fluke and sea bass are fully recovered. The commercials takinghordes of small fluke doesn't help any year either. That is actually better than the rec side where each year the size limit goes up there is a better chance that we will be taking females home.

2014 regs per the asmfc. Sharing unused quota doesn't make sense to me. We usually go over quota. Who will suffer if they give to us? I do like where they talk about the flexibility though. That is a good move in the right direction.


The following is a news release from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

States Schedule Public Hearings on Draft Addendum XXV
Addendum Seeks Input on Management Options for 2014 Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Recreational Fisheries

Arlington, VA ? The Atlantic coast states of Massachusetts through Virginia have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum XXV to the Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plans. The dates, times, and locations of the scheduled hearings follow.

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
January 13, 2014 at 7 PM
Ocean County Administration Building
Public Hearing Room 119
101 Hooper Avenue
Toms River, New Jersey
Contact: Tom Baum at 609.748.2020

New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation
January 14, 2014 at 6 PM
Bureau of Marine Resources
205 North Belle Mead Road, Suite 1
East Setauket, New York
Contact: Steve Heins at 631.444.0435

Draft Addendum XXV proposes management approaches for the 2014 summer flounder and black sea bass recreational fisheries. For summer flounder, the Draft Addendum includes options that allow for management measures by region and the sharing of unused quota ? both with the intent of providing more equity in recreational harvest opportunities along the coast. The specific regions being considered are (1) Massachusetts; Rhode Island through New Jersey; Delaware through Virginia; and North Carolina and (2) Massachusetts and Rhode Island; Connecticut through New Jersey; Delaware through Virginia; and North Carolina.

The Draft Addendum was initiated to address a growing concern that current summer flounder management measures (as established under the Fishery Management Plan) are not providing recreational fishermen along the coast with equitable harvest opportunities to the resource. Those measures, involving state-specific recreational management measures under conservation equivalency are increasingly being viewed as problematic due to several factors. These factors include: reliance upon recreational harvest estimates for a single year (1998) as the basis for individual state targets; a change in the abundance of the resource; and changes in the socio-economic characteristics of the fishery. The impact of the management program seemed to affect New York the most, with a 21? size limit (by 2009) and a short season including mid-season closure. In 2013, with a fully recovered stock, New York?s minimum size (19?) was at least one inch higher than any other state, one and a half inches higher than its bordering states.

The Draft Addendum proposes a more flexible and equitable conservation approach that allows the management program to adjust to past, current, and future changes to the resource and the fishery. The biological characteristics of the summer flounder have changed with the restoration of this stock. In particular, there has been a substantial expansion in the size and age composition, with greater overall abundance and increased numbers of larger fish.

The Draft Addendum also proposes two options for the 2014 black sea bass recreational fishery (1) coastwide measures (currently proposed at 13 TL minimum size, a 5 fish possession limit, and a season from June 1 to September 30) or (2) the continued use of management measures by northern (MA NJ) and southern regions (DE NC). The regional management approach has been used since 2011 and offers some advantages over coastwide regulations, which can disproportionately impact states within the management unit. Specifically, regional measures can address geographic differences in the stock (size, abundance and seasonality) while maintaining the consistent application of management measures by neighboring states.

Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on Draft Addendum XXV, either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. The Draft Addendum is available on the Commission website on the Public Input page at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input . It can also be accessed directly at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/SF_BSB_DraftAddendumXXV_PublicComment_Dec2013.pdf . Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on January 24, 2014 and should be forwarded to Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (fax) or via e-mail at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum XXV).