Senior Member
I have been hammering that page. Many fisherman have it seemsOriginally Posted by nitestrikes
. Other than the fisherman it is just another moon bat parade. People following the pied piper to the promised land of green toxic energy solutions(cfc lamps loaded with mercury, hybrids what do we do with the fuel cells when the vehicle is no longer viable etc. etc.). Solar power 900 dollars per panel to generate 175W or two lightbulbs? These people are a joke. Te whole thing is a money grab.
Senior Member
Jane is a product of The Pew Trust an organization where she has done a ton of research and work this is straight from their website . A page dedicated to reduce overfishing in NE
The Pew Environment Group is leading a campaign to encourage the New England Fishery Management Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service to implement a new management system by January 2010. Called sector allocation, it operates on three simple premises:
- It implements science-based catch limits to rebuild fish populations and prevent overfishing. (OK not so bad at this point)
- It incorporates monitoring so fishermen and regulators know exactly how much fish is being caught, and as a result, fishing stops once catch limits have been reached. (Who is doing the monitoring again)
- It establishes community-based, fishermen-run co-ops, called sectors. Each sector receives its own share of the annual catch. While respecting catch limits, the co-ops provide fishermen with the flexibility to set their own fishing guidelines so they can run their businesses more efficiently and profitably. (whose business is going to be more profitable?)
The Pew Environment Group has partnered with two regionally based commercial fishing organizations, the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen’s Association and the Midcoast (Maine) Fishermen’s Association. Together, we are working to ensure that our shared goals are met: to end overfishing and protect the livelihood of fishermen while groundfish stocks are being rebuilt.
You guessed it the commercial fisherman whom she has already partnered with prior to taking the Reigns at the NOAA. The PEW trust has essentially recommended putting commercial fisherman in charge of fisheries management and making the decisions for the rest of the public based upon their interpretation of the stocks. Further more she is also entrusting them through the PEW proposal to shut themselves down when they have caught enough fish. How has that worked out in the past. We can't even count on the commercial fisherman to account for the fish that they do take currently never mind police themselves?
Senior Member
she can go to he!! and so can the comm guys i will still keep fish for me and my family if they want me come to the inner city and find mei dont fish the clean water anyway and we all know most people are
to come were i am at so i will fish till they put me in a box ( comm guys in charge of them selves what a joke ) we know how that will turn out we will get the blame for the fish stocks crashing just like now so its all bs so they all can go to he!! we the hook and line guys were there when the stocks crashed from over fishing we cryed foul not the comm guys
Administrator
NOAA red snapper outline and justifications
Some of the NOAA reasoning before the Red snapper commentary period. That commentary period is closed now:
www.noaa.org
"NOAA has published a proposed Interim Rule (74 FR 31906), to the Federal Register, for the which the public comment period ended on August 5, 2009. NOAA’s intent is to implement interim (emergency) management measures (which must be approved by the Secretary of Commerce, after review of the pubic comment period, which ended August 5, 2009, to be effective and in place by October 2009) to reduce alleged overfishing of red snapper in the South Atlantic, until the completion of Amendment 17A, which will include permanent measures to end the alleged overfishing of red snapper, both commercially and recreationally, by a complete closure of the harvest of red snapper for an undetermined period of time.
According to current data in the Sedar 15 Report, the closure of the red snapper fishery could be as long as of 25 to 35 years in order to rebuild the red snapper stocks to a sustainable level to prevent overfishing.
Although the comments you are making now are in regards to the one year emergency interim measures to be implemented, remember, it is the intention of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to have permanent measures in place, before the interim rule expires (one year from October 2009), so there is no gap in the ability to keep the entire fishery closed for the harvest of red snapper.
Dr. Roy Crabtree, Regional Administrator with the National Marine Fishery Service Southeast Regional Office stated at the open public forum sessions in Wilmington N.C. (Dec 2008), Jekyll Island (March 2009), and Stuart (June 2009), that “this could be one of the greatest impacts to the fishing industry that any proposed rule or Amendment has had on any fishery since the development of Councils under the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) to manage our nation’s fishery, but to what extent it will actually impact the people who rely on this species to make a living is completely unknown”.
At the present time, Dr. Crabtree stated that “necessary funding is not available to conduct updated economic studies (as required under the MSA) and the only solution to under funding of these projects is for the fishermen themselves to lobby their congressmen for additional funds to be provided to NOAA in order to address possible economic impacts from the closure of the red snapper fishery”.
It is very interesting to note that in the Draft Environmental Assessment, submitted to the Federal Register as part of the documents required to propose the use of an interim rule, NOAA states on page 91 of this document that “the relatively minor apparent importance of red snapper as a target species in the South Atlantic, as demonstrated by the low incidence of either target or catch effort…and ranking within bags or total harvest, suggests there is little reason to expect widespread reduction in fishing trips from historic levels, in lieu of continued fishing for other species, in the event of the imposition of a zero bag limit for red snapper”.
The use of the words “relatively minor apparent” and “suggests” do not seem to coincide with Dr. Crabtree’s former comments in regards to the possibility that this proposed complete closure could have one of the greatest impacts to the fishing industry the Council has ever seen in any of the 8 fishing regions in the United States. In addition, they do not seem to back-up the testimonies (also required under the MSA) given at these past meetings from virtually hundreds of fishermen (both recreational and commercial), along with other individuals associated with the red snapper fishing industry who may be impacted by a complete closure, all who stated that this proposed closure would be a complete devastation to many of their livelihoods.
In summary, if you do not comment in regards to the impending use of the interim rule for an immediate one year closure of the red snapper fishery, you may simply lose your privilege to harvest this species forever.
Do not forget that it is the intent of the Council to have Amendment 17A in place by the time the interim rule expires in October 2010 (if approved by the Secretary of Commerce), which will continue to prohibit the harvest of red snapper, both commercially and recreationally, most likely for a period of 25 to 35 years. In addition, as part of permanent measures (Amendment 17A) to end the alleged overfishing of red snapper, large areas of the South Atlantic will be closed to ALL BOTTOM fishing, to prevent by-catch mortality of the red snapper.
Some of these proposed alternatives include no bottom fishing 19 miles seaward of 81 degrees W if you are fishing off-shore of the Jacksonville, Florida area. That is just one example of what is being proposed as a permanent alternative under Amendment 17A. Now is the time to comment."
Administrator
Dr Lubchenco's Facebook comments Re: red snapper closure
She has a Facebook page. I thought it only fair to present her comments as well.
www.facebook.com
Post #70Jane Lubchenco wrote5 hours ago
Thank you to everyone who took the time to post a comment here on Facebook. I realize our determination that red snapper are overfished may seem to conflict with your observations of a dramatic increase in the number and size of red snapper in the last couple of years, so I can understand many of your negative reactions to the new temporary rule. I know that this is of little consolation, but please understand that we did not make this decision in haste – particularly in the face of hard economic times. And contrary to many of your opinions, NOAA has been using the very latest population assessment techniques and science to make decisions about the South Atlantic red snapper fishery.
As many of you already know, red snapper can live for more than 50 years, growing quickly during the first 10 years of life and reaching 20 inches total length by age three. Despite the large number of red snapper recently observed (and as many of you have also noted here) the population assessment, which uses data through 2006, indicates most landed red snapper were less than 10 years old. Data collected by anglers in 2009 further support these findings, and will most likely be used in the 2010 population assessment update. While there has been a dramatic increase in the number and size of young red snapper, the lack of older red snapper suggests the population is still depleted. Therefore, the increased catches anglers are experiencing suggest a great spawning year occurred around 2005 or 2006.
The news that so many young snapper live in South Atlantic waters is good news for the long term sustainability of this vital fishery. However, it is imperative that we address the age discrepancy between young and older fish now, or risk a return to previous, less robust, catch levels of five years ago. Our hope is that the temporary closure will allow the fishery to rebound quickly so we can work with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to open the fishery as soon as possible.
One recent example of this sort of success can be found in the Gulf of Mexico, where the red snapper fishery is currently showing great signs of rebuilding after earlier careful management decisions reduced fishing pressure. As a result, discussions with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council this coming February may result in increased catch levels for Gulf of Mexico red snapper in 2010. Although the red snapper population in the Gulf is still a long way from making a full recovery, reducing fishing pressure has expedited the recovery process and continues to provide long-term benefits to the fish, as well as to those dependent upon it for business and recreation. As the species’ condition continues to improve, fishermen are reporting red snapper in areas where they haven’t been seen in many years, such as off of Tampa Bay, Fla., and southward.
NOAA is committed to rebuilding our fisheries and sustaining the way-of-life and quality-of-life fishing provides. However, this is not easy and not without controversy. And I am well aware that our decisions have consequences for individual fishermen, their families and communities. We must continue to work together if we are to achieve our shared goal of more fish in the sea.
Thank you.
Administrator
Bottoming out: Snapper and grouper fishermen are staring
Another article on the effect of the red snapper shutdown:
http://www.nationalfisherman.com/sea...0A%0A%0A%0A%0A
Bottoming out
Snapper and grouper fishermen are staring
into the abyss of a potential 35-year fishery closure
By Hoyt Childers
Skipper Brian Lloyd stood by his 35-foot reef boat, Charlotte Marie, at Safe Harbor Seafood in Mayport, Fla., pondered the scant options remaining if the snapper-grouper fishery closes, and voiced what troubles the sleep of many South Atlantic fishermen.
“I’m trying to support my family,” he said. “They have to allow us to do something.”
Nothing is certain until Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke approves it, but the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Amendment 17A could close the entire South Atlantic EEZ to red snapper fishing as well as a portion of the EEZ — as much as 26,600 square miles — to fishing for all snapper and grouper species, for up to 35 years.
Amendment 17B will include additional restrictions on nine other species of snapper and grouper that are classified as overfished.
By the council’s analysis, net revenues for commercial fishermen in hardest hit Georgia and northeast Florida could plunge 71 percent.
It would be the end of bottomfishing, said Gerald Pack, owner of Safe Harbor Seafood. Besides the ruinous cost, the heritage link — the capacity of fishermen to pass knowledge and skills to their children — would be broken.
“If they shut it down for 35 years, who’s going to be left to teach them?” he asked.
Depending on how the council process unfolds, the final version of Amendment 17A could be in front of the commerce secretary in March, or perhaps not before May. In any case, fishermen are already under the yoke: On Dec. 3 (the day the White House hosted a “jobs forum”) NMFS implemented an interim 180-day red snapper fishing ban, effective Jan. 4.
In 2008, snapper-grouper provided about $14 million or approximately 24 percent of all South Atlantic finfish landings, based on the NMFS database.
For the sport and charter sectors, the council estimates a region-wide direct annual loss of $19.5 million.
Chuck Adams, a Florida Sea Grant economist and marine economics professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville, reckons effects would be long term and reach well beyond the dock.
“The cumulative losses over an extended long-term recovery period are obviously daunting… especially for coastal communities already reeling from an economic slowdown that has impacted coastal tourism and the demand for locally produced seafood products,” he said via e-mail.
“An 11 percent loss in revenue by a grouper boat may be just enough to push it over the financial edge during these volatile times. How many commercial vessels would be forced to tie up? What would be the impact on local seafood processors and markets as throughput is reduced and local markets lost?…
“Will the costs (both business and social) of imposing such stringent stock recovery strategies be offset by the benefits associated with the recovery of the red snapper stocks? National Standards 7 and 8 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act are there to ensure such questions are asked.”
U.S. Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), reflecting on a persistent recession that has seen markets contract and unemployment hit its highest level since 1983, said a shutdown “couldn’t come at a worse time. It would have a devastating effect.”
Mica, along with U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) and 13 other House members, sponsored H.R. 3307 to stop the interim rule.
McIntyre said during a telephone interview that “the 180-day closure of the red snapper fishery is of great concern.” He said he supports protection of marine resources, but the cost to communities in the long-term Amendment 17A closures would be too severe, as well.
“The fishing industry is the backbone of many of our coastal towns in North Carolina,” he said. “It provides good jobs and a steady source of income for hundreds of fishermen in my district, and we have got to do everything we can to stop this attack on their livelihoods.”
The council was scheduled to consider but not finalize Amendment 17A during its Dec. 6-11 meeting in Atlantic Beach, N.C.
As that meeting began, the council had chosen a preferred red snapper rebuilding period — 15 to 35 years — but not a closed area. (Still unclear is when some fishing might be allowed as assessments show stocks beginning to recover.)
The smallest closure would ban snapper and grouper fishing in 8,100 square miles of ocean from the South Carolina-Georgia state line south to Melbourne, Fla., between water depths of 98 and 240 feet, and ban red snapper fishing throughout the EEZ.
The largest would ban snapper and grouper fishing in 26,600 square miles of ocean stretching from McClellanville, S.C., to Melbourne, and ban red snapper fishing in the EEZ.
Senior Member
Get Ready Boys You think this will stop with the SASMFC. They are shutting down Grouper and Red Snapper(plus 9 other species as part of 17B).
What is Next?
Senior Member
Pew paterned with commercials? Now that is a laugh. IMO the commercials are not accurately reporting what they are catching. This is the blind leading the blind.
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