Report: MA gamefish bill meeting

[DarkSkies]

I got back late last night, after being at the meeting from 11am-4pm yesterday. It was interesting to see how everyone interacted and observe the political process first-hand.

I'll try to have the complete report up by 12 noon today as I go through my notes and get a chance to post up with the pics I took.

Here's a tip:
Most of it will be boring. To those who were speaking however, it was their shot to be heard. Everyone who wanted to speak got a chance.

The posting will be here for a historical record, and may be more lengthy than you're used to seeing me post.

If you want to understand just the basic points of the outline, skip to the end.

Remember, people...you heard it here first. I'll also post up the same thing on www.stripercoastsurfcasters.com in their public forums for anyone who isn't a member here and can't view the pics here at www.stripersandanglers.com.

Pics of the MA Assembly, the Great Hall:

[DarkSkies]

The room was packed beyond belief, SRO crowd. There were 4 bench areas that each seated approx 20 people, accounting for about 80. There were another 60-80 people ringing the perimeter, and stacked up on the sides.


[The pics are poor due to the bad indoor lighting. I took them without flash. ]












In all, I estimated 130-160 spectators/participants in the 40x20' room. Of that amount, some were before the Assembly on other matters. It would be fair to say that around 100-120 people were there on the striped bass matter. I could be off a little on my estimates.

If you ran into such a concentration of bass in the outside world, ya might say they were "stacked like cordwood".

They summarized the language of the bill HB796, An Act Relative to the Conservation of Atlantic Striped Bass. This was originally presented to the Assembly for the first time in Jan 2009.


The first part of the day's sessions consisted of the Representatives and Senators speaking about this Bill, either For or Against.

It became apparent from the very start that there were a lot of strong viewpoints on each side. There was definitely some hostile tension and bad feelings. To the credit of each side, both opposing groups managed to maintain a civil manner, and only had to be admonished by the Chairman once when things got a little loud.

[DarkSkies]

The panel:
Rep William Strauss (chair)
Sen Anthony Petrucelli (co-chair)
Rep Carolyn C Dykema
Rep Timothy R Madden
Rep Ann Margaret Ferrante
Sen Bruce E Tarr

















Since I don't live in Mass, I tried to be as impartial as possible. Many know I have strong opinions and might wonder if thats possible. Notice I said "as impartial as possible". I originally went there to speak out in support of the bill. After I heard the implications, I had some reservations.

Actually, I have some real questions about the testimony presented on both sides. It bugs me that so many only wanted to see their side of things, and refused to consider the position of the other side.

In the end, I realized that's what our representatives, fishing organizations, and lobbyists are for. It seems like dirty politics, but that's how things are run in this world.

They listen to our opinions, and then decide among themselves behind closed doors. Our job as voters is to decide who best represents our interests, and then lobby that politician with letters, campaign donations, or donations to a group that can represent us en masse. Otherwise, gov't politely listens, but they are mostly listening to their Constituents.

Constituents as a bloc have the most power in getting politicians' attention because they are the key group that, when mad enough, can vote a politician IN, or OUT OF, office.

I'll be trying to present a fair and balanced paraphrasal of peoples' statements here. I hope my biases don't show through too much. I understand each politician has a self-preservation interest to represent the voters in their district. They're just doing the best to maintain job security, like everyone else.

I will try to point out which politicians seemed more favorable to recreational fishermen, without seeming to endorse a certain politician. You guys and girls in MA have to keep yourselves informed and make your own decisions.

[DarkSkies]

As mentioned, all these came from my notes, paraphrased as accurately as I could. With these and the Spectator summaries, if anyone at any time has any corrections that need to be made in spelling of names or accuracy of testimony, feel free to contact me and I'll be glad to edit.

*************************



1. Rep Peaks: (Spearfishermen might be interested in this)
She first got up to support several spearfishermen in her district who are inconvenienced by the restrictions MA has placed on spearfishermen. They're going to Rhode Island to spearfish. They want the language changed so they don't have to do that. I think the bill was HB799.

Spectator supporters:




Face Winston and the Mass Freedivers club got up to speak.
"Spearfishing is sensible, respectable, and has very little bycatch. It's allowed in other states, but not MA. Please consider allowing it here."

[DarkSkies]

2. Rep Karyn E Polito: (Representing Recs)






She spoke in support of recreational fishermen in her district, saying that the bill would be a win for the Commonwealth. She stated that approx $90MM was brought into MA revenues each year by recreational fishing and related activities.


Here's a copy of her supporting argument letter below.

[DarkSkies]

3. Rep Clive Turner: (Representing Comms)
" Bass fishing is the backbone of commerce in my district. Many of my constituents will be negatively impacted if you pass this bill. I do not support it."

[DarkSkies]

4. Senator O'Leary: (Representing Comms)

"I'm against this bill. There is too much legislation regarding striped bass as it is. I realize there are some concerns, some competing perspectives.

We're not at a point where we need to intervene - leave it up to the NMFS.

Why target the commercial people as the focus of this problem? The problem may be bigger than this, and it isn't fair to put the blame squarely on their shoulders."

[DarkSkies]

5. Representative Peaks: (Representing Comms)




Note: Representative Peaks is the MA state representative to the ASMFC

"This bill will serve no meaningful conservation purpose. This will put a negative impact on tourism.

The bill falls more reasonably under the ASMFC auspices.

If it's about the science - I can tell you the striped bass stock has been successfully rebuilt according to the statistics. Striped bass recovery is the biggest fish recovery success story ever, and there is no danger at all now.

As for Mortality -- 81% of the fishing mortality is attributable to the Recs, only 19% to the Comms. The segment of the industry that is killing the most bass is the Recreational fishermen.

Commercial fishermen are facing tough times. These people will be put out of business if this bill is passed. There will be a large ripple effect in the local seaside economies.

Negative impact on tourism - Restaurant owners in my district claim that people "plan thier vacations around coming to the Cape to eat wild striped bass. They will not come to our state to vacation any more if they can't eat their wild striped bass."

[DarkSkies]

6. Representative Matthew Patrick: (Representing Recs) from Bourne, Mashpee, Barnstable





"The overall biomass is not down, but breeding females are down as a % of this total number.

We have seen a decline in breeding females. Females are always the biggest fish when you are talking about bass larger than 30". That is why it's necessary to protect them.

During the Moratorium put in place by the lower states, the Chesapeake Bay stocks had crashed because large females were aggressively targeted by anglers.

I am a fisherman, and have some experience fishing for striped bass.

Striped bass represent a billion dollars yearly of revenue in MA, if you look at all the aggregate economic activity generated by Recreational anglers here and elsewhere coming to fish for them.

Commercial fishing represents about $24 million of yearly revenue based on the aggregate effect.

The business of fishing and its related industries is either the largest or 2nd largest revenue stream in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

This bill represents a "starting point" Don't leave it up to the DMF. They were the ones in charge many years ago when the stocks collapsed.

We cannot sustain a collapse of this magnitude again.

Some studies and results have shown - (documents available for the committee's review)
a. Consistently taking large fish changes the gene pool. Bigger fish are genetically superior, and there is some concern that eliminating them or reducing their numbers encourages less genetically fit fish to become a bigger part of the biomass.

b. 3000 Commercial permits were taken out in 2008, at a fee of $65. Of those 3000, only 1207 permit holders reported catching any fish. It is my understanding that they do this to ensure a consistent portion of quota is given to commercial fishermen.

c. Advisory warnings - several states now have advisory warnings against women and children eating too many striped bass because the larger ones have higher PCB concentrations.

I am not a man who wants to put these commercial fishermen out of work. I don't want to see their livelihood taken away. If there was a way to restrict fishing in some way by contacting the DMF and restricting commercial fishermen from harvesting big females and still allowing them to fish, I would be all for it.

I would also bring your attention to the Southwick study publicized by StripersForever. The goal of all of us should be to look at the breeding females and figure out how to protect them.

Here are my recommendations in addition to supporting this bill:
1. Figure out a way to save the spawning females.
2. Find a way to buy out commercial fishermen so they are not financially impacted if we pass this gamefish bill.
3. I would like to see a slot fish limit of 20-26", and the number of keeper bass reduced from 2 to 1. "

[DarkSkies]

7. Senator Bruce E Tarr (Representing Comms)






"I am completely against this bill. With my dying breath I will not support anything that takes away from the livelihood of commercial fishermen."



Sidebar:
[ Senator Tarr has a working relationship with Senator Patrick]

For anyone who was not happy with the results of the hearing, you would be well advised to proceed according to the above info. Encourage these 2 legislators to work together on some kind of a reasonable compromise.

IMO if any of the lawmakers have the incentive and inclination to make anything happen, it will not happen without the support and agreement of these 2 gentlemen.

[DarkSkies]

8. Representative D'Amico: (Representing the Recs)




"I support this bill. The state of Texas had redfish declared a gamefish. Therefore, this action in Massachusetts is not unprecedented. It brought substantially more tourist dollars into the state after they did this.

Value comparisons:
The dollar value of striped bass to this state from recreational fishing is 48x the amount we receive from Commercial fishing. That is a significant difference, and a value we would continue to receive and possibly have increased as a result of passing this bill."



*******************************
Sidebar: Article mentioning the passage of the redfish gamefish bill in Texas, and the subsequent results:

http://www.lsonews.com/20071023218/P...-red-drum.html



President George W. Bush signs an Executive Order to protect striped bass and red drum


Written by Mark England Tuesday, 23 October 2007

President George W. Bush signs an Executive Order to protect the striped bass and red drum fish populations Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007, at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md. President Bush is joined during the signing by, from left, Michael Nussman, president of American Sportfishing Association; Brad Burns, president of Stripers Forever; David Pfeifer, president of Shimano America Corp.; Walter Fondren, chairman of Coastal Conservation Association; U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez; U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland and U.S. Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne. White House photo by Eric Draper

Recreational anglers came up big Saturday when President George W. Bush signed an order banning the commercial harvesting of redfish and striped bass in federal waters.

While both species were already protected, a spokesman for the American Sportfishing Association said the order is more than window dressing. Gordon Robertson noted federal regulations as written were subject to change.

"With this order, they can never be changed," he said.

Robertson added, "It will be a huge benefit to the sportsman and the resource."

The Oct. 20th order doesn't prohibit the commercial sale of redfish and stripers produced by aquaculture. However, harvesters can't touch either species within the "Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States," or 200 miles beyond state waters.

In a radio address, Bush said he acted to "preserve our fisheries." "These two species were once abundant in American waters, but their stocks were overfished," Bush said.

Officials for the Coastal Conservation Association and Stripers Forever – both of which campaigned arduously for the – praised the conservation order.

"When CCA began to work on recovering red drum 30 years ago in Texas, we never imagined an event like this would ever be possible," said Chairman Walter W. Fondren III. "We owe a debt of gratitude to the president for recognizing the high value placed on these resources by the citizens of this country."

SF President Bradford Burns said the order represents Bush's realization that the game fish designation will lead to the best use of the two species.

"Socioeconomic studies show that the industry this fishery represents is many more times valuable than that represented by harvesting these same fish commercially," Burns said.

A Texas Parks and Wildlife official agreed.

“Recreational fishing is a $2 billion industry in Texas, while commercial fishing is a $100-200 million industry," said Larry McKinney, director of the Coastal Fisheries Division. "We’ve been stressing that for years.”

President George W. Bush is shown a fish caught by Melissa Fischer, left, by her husband, Chris Fischer, aboard a fishing boat Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007 off the coast of St. Michaels, Md., in the Chesapeake Bay, during a television interview with the Fischers, hosts of ESPN¹s Offshore Adventures. President Bush talked about his love of the outdoors and the Executive Order signed earlier in the day to protect striped bass and red drum fish species. White House photo by Eric Draper

News of Bush's order thrilled a Texas guide who specializes in fishing for redfish.

"It will really help us," said James Fox, who runs a guide service in Rockport. "It will stop all the commercial fishing for redfish."

Fox called the order "absolute protection" for redfish. McKinney noted that federal waters are where redfish are most at risk.

"That's where they reproduce and where they are always vulnerable," he said.

Redfish were declared a game fish in Texas waters in 1981.

"Following that, our stocks went up 100 percent," McKinney said.

In 1987, the commercial harvest of redfish was also banned in federal waters. The impact of the ban was dramatic. The commercial harvest of redfish dropped from 14 million pounds in 1986 to 22,000 pounds in 2006. Meanwhile, the recreational catch of redfish jumped from 3.5 million in 1986 to 9.8 million in 2006.

As far as striped bass, they're a scarce resource off the Texas coast -- given the dams found along most rivers that drain into the Gulf, although some have been caught in the Sabine Lake area in recent years.

Commercial harvesters reacted angrily to the order.

Bob Jones, executive director of Southeast Fisheries (a commercial fishing trade group based in Tallahassee, Fla.), noted the order came as the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council was trying to determine if the redfish stock could support a limited commercial harvest.

Jones called Bush's order an unprecedented resource grab.

"He gave all of the fish to the CCA," Jones told the Mobile Press-Register. "What he is doing is totally opposite from the process that has been in place with Magnuson-Stevens since 1976."

TPW's McKinney said the order came at an opportune time as pressure was building to open up redfish and striped bass to commercial harvesting.

"From our perspective, we hope this will keep that to a minimum," he said. "From an economic standpoint, you can't justify it. They're both far more valuable as a recreational resource than as a commercial resource."

[DarkSkies]

They then opened the floor to any groups or individuals who wanted to speak, and had pre-registered.

I'm getting tired of the typing. I'll use the following abbreviations:

sb = striped bass
cf = commercial fishing
rf = recreational fishing
sf = stripers forever
mv = Martha's vineyard
cc = Cape Cod
ccchfa = Cape Cod commercial hook fisherman's assoc

[DarkSkies]

SF was one of the sponsors of the bill. They had a few people up at the table:

1. Craig Coldwell:




"Striped bass financed the first schools in MA. They were the first fish ever to be managed by the states. SB are the most important recreational fish in terms of dollar activity.
Fishing is the #1 past-time in the US, according to dollars spent.
MA has a history of being a leader in conservation.
Of our neighbors, 6 of 13 do not allow the commercial sale of sb."

2. A marine biologist, and another person (I didn't get the names)

3. **** Russell - author of the Striper Wars...

Mr Russell is to the Left in this pic


a book chronicling the history of striper fishing in the US, the amazing abundance, the devastating decline, and the remarkable comeback story.
" In terms of the number of breeding females, we are at the same declining levels we were at before the striped bass crash in the late 1970s which resulted in the striped bass Moratorium in 1982."




************************
The presentation was extremely professional, with great charts and graphs. Maybe it was too professional.



The commercial fishermen, as if on cue, referred to them as a "special interest group".

SF spoke about the decline of the striped bass fishery as noted by many respected charter captains, fishing guides, and fishermen who are outdoor writers. Some people who have a lot of credibility have been saying that the size of striped bass overall has been declining since 2004.

They mentioned the Southwick study, the fact that YOY studies in the Chesapeake, and several respected sources in the Striper fishing world seem to agree that there has been a decline in the number of larger (female) bass in the last few years.

They tried to give qualitative and quantitative evidence for the decline of the fishery.

Here's a link to their site:

Striped bass - Why a gamefish?
http://www.stripersforever.org/Info/gamefish


Some interesting research:
http://www.stripersforever.org/Info/Stripers_Research/

Ted Williams - Striped bass headed for a crash? FRR July 2009
http://www.stripersforever.org/Info/...uly%202009.pdf


Poaching by commercial fishermen in MA:
http://www.stripersforever.org/Info/...44.0/Seize.pdf


Al Ristori talks about the affect of gamefish status in NJ:
http://www.stripersforever.org/Info/...20rebuttal.pdf

[finchaser]

All in favor of DS quitting his daytime job and becoming a RF lobbyist

[DarkSkies]

What does RF stand for ya grouchy bassturd?

I'm tired of all this typing. I know progress wasn't made yesterday. I should just give it up already, right?

As for the SF proposal, it's not a good idea to mount a program in a recession that will allegedly take jobs away from people. At least awareness was raised.

All the crabbing you do every day when ya talk to me has turned me into grouchy old bassturd II.

I try to be objective. However, I know you and many other people in the shadows who don't want to get involved any more. Every day I get to hear real stories about a declining fishery.

If you only fish in one state, and don't pay attention to what happens N or S of you, you might not be able to see the big picture. If you have a boat to get in the middle of the biggest bass, you would swear that the fishery is perfectly fine.

When Bob Pond first started talking about conservation and founded Stripers Unlimited, people made fun of him. They ridiculed him behind his back, and thought he was delusional as well.

They called him "Chicken little".

Eventually, they began to understand some of the things he was talking about on their own. Today, most people realize that Bob Pond was way ahead of his time and could see things that others couldn't.

Don't be ready to lump me in as a Rec Fishing lobbyist just yet. I have some serious issues with the recreational industry, the NJ bonus tags, and how we as recreationals report our catches, and the ego and greed I have witnessed first hand on the part of many recreational guys.

Those things have to somehow be addressed if the striped bass fishery will continue to exist as a sustainable one.

As it is now, I maintain it isn't sustainable, and the landings, as most recently reported, will continue to decline. The latest stats for this were revealed at the hearing, and both sides made mention of it.

If it's not addressed by addressing the hidden issues, and the increased pressure placed on bass by all the other closures, the landings could continue to decline. I stand by that statement.

Don't take my word for it, I'm just a goog with a white bucket!

That's why I take such time to record and document stories by you, Finchaser the Old Grouchy Bassturd, Gunny/aka Stripercoast1, LilcoJoe from Montauk, Surfwalker, Clamchucker, etc, etc, and the many old-timers I have been fortunate to meet, who ask me to continue to speak out, because they're tired of preaching when no one seems to be listening.

And I'll continue to speak out, as long as I have you to fire me up with your rants and raves.

[finchaser]

sb = striped bass
cf = commercial fishing
rf = recreational fishing
sf = striper's forever
mv = Martha's vineyard
cc = Cape Cod
ccchfa = Cape Cod commercial hook fisherman's assoc

RF is from your codes.

And by the way if we do away with bonus tags the bass allotted to that program will be given to the general commercial quota.

NJ as a game fish state got the bonus program which started as a trophy tag for a fish over 40" when there really weren't many. Then some how they let the head boats tag cover everyone on board( peace offering for reduced season and bag limits on other fish).
Mass would have to adopt a similar program or loose there fish, the managers can't just let them live as part of conservation.

Next fish grew through the years and bunker supplies increased and now everything is out of control. Many people in charge of fisheries managment are appointed and have no marine biology training but plenty of time on their hands to institute these lame programs.


You have much to learn grasshopper,but it is all part of your lobbyist training so you can educate them.

[DarkSkies]

**** Russel wrote the book Striper Wars. I think it was published in 2005, chronicling the timeline.



One of the chapters in there is dedicated to Bob Pond. A little about his book:





[Mr. Pond, a resident of Attleboro and North Attleboro, was an avid fisherman who revolutionized striped bass fishing in the 1940s after discovering a method for catching the fish on the surface. He turned his knowledge into a business manufacturing multi-hooked swimming lures that the game fish found irresistible.
His Attleboro-based Atom Manufacturing cranked out wooden and plastic lures beginning in 1945 and continuing after he sold the business in 1998.
Mr. Pond was also a visionary in conservation, pointing out the threat to the fish from coastal fish traps and diseases.
Founder of the conservation group Stripers Unlimited, Pond's work, alongside that of the late Rhode Island Sen. John Chafee, is widely credited with helping save striped bass from extinction along the East Coast.
Mr. Pond persisted in his efforts despite being scoffed at by many sportsmen and scientists. Today, bass fishing constitutes a $1 billion a year business, said New York writer Frank Pintauro, who noted that Pond's vision helped open America's coastlines to a new, populist sport.
"At the end of World War II, when America's beaches were becoming a playground for everyman, rather than just the wealthy, Bob was a pioneer lure maker for what some have called the golden age of surf-casting," he said. "He was an extraordinary guy."
So influential was Mr. Pond's role in molding the sport, that some of his original lures have fetched up to $750 apiece from collectors.
But Mr. Pond's efforts in awakening the need for conservation is perhaps his most important legacy.
"Bob Pond was way out ahead of all the experts in sounding the alarm in the 1960s about dangers facing the striped bass, and without his tireless efforts on this magnificent fish's behalf, we wouldn't be out there catching them today," said **** Russell, environmental journalist and author of "Striper Wars: An American Fish Story. "He was a pioneer in ocean conservation, long before the impacts of overfishing and coastal pollution became topics of widespread concern." Russell's book contains a chapter about Pond's work. ]


***************************************

I didn't get a chance to personally meet Mr Russell or any of the other sf guys.

However, I did read up on some of his articles. I thought they made sense. I also looked for a hidden agenda. I went to his web site and looked for any PETA or PEW Trust affiliations. I can tell you that if I found any of those, I wouldn't be talking about him here.

I did read that he was an "environmentalist".

I don't like that term, and don't consciously associate with anyone who's described like that. I feel I have nothing in common with tree huggers.

Even though I care deeply about striped bass, I would never want to be labeled an environmentalist. The word has too many elite connotations for me.

Anyone who can share anything else about Mr Russell, positive or negative, please let me know.


Here's a link to his site. It talks about how he was involved in striped bass conservation in the 1980's when the stocks collapsed. If he still has the same passion for striped bass 25 years after the stocks collapsed and were brought back, I have to give him some credit:

His testimony and statement:
http://www.dickrussell.org/index.htm


Saving stripers will require tighter net of regulations 2-6-09
http://www.dickrussell.org/articles/savingstripers.htm


Striped bass in trouble again? 12-13-08
http://www.dickrussell.org/articles/trouble.htm

[DarkSkies]

And by the way if we do away with bonus tags the bass allotted to that program will be given to the general commercial quota.

You and I are gonna have to disagree on this one Fin. I know what you're saying is the truth. I researched it, and learned things can't always be looked at in black and white.
However, the loose regulation of this NJ bonus tag program is a serious issue. I know most fishermen out there are honest and want to respect the regs. Possessing that tag gives the dishonest ones a chance to cheat, and get away with it very easily.

They only risk getting caught on the small chance they are stopped by a DFG officer. Otherwise, possessing the tag gives the dishonest ones carte blanche to take 3 keepers every time they go out until they're stopped.

If we want to complain about the poaching and reg violating the cf are doing, we need to look at ourselves and make sure our own hands aren't bloody.

So IMO even though we would give up that allocation to another coastal state, so be it. I don't think we will ever, or should try to, eliminate all forms of commercial fishing in every state.

However we must do a better job of regulating the areas in BOTH cf and rf that are easily abused. If not we'll never get a true handle on the actual striper landings.

Many people in charge of fisheries managment are appointed and have no marine biology training but plenty of time on their hands to institute these lame programs.


You have much to learn grasshopper,but it is all part of your lobbyist training so you can educate them.

I get a and 2 s from you? That is the ultimate compliment, I'm honored!

The great lie in fisheries management is that they represent the fishermen fairly. How could they, if they've removed many of the fishermen committee members, one by one?

[DarkSkies]

CCCHFA:

(In this pic the CCCHFA are seated on the bench behind the table. You can see them to the extreme right. The pics are terrible, sorry)



The ccchfa and Exec Director Sue Nickerson got to the table and explained their opposition, basically job loss and financial hardship.


I thought they did a decent job of explaining their issues. Some of them I may not agree with, but I agreed with the way they presented them. It was hard for the legislators not to pay attention with person after person on the Comm side willing to testify, AND stacks of letters and e-mails presented to them.



*******************************

Most of the rest of the comments are from Comms. They far outnumbered the Recs. I estimated approx 80 Comms showed up.

The Recs, inclluding the SF group, numbered around 30-40 at most.

I had heard that sf was supposed to have 55 of its own members there. Additionally, I hoped there would be others to balance things out. It was kind of sad to see so many people talk about this stuff on internet sites. Then when it's time for them to show up, very few do.

If you ever think you want to oppose the Comms, you must realize that they will turn out in full force. They will go to meetings and voice their opinions. I realize a lot of people had to work that day, things happen. My impression was that it was a poor turnout for the Recs, considering how many there are out there.

[DarkSkies]

There were so many I can't post them all or my fingers will fall off.

I'm just gonna post the ones that seemed to offer a different perpective. These are all paraphrased as I heard them:



1. Willie Hatch, cf, Falmouth
"The ASMFC 11-19-09 report says the resource is in good condition. Female sb are at 148% and 180% over target. If there is an availibility problem, maybe it is the fault of the seals, less bait, or more pollution.
Since 2004 there has been a slight decline in my catches. To blame cf is unjust.
sf is a special interest group that wants the fish all to themselves. The stock is not overfished, it is sustainable. "


*********************************
2. Dean Carton, rf,


"I used to be a cf, now my thinking has changed. sb should be protected from commercial exploitation like other animals, like the deer and waterfowl are."
Mr Carton presented letters from -

a. Arthur Brownell, a Commissioner of Mass F&G from 1968-76. Mr Brownell said the rec value of striped bass far exceeded the comm value. The tourists will no longer come to MA if the bass stocks collapse.

b. Ted Williams - Ted Williams has a well-known article, reviewed here, Striper Signals, beginning with post #20:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...p?t=760&page=2

c. Capt Jimmy Elliot

****************
3. Richard _____, cf,
former member of MA legislature, now a cf:
"I have been cf since I left the legislature. This bill takes away from the ability of cf to earn a living. Commercial mortality is very low and should be regulated by the DMF. If any further regulation is needed, you should go to the DMF and demand stricter regs."





*************************
4. David Halbinson, rf, and charter captain, Halston, MA, speaking in support of the bill
"60 yrs fishing... there has been a precipitous drop in rf catches since 2006 according to NOAA and NMFS.
DMF striped bass permit breakdown:
What is the distribution of those who sell fish?
a. Only 453 reported they actually sold fish. That means approx 9% of permit holders sold 73% of all fish.
b. The total income brought into MA by all cf license holders is approx $3.4mm before taxes. This translates to approx $2800/yr. Assuming costs of doing business, I find it hard to believe these guys who are cf are making around $2800/year or substantially less on selling bass.

Are these figures and reported income accurate? Someone needs to look at this. "



*********************************
5. Dennis Gebrallis, cf, Hyannis -
"No one makes 100% of their income striped bass fishing. Leave us alone, we are only a small part of the catch."

************************************
6. Peter Budryk, rf, free lance Author - fishing 50 yrs


I am "for" the gamefish bill. Most commercial fishermen are honest, I agree with that statement.

However, the commercial permit system is being abused, and it is time the gov't or some governing body looks into it.
Remember the demise of the buffalo? At one time they were all over the land. Bluefin tuna now have a similar situation. Market fishing for these bluefin is extremely lucrative. The sizes are geting smaller and smaller every year. The same thing is happening to our striped bass. It's time to stand up and do something about it.
I'm a writer on Cape Cod, and have been writing for 60 years. I have seen that there are individuals on both sides who are abusing this system, BOTH commercial and recreational.
Therefore, it can be said that BOTH groups are stealing this shared resource form the American public."


**************************************
7. John Creed, cf, Sandwich Mass
"I've been fishing since I was 10 years old. Why are you worried about the catches of 23 people?
The fish are all offshore now where the food is.
I don't know where they spawn and I don't care. I only know all the fish are offshore and out of reach of most people. That is why they are saying there is less of them. '



*********************************************
8. Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass Association - cf


"We need sb as part of our diversified fishery. We fish for TAC - total allowable catch, and will soon be participating in catch shares developed by Dr Lubchenko."


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9. Menemsha fishing assoc - cf


"We don't know where you are getting your low figures from. We all caught over 6000lbs each last year."

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10. Stan Barry - cf - Boston fish wholesaler


"I have customers around the world who plan their season around buying and eating striped bass. They will not eat farmed striped bass and prefer wild striped bass. If I cannot provide it to them, I will lose these customers."