Article by Larry Jock
Maryland Anglers Must Register in 2010
Beginning January 1, 2010 anglers in Maryland will be required to sign-up with the National Saltwater Angler Registry. The purpose of the registry is to assist NOAA in accumulating catch and effort data by creating a national registry of anglers that will be used for telephone surveys.
Who Must Register?
All anglers fishing in Maryland waters must register EXCEPT for:
•Holders of Chesapeake Bay Sportfish License.
• Anglers who fish only on licensed party, charter, or guide boats. These vessels are surveyed separately from angler surveys.
• Anglers holding permits to fish for highly migratory species, such as tunas or swordfish, and those fishing under commercial fishing licenses or subsistence fishing permits.
• Anglers registered or permitted to fish in a formal state or federal subsistence fishery.
• Anglers under 16 years of age.
What Information is Being Collected?
The goal is to collect just enough information to make it possible to correctly identify and contact anglers to conduct surveys about their catch and effort. Registrations will include an angler’s name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and the regions where they intend to fish, though anglers will not be restricted to only fishing in those regions, and will not be required to register separately for each region they fish in. As is the case already, surveys may be handled by representatives of NOAA Fisheries or state fisheries agencies.
Will It Cost Money to Register?
Fishermen who are automatically included in the registry because their state has a Memorandum of Agreement to share angler information with NOAA will NOT be required to pay a federal registration fee (though they will need to pay any costs associated with their state license). For others, Congress gave NOAA Fisheries the option of collecting a fee to cover the administrative costs of running the registry. There will be no charge for the registry until 2011, at which time it is expected to cost about $25 for those required to pay. All fees collected through the Registry will go to the U.S. treasury, not a specific program.
How Do You Register?
Anglers can register by phone at 1-888-674-7411 or online at www.countmyfish.noaa.gov.
Note: Delaware anglers DO?NOT need to register with the national database since the State of Delaware already has a licensing program in place.
ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Assessment Update Finds Species Not Overfished and Overfishing Not Occurring
The 2009 Atlantic striped stock assessment update indicates that the resource remains in good condition. Estimated fishing mortality rates in 2008 are equal to or less than 0.21 and below the target (0.30) and threshold (0.34) rates. The assessment provides stock status for the combination of the three primary stocks (Hudson River, Delaware River, and the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries). The striped bass stock complex is determined to be not overfished with overfishing not occurring.
Although spawning stock and total biomass have remained relatively stable over the last several years, stock abundance declined from 2004 to 2007 with a small increase in 2008. The decrease in abundance is reflected in a decline in coastwide landings in 2007 and 2008. The decline is more prevalent in areas largely dependent on contributions from the Chesapeake stocks (such as Maine) than areas that are dominated by the Hudson stock (such as New York). The spawning stock has remained relatively stable due to the growth and maturation of the 2003 year class and the accumulation of spawning biomass from year classes prior to 1996. Analysis of tag data also suggests an increasing natural mortality in Chesapeake Bay, likely the result of the mycobacteriosis.
Recruitment estimates have averaged 12.5 million fish since 1995 when the stock complex was declared restored. The 2006 and 2007 estimates were the lowest in recent years at 7.4 million and 5.8 million fish, respectively. The 2003 cohort remains the largest since 1982 at 22.8 million fish. Recruitment in 2008 of 13.3 million fish was slightly above the recent average.
Striped bass are one of the most sought after species by recreational anglers along the Atlantic coast. In 2008, recreational anglers landed over 2.2 million striped bass weighing 12,310 metric tons. Recreational landings have ranged from a low of 336 metric tons in 1989 to a high of 13,814 metric tons in 2006. The coastwide landings in 2008 reflect a 17 percent decline from a high of 2.7 million fish in 2006. Changes in landings have varied by state, with Maine, Conneticut, and New York showing an increase in landings and the remaining states showing a 32% decrease on average. Recreational discard mortalities (assuming an 8 percent mortality of releases) in 2008 were 950,000 fish, a 64 percent decrease from a high of 2.1 million fish in 2006.
Landings from the commercial striped bass fishery have been consistently lower than the recreational catch. Commercial landings increased from 63 metric tons in 1987 to 2,679 metric tons in 1997 and have remained steady due to quota restrictions. Landings in 2008 were 3,281 metric tons. Gill nets are the dominant commercial gear used to target striped bass. Other commercial fishing gears include hook and line, pound nets, seines, and trawls.
Fishermen To March on Washington, DC
In a historic show of solidarity, recreational and commercial fishermen will gather together on the steps of the Capitol on February 24, 2010 from noon until 3 p.m. in an organized demonstration against the unintended negative impacts of the Magnuson Stevens Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the federal fisheries law which was revised in January of 2007.
"We need to let Congress and NOAA know that we are the collective voice of the recreational fishing community and the collective voice does not accept the current broken management system," said Jim Donofrio, Executive Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance.
Nils Stolpe, a consultant to the commercial fishing industry and columnist for SavingSeafood.org, said that over the past three decades since the original Magnuson Act was established, fishermen have been gradually phased out of the fisheries management process, regardless of sector. "The scientists have been put in charge, and as the list of closures and restrictions demonstrates, the Act has been turned into a weapon that is now being used against fishermen and fishing communities."
Some participants have questioned the timing of the march, coming in one of the coldest months of the year. "We can't let seasons stop the momentum, and if we wait any longer none of us will be fishing.” said Donofrio. “Many members of Congress will be standing shoulder to shoulder with us"
Sea Bass Season Only Open for 2 Months in 2010
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) met in Wilmington, Delaware from December 8 through December 10, 2009. The Council met with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board (Board) on December 8 and adopted the following 2010 recreational fishery management measures:
For the 2010 recreational black sea bass fishery, the Council and Board voted to adopt a 12.5 inch total length minimum fish size and maintain the current 25 fish possession limit. The season would be open June 1st through June 30th and September 1st through September 30th.
RFA Sues NOAA Over Closure of Black Sea Bass Fishery
In a 40-page legal challenge submitted before the U.S. District Court of New Jersey on November 4, the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) and industry allies have officially brought legal action against the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke due to the recent recreational closure of the Atlantic recreational black sea bass fishery. The challenge contends that the recent closure is not only unprecedented for a fish whose stocks are considered rebuilt and not overfished, but that the action is also based upon "misapplication and misuse of a fatally flawed angler survey which NMFS itself has acknowledged is not to be used for this type of decision."
Filed for a dozen specifically named plaintiffs, the official complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief requested expedited consideration in hopes of reversing the six-month sea bass closure as quickly as possible on behalf all saltwater anglers and fishery dependent businesses. According to Capt. Tony Bogan, plaintiff of the United Boatmen, the recent closure of sea bass is only a part of the legal equation. "This goes way behind sea bass," Bogan said of the legal argument, adding "it addresses the potential action by NMFS in the future to arbitrarily close fisheries on a whim or because of survey trends or ideology.'
By closing a recreational fishery based on the fatally flawed recreational survey (MRFSS), the suit contends that the government violated numerous provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and National Standard guidelines issued by NMFS. Additionally, it charges the defendants with ignoring countervailing information and for failure to consider less severe alternatives.
Herb Moore, Jr., RFA co-counsel said the disregard for the spirit and intent of the Magnuson Stevens Act is one thing, but the clear disregard for the legal requirements of the federal fisheries law is something that leads him to be cautiously optimistic. "These cases are very hard to win, but I think we've got some very strong arguments," Moore said, adding "NMFS was extremely arrogant with their sea bass decision and we're calling them out on this one." Moore charges that NMFS was very deliberate in their actions, explaining "they purposely chose an insular approach designed to block public scrutiny by claiming that they had good cause to waive prior notice and the opportunity for public comment."
To view full legal challenge submitted on behalf of the recreational fishing community, visit the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) homepage at www.joinrfa.org (see RFA Legal Defense Fund - The Fight For Angler's Rights.) Anglers and business owners interested in joining the coalition and supporting the legal challenge are encouraged to look for the Donate button on the RFA homepage. Donations may also be mailed to:
RFA Legal Defense Fund
PO Box 3080
New Gretna, NJ 08224
As of the court filing date, $18,855 in donations have been collected towards the initial challenge, though the plaintiffs expect that the real fight is now set to begin.
"This is the beginning of the battle, not the ending by any means," said Moore.
Ex-Navy Destroyer To Be Sunk at Del-Jersey-Land Reefsite
As part of the first multi-state reefing effort, Delaware soon will take title to the decommissioned Navy destroyer Arthur W. Radford to have the former warship sunk in 2010 at a new artificial reef off the Indian River Inlet.
The Radford, at a length of 563 feet, will be the longest vessel ever reefed in the Atlantic, with the sinking to take place at the Del-Jersey-Land inshore site located 26 miles southeast of the Indian River Inlet.
The sinking is expected to take place in spring or summer of 2010, over the jointly-developed Del-Jersey-Land reef, which is equidistant from fishing ports in Indian River, DE, Cape May, NJ, and Ocean City, MD. The reef is a collaborative effort of the three states and comprises an area of about one square mile with a depth of 120-130 feet.
This will be the first multi-state reefing effort since the site was permitted in 2006 with the purpose of joint development by the three states’ reef programs. Funding for the ship’s transportation, clean-up, preparation, sinking and monitoring will be shared among the three states and the Navy.