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Blaze · 01-30-2010, 08:28 AM

An article written by Ron Brooks,

An End to Fishing as We Know it - Is it In Sight?

Saturday January 23, 2010

I was reading my National Fisherman, a commercial fishing oriented magazine today and the article on Red Snapper hit me right between the eyes. All my efforts have been looking at the red snapper debate from a recreational point of view. This article looked from a commercial fishing perspective.
If the rules being put in place are held up, it could mean that red snapper fishing on the U.S. Southeastern Atlantic coast could be stopped for as many as 35 years - yes that is 35 years.

Right now, the season is closed for red snapper and for all shallow water grouper in the Southeastern Atlantic Federal waters. But, this is just an interim rule while the Southeastern Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC) decides on a permanent ruling for these species. Some of the options they are discussing include a deep water closure - from 240 feet on out - to all bottom fishing and/or a complete closure of all bottom fishing for specified areas of water from North Carolina to the Florida Keys.
I am no scientist, nor am I a fisheries biologist. But, I am a fisherman, and it pains me to think that the possibility that I will be prohibited from fishing in the future is very real. The "final" solution, once the population of these species are "sustainable is to have something called allocations. These would say rather than a bag limit on a particular species, you would be allowed to keep x number of fish, regardless of size or species. The bad part about this is that not everyone will get an allocation. There will only be so many to go around, and not every fisherman will get one. That's the way it was presented to me. So - what can you do? Contact your state and federal Representatives and Senators and let them know in no uncertain terms that you are not happy with (1) the way the NOAA and the SAFMC are handling the fishery, and (2) that the Magneson Stevens Act is bad legislation at a very bad time. Act now before they really do start taking away our fishing rights!

01-30-2010, 08:28 AM	#18
Blaze Senior Member How Do You Identify?: With my drivers Lic. Preferred Pronoun?: Gentleman.. Depends on the Situation. Relationship Status: Last Rodeo, what a ride, many sunrises & sunsets to be had... Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: where a realtor had me sign the dotted line Posts: 1,901 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 6,466 Thanked 5,457 Times in 1,450 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	An article written by Ron Brooks, An End to Fishing as We Know it - Is it In Sight? Saturday January 23, 2010 I was reading my National Fisherman, a commercial fishing oriented magazine today and the article on Red Snapper hit me right between the eyes. All my efforts have been looking at the red snapper debate from a recreational point of view. This article looked from a commercial fishing perspective. If the rules being put in place are held up, it could mean that red snapper fishing on the U.S. Southeastern Atlantic coast could be stopped for as many as 35 years - yes that is 35 years. Right now, the season is closed for red snapper and for all shallow water grouper in the Southeastern Atlantic Federal waters. But, this is just an interim rule while the Southeastern Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC) decides on a permanent ruling for these species. Some of the options they are discussing include a deep water closure - from 240 feet on out - to all bottom fishing and/or a complete closure of all bottom fishing for specified areas of water from North Carolina to the Florida Keys. I am no scientist, nor am I a fisheries biologist. But, I am a fisherman, and it pains me to think that the possibility that I will be prohibited from fishing in the future is very real. The "final" solution, once the population of these species are "sustainable is to have something called allocations. These would say rather than a bag limit on a particular species, you would be allowed to keep x number of fish, regardless of size or species. The bad part about this is that not everyone will get an allocation. There will only be so many to go around, and not every fisherman will get one. That's the way it was presented to me. So - what can you do? Contact your state and federal Representatives and Senators and let them know in no uncertain terms that you are not happy with (1) the way the NOAA and the SAFMC are handling the fishery, and (2) that the Magneson Stevens Act is bad legislation at a very bad time. Act now before they really do start taking away our fishing rights!