SAFMC Closes Down Snapper Fall 09

[Catch-All]

From one of our club members, Dave Heil. He's also an officer of CFOA, Central Florida Organization of Anglers. He took the time to travel up to Jekyll Island Georgia where the full voting Council of SAFMC is having its meeting on the Snapper Closure. It's guys like Dave who fight for the rest of us.

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The Snapper/Grouper committee passed an interim rule this morning 7 - 6 that would close the Snapper fishery for 6 months, which will be followed by another 186 day closure.

It goes to the full council which is identical to the committee this afternoon. Probably the earliest closure date would be this fall.

CCA Georgia supported the closure. The full Council haven't voted yet.
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The only way this won't pass is if someone on the Council gets an attack of conscience and switches their vote to HELL NO.

I asked Dave to give us a breakdown of how each person on the Council voted and also whiich groups showed up and their yes/no opinion on the issue.

No fishing for American Red Snapper (ARS) for a full year, commercials and recreationals alike. We're ALL screwed. And if you read how they wrote the regs up, if you are doing any bottomfishing for shallow-water species, then they can pop you for it. Nice, huh?

I told Dave that in my opinion, the only way to successfully fight this at this stage is to hire a respected scientist like Dr Bob Shipp and file a lawsuit to get it overturned.

Catch

[Catch-All]

Why am I not surprised at the traitorous backstabbing shitweasels at CCA?

[Catch-All]

From Dave Heil
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Council votes
Against closure (6) -Iarocci (Fla comm), Robson (Fla FWC), Cheuvont, Merritt, Swatzel & Wallace

For closure (7) -Geiger (turncoat Fla Rec also CCA), Currin, Boyles, Crabtree, Cupka, Harris & Shipman

Groups Against closure ( not all inclusive)
CFOA, FSFA, FRA, Joe from Cape Marina (go by and tell him thanks and support his business), Fla Keys Comm Fishermans Assoc and several others

Groups For closure
CCA(don't give another dime, send it to FRA), Pew, Ocean Conservancy, Oceana, Enviromental Defense Funds and assorted other tree huggers
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I've been saying for years that CCA is getting fish-hugger money via their Teddy Roosevelt Coalition conduit. The info above is the end result of that.

Any recreational fisherman who gives any money to CCA may as well shoot himself in the foot and hand his wallet over to the Enviro's. CCA used to do great things. But they have become a cabal of ColumbiaShirt Catch & Release inshore elitists co-opted by the Enviro movement. Look at every offshore issue that SAFMC has dealt with in the past few years and you'll see CCA consistently voting against recreational fishermen's interests.

Catch

[RiskTaker]

Thanks for the update Mark. When they did this stuff on the Gulf coast, so many people were complaining that it would kill the charter businesses.

After the full vote, if passed I guess it shuts down the entire SE Atlantic coast? Is that correct?

Wow, nothing like stifling the economy even further. Leave a recreational fishing limit of a few fish and some people may still go fishing. Catch limit of ZERO is bizarre.

Although I have not caught a Red Snapper lately, being from the littler latitudes of the SE.

[CaptKen]

If Im not mistaken CCA was the group that screwed the rec guy on the redfish while the comm netters were slaughtering them by the tons during the balackend red fish crave that started in La.
The good ole rec guy was then allowed to keep 1. Pissed me off to no end ! I use to enjoy going to Flamingo and being able to come home with a few redfish.

[Disco Lady]

De Pinga!!!

DL,

[Catch-All]

Briefing Book Click on the link.

scroll down to Tab 12 for the Grouper Snapper Committee. In addition to the Vermilion amendment, they're also voting on the "possible" ARS closure that I mentioned, as well as a few other things.

Long story short, the SAFMC scientists are hopping mad that the Secty Commerce derailed last Fall's Amendment 16 Snapper/Grouper closure, because of intense pressure from commercial & recreational fishermen. Last time, ther closure was only going to be for 6 months. This time, they are doing it in an airtight manner with no loopholes and probably cooking up more bullshit "science" to reinforce their case, and they're sticking it to us for a full year. It's their payback for us getting uppity.

THEY NEED TO BE SUED.

Catch

[mneptune]

Originally Posted by Catch-All

THEY NEED TO BE SUED.

Catch

I disagree, they need to be shot!!!

[WhItEoUt 23]

Originally Posted by Disco Lady

De Pinga!!!

DL,

[Harry Klauber]

I have a college kid that fishes with me and his family runs a headboat out of Mayport. His mother was at the meeting and said if passed (Sec of Commerce has to pass it) she will have to sell her boat (85 footer in business 25 years). She said business is bad enough with the economy what it is but this would be the final nail in their coffin.

Wait - here is the worst news. Since Red Snapper are also found where they fish for mangroves and grouper, and they know that RS are going to be a prolific by-catch, the talk is why not close down fishing in water under 140 feet so as to protect the smaller red snapper that are quite easy to catch. They happen to be about the easiest snapper to catch as they eat any bait, rigged any way, and swallow it quickly. Without the use of Circle Hooks almost every one caught on a conventional snapper rig (4 foot leader and egg sinker) is gut hooked and dies. They didn't even consider Gulf Rules - Circle Hooks, venting tool, and de-hooker - just went right for the jugular with a closure. It sure seems crazy since anyone that you talk to says there are more RS now than in the last 25 years. Crazy!! Harry

[Disco Lady]

Originally Posted by Harry Klauber

I have a college kid that fishes with me and his family runs a headboat out of Mayport. His mother was at the meeting and said if passed (Sec of Commerce has to pass it) she will have to sell her boat (85 footer in business 25 years). She said business is bad enough with the economy what it is but this would be the final nail in their coffin.

Wait - here is the worst news. Since Red Snapper are also found where they fish for mangroves and grouper, and they know that RS are going to be a prolific by-catch, the talk is why not close down fishing in water under 140 feet so as to protect the smaller red snapper that are quite easy to catch. They happen to be about the easiest snapper to catch as they eat any bait, rigged any way, and swallow it quickly. Without the use of Circle Hooks almost every one caught on a conventional snapper rig (4 foot leader and egg sinker) is gut hooked and dies. They didn't even consider Gulf Rules - Circle Hooks, venting tool, and de-hooker - just went right for the jugular with a closure. It sure seems crazy since anyone that you talk to says there are more RS now than in the last 25 years. Crazy!! Harry

Ñooooooooooo!!!!!! Ain't you glad you grew up in the good ole' day's Harry, I am.

DL,

[Harry Klauber]

Amen Luis, Amen. Harry

[Disco Lady]

Originally Posted by Harry Klauber

Amen Luis, Amen. Harry

Harry, we must thank the Lord! every day for those great day's.

DL,

[Catch-All]

Through my sources, I managed to obtain a video clip of the actual SAFCM Council vote for the closure. Roy Crabtree is the short sonofabitch and the guy on his right is his faithful lickspittle lapdog George Geiger.

YouTube - Blazing Saddles - Harumph!

Catch

[Disco Lady]

:r ofl:

[Fishscottyf]

The worst thing is, is that N.C. whacks em as hard if not harder then any of us to the south. N.C. just has a bigger lobby. This Is UNEXCEPTABLE. I hope you guys don't lets those weasels measure your fish and ask how long you fished for and what you were going for. If they would just knock the size limit back down to 16 inches and make a 5 fish per boat limit. there would be no release mortality and the fish could make a coe back. The 20 limit has so many people letting hurt fish go.

[G-14 classified]

I agree. We get surveyed when we come in from fishing. We only caught four dolphin in a 8 hr day. Dolphin poplulations must be depleated terribly. However I was anchored up all day bottom fishing and those four dolphin ate the one float line I had out. Never have i been asked what was I targeting for the course of the day. The surveys are not fair to us or the fish populations.

DON'T ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

[Fishscottyf]

They are some of the most inaccurate collections of data to circulate. The fish population data may as well be in the Enquirer. There are so many critical variables that are not taken into consideration. The biggest factor , the conditions of the day, It’s like they wait till a huge swell turns up the bottom, or a cold water upwelling comes through so they can collect data. More things they don’t consider. Time spent exploring, Time fighting fish, The fish that were lost. The fish that were missed. That fact that quite often you are not fishing the most effective way, either because you are mixing it up, or focusing on your client having an enjoyable time. Regardless, there are so many variables that they don’t take into consideration , the old data should be tossed.
Do they think that any old ding dong should be able to throw a hook in the water with a piece of Wonder Bread on it and pull up a 20 inch snapper?

[G-14 classified]

DING DONG


sincerely

mongoooooooooose!