SAFMC Seeks To Ban All DeepDropping 600ft+

[Catch-All]

Yep.

I don't have the link but Fish-N-Dude does. I think it's in the form of a chart where they are proposing to eliminate all recreational deepdropping in waters deeper than 600 feet. This would extend from the 600 foot line eastwards to the EEZ Line demarcating US/Bahama waters.

The only deepdropping places left to us will be the few places NOT infested by MPAs. Skrew that.

They are gathering preliminary info now, it's in the planning stages but if this next outrage goes thru it will essentially render all our deepdrop gear worthless.

It also means you wouldn't even be able to deepdrop in the Bahamas. If you apply their Anti-Recreational Fishing Zone MPA regs to this new proposed Super Gigantic Mega Humongous MPA, then it means that you could not go over to the Bahamas on your boat with deepdrop gear, catch bottomfish and then come back to the US with said gear and fish onboard. "Ooh Capt Recreational, how would we ever know that you didn't catch this in our Anti-Recreational Fishing Zone? Turn around please for these shiny handcuffs but first sign this ticket fining you thousands of dollars for illegal possession of bottomfish. And by the way we're going to impound your boat and all your fishing gear too. Have fun getting buttslammed in jail!"

The only way you'd be able to deepdrop the Bahamas legally would be to FLY your damn fillets and bottomfish home! I'm serious.

If you think I'm furious now, just wait until they try to foist this steaming pile of horsecrap on us at their precious little public meetings and workshops. I wonder if those limpwristed wimps at West Palm Beach Fishing Club will cave in on this one too? Oh, that's right! They'd say this new Super Mega MPA should only be applied NORTH of Jupiter Inlet and SOUTH of Hillsboro Inlet. Stinking sellout, backstabbing, snake-in-the-grass, fifth columnist Quislings is what they are, dammit!

I swear, I WILL take vacation time from work, donate money to recreational groups for litigation, attend public meetings, write my Congressman and two Senators, write the Director of NMFS, write the Secretary of Commerce and write the President. I Will Not Take Any Prisoners On This One. This is the last straw.

Mark
Catch-All

[Gaitor]

If that is true, It really burns my butt!
I'll do some digging and see what the pinko bastages are up to and post the findings here

[DeepPR]

Dam,mit, give us a link or some email addresses that we can bomb with emails!! Its ridicolous. We have to be heard!!!

[Gaitor]

And oh, by the way, where are the commercial tilefish guys gonna catch their fish around here?
Man .... talk about a socio-economic bombshell! These clowns can't be serious

[miamiangler1]

Hey guy`s ... I think it is part the commercial`s want it all to them selfs .. O H bye the way ... I think you should let the sword guy`s in on it too .. thinking about it ... dont they deep drop some rigs to get swords at nite ??? say 300-400ft .. that would put the rec sword guy`s out of busness too !

[Catch-All]

Fish-N-Dude, HEY WAKE UP! I need that link to the SAFMC chart showing where they are planning to take away our deepdrop rights.

I know you just got out of surgery but this is more important.

Mark

[Yellowfinhunter1]

Good luck trying to catch a guy deep dropping in the Bahamas

[Catch-All]

Yellowfin - don't laugh just yet. As part of enlisting the Bahamian Defense Force in our war on Islamo-Fascist Terrorists, we have one or more BDF representatives onboard our medium-endurance CG cutters patrolling Bahamian waters.

So they can board you in Bahamian waters, in the EEZ or up on the Bank, and enforce their fisheries regs. POOF! You lose your boat.

Now as to the likelihood you'll get boarded in an out of the way place like the Cay Sals isn't much so it all boils down to how much of a gambler you are.

Catch

[billspilingup]

August 2005, we were boarded twice in two days by the BDF. They tore the boat apart on the first day, even opening unopened 5gal buckets of oil, looking for lobster, fish, etc. They then tried to claim dolphin fillets were snapper and grouper and eyeballed the fillets, claiming they weighed 180lbs (we had 6 people on board, 20lbs of bottom fish per person allowed) and for the big boat to pick us up. I produced a scale and we weighed the fillets and they were a whopping 40lbs. Sorry boy, no boat for you today. We went on to lobster dive that day. Ironically, they were stopping people on their way to Mangrove Cay (N. of Grand Bahama) instead of coming back.

The next day we were deep dropping off of Memory when the same group of guys pulled up very quickly and grinning. They weighed our fish and we were a pound under the limit. I would describe them as very annoyed they didn't catch us doing anything wrong after trying to get us the day before through trickery (I would call saying 40lbs of fish is 180lbs trickery).

I do not have a high opinion of the new BDF.

I'm not old enough to remember the really old days but I've been going to the Bahamas long enough to remember people asking what electric reels are and how we caught muttons with yellow eyes. Now I'm not going to be able to catch anything with my electrics?

[miamiangler1]

[
Hey guy`s ... guess what ! as of Jan 2007 the new!!! Bahamaian fish regs goes as follows .. 6FISH per boat not per person of dolphin ,Tuna, Mackerel, 6 lobsters ..PER BOAT>>> 20lbs of BOTTOM FISH>>> snapper and grouper per boat ...and fish has to be whole no filets !!! looks like it wont be a great place to deep drop any more ... so you all better get there and catch what you can before Jan ...

[quack quack]

Yeah look at the Caribeen forum for the new regs.This is outrageous for them to do.The BDF will be stopping all big boats looking for a boat to ransom I am going to the keys instead this year.I might do 1 island trip not the 4 I plan every year.If they want to loose my biz just put those laws into effect.I have been going for 25yrs every year 2 to 4 times without fail but not now.I hope everyone boycotts there azz.

[quack quack]

As of now they are proposed changes.I called the Bahamas dept of fishery's and they told me they are only proposed right now.I have to call back and speak to the person in charge,he was out to lunch.I will tell him how we feel and get info on who else to speak too.I will share the info and post it when I get it.
__________________

[billspilingup]

I will not go to the islands with those regulations in effect for two reasons.

1) It is too expensive to go over just for a few fish.
2) The enforcement of the new laws will be out of hand and I'm not going to get needlessly harassed (like being stopped twice in two days) or have my boat confiscated because the 1 grouper I caught weighed 21 pounds.

I cannot wait until Cuba opens up.

[quack quack]

I just talked to Mr.Loyd with the Dept of fishery's and it is true those are the new reg's I asked if any studies were done on what effect this could have on the boating over there and he was not aware of any.when I asked him if he thought the new laws were fair he said as a govt employee he supports the laws.

Oh my god this is outrageous.I asked him if I got 1 grouper that weighed 22lb would I be in violation and he said yes.He is sending me some info via email and I will post it.

[DIRTYFOOT2]

What a load Its like the Salem witch hunts against fisherman.
What else can we do to stop this travesty. Will be writing the legislators again. May take a class action suit to put a stop to this foolishness

[fish-n-dude]

Gentlemen I feel your pain. These new regs will definetly cutout any trips to the islands for me. Way too expensive. If I want to spend that much money for an overnight trip I would just a soon head out on a Gulf Oil Rig charter. Atleast then I don't have to do anything but catch fish and drink.

As for the proposed 600' closure it's not as bad as it sounds (yet)! The scientist have requested that the SAFMC place the entire east coast of Florida (from 600' out to the EEZ) under the HAPC (Habitat Area of Particular Concern). There is an entire ocean floor out there loaded with deep water corals that the Harbor Branch & Other science organizations want to protect. Apparently there is already evidence that the bottom trawls and long lining are having an affect on the sponges and corals down there. The problem as I see it is that the Oculina Banks is also an HAPC with the addition of several MPA's that are closed and will remain closed to bottom fishing.

[Gaitor]

If the Tree Huggers; or in this case Coral/Sponge Huggers have their way with this proposal, The commercial tilefish guys may want to think about a career change or just become common criminals by doing what they've been doing for years.

[miamiangler1]

I did my research on the deep water corals and sponges .. #1 problem is deep water traweling that destroys 100% it ... most of what I have read is what is happening off British Colomia..,Iceland .and Norway when they go for Cod ... the one off my Area is called the Miami Terrace ... where Lophelia is found .. now for it to grow it has to be on a rocky surface ... NOT MUD!!!... I would guess it would be in much deeper water on the Humps ... which is rocky... I can`t see why they would ban deep dropping , because everything I have read has to do with Trawelers not rec angling ... If any impact it would be .00001% in my opinion ... most of this ..if true is being pushed by the conservation wacos!

[Boboe]

Dropping your lead down even 100x in a day doesn't do shit to the reef. A trawler cuts a 100yd+ swath across the bottom. It's like clear cutting, and he does it for about 30 miles a day, minimum. If somebody did that to the land above water, people would shit themselves. They just don't know where their shrimp come from.

I haven't eaten shrimp in about 2 years, since I saw how destructive it was first hand.

[poolman]

I'm with ya on that. I've been out one week and caught big ass grouper and red snapper. And noticed those damn trawlers with the tickle chains in 190 ft. Come back the next weekend, and the bottom looked completely barren. I mean not even a damn seabass To me it's pretty obvious were the problem lies. And I haven't touched a commercially caught shrimp since. Oh, and by the way...Those fish I got were bloated with rock shrimp