N.M.F.S. public comment meeting at the Ft. Pierce Library

[Ambitious]

N.M.F.S. public comment meeting at the Ft. Pierce Library, 7 p.m. Tuesday the 20th. All recreational swordfish anglers should attend. The future of our sport will likely be negatively impacted if we do not make our presence known.

Library is adjacent to the Ft Pierce City Marina.

[Venice Tunaman]

Is this the meeting to discuss the bouy limits? I can't make it to ft pierce in time, but please keep me posted.

[Broadbill]

Yes, it is a discussion about increasing the amount of buoys in our waters. They are pressing hard to do so.

[Ron.38 Special]

Meeting is for public comment on the proposed HMS management plan.

Bouy gear is only a very small part of it. Some hot topics in the proposed rule are the following:
1. Combine the managment plans for HMS and Billfish. Currently there are separate managment plans and goups who know th fact like TBF and RFA, oppose the combination of the managment plans with an argument that the unique recrational aspect of the fish require a separate plan.
2. Mandatory circle hooks in billfish tournaments. TBF and RFA oppose this change and want a voluntary cirlce hook rule.
3. Prohibit the taking of white marlin. This one is phased in but will the high dollar marlin tournaments up the East coast.

These are just a few of the hot topics, they also address time area closures and seem to protect the existing ones.

Bouys:

Yes bouys would be regulated and defined. Direct and indirect permit holders would be able to use the gear with up to 35 bouys and 2 hooks each. But also, handgear is defined as requiring the line to be tied to the boat. So what do these changes do?

Right now every angler who wants to, can fish bouy gear as long as it has no more than 2 hooks. It currently is defined as hand gear. Aslo, right now, any permit holder can fish as many bouys as they want, any way they want again with two hooks.

The rule as written, will not let any bouys gear into our waters that can't come here right now. But it will stop the few unscrupulous anglers who are fishing a bouy or two right now with the argument that they are just putting fish in the freezer.....

It seems to me that 35 bouys are still too many and there is no way a boat can keep track of and tend 35 bouys a night. Its just asking for more dead juveniles and in many way defies the intent of the original closure.

But.... these are commercial fish not game fish and there is no way that fact is changing any time soon. These fish are managed on an international level and NMFS will do anything to keep our influence at the meetings of ICCAT. Without meeting our quotas, we will loose them and loose some say at ICCAT in future managment decisions. For that fact alone, NMFS will continue to promote the commercial exploitation of swordfish in any way possible and promoting bouy gear may be one way.

I believe furture decisions shoud recognize the environmentally sensitive nature of the rod and reel fishery, and if any new commercial pressure is put on these fish in our geographical region, it should be limited to rod and reel only. This would require a rule change defining rod and reel gear and creating a new permit for its limited commercial use.

Go to the meeting and let you thoughts be known.

The commercial industry will be well represented in Ft. Pierce and it is important for the Recreational sector to be heard.

In Ft. Lauderdale on Oct 3 the hearing down there will no doubt be dominated by recreational anglers so they will be heard at that meeting.

The Billfish Foundation website has some great opinions on the new rule and will show you what is at stake here. Bouys are only one very small part of the new rule.

[Shark Tagger]

I'll be at the OCT 3 meeting. Keep me in the loop.
Thank You

[CaptainEd]

You can submit your public comment(s) to NOAA in writing or show up in person. For those of you that can't attend in person remember your voice can still be heard and just as effectively as if you spoke at one of the meetings in person. If you are concerned with NOAA's rulings or proposed regs you can get a written copy by going to their website and requesting it. If you do so be prepared to spend some long hours reading. It is a mini encyclopedia.

[Ambitious]

Capt. Ron,, do the fish we call in count against the U.S. quota?

[Darkside]

At this time they do not count. This is because the Recreational sector has never caught enough fish to even make a dent in the quota, even though we bring MILLIONS of dollars to the economy thru gas,bait,tackle etc etc. Kinda of sucks that even though we do more for the economy than the commercial sector ever will that we are not even looked at as a factor to the quota.

[Ambitious]

Thanks for that info, I did not know that and never asked when we called in. That's pretty pathetic as is the fact that I couldn't even reach NMFS by phone to confirm their appearence here. All their listings return a "this line no longer in service", maybe our uncle forgot to pay the bill. There would certainly be more incentive to call in if that worked towards their quota goal even if it is a small %. Of course we will still call them in as required by law but that really does suck they can't or won't use it.

[Darkside]

It is pathetic that we are required by law to call in our fish and it doesn't count for anything. The problems with our fishery come from far off places that have no regulations, no observers on vessels and a kill all type mentality. ICCAT is suppose to regulate the intake of pelagic species from the comercial sector worldwide and that is a problem that needs to be addressed. It sucks to know what ever we do as a group really is just a drop in the bucket and to have a commercially orienated group regulating its own doesn't work in my eyes.

[hannaman]

I just talked to Greg at NMFs. He said it's very important to get our feedback as recreational anglers at their next meeting. It will be held on October 3rd at 7pm at the Broward County Public Library. If you can appreciate this Swordfishery it is imperitive for you to be there. He also said you can send e-mails and write letters, all which count.

[Ambitious]

Capt Cary, is that the confirmed location for Ft Lauderdale (as it is not what was listed in the FMP document)?? Guys are asking.

Also, I asked the NMFS personnel at the meeting last night specifically if our catch call ins are counted against the quota and they gave me a very specific YES answer. I am confused where the conflicting info on this is coming from.

[hannaman]

Broward county public library is the confirmed location. October 3rd, 7pm.