No luck /2 Rough (Miami 4/13/08)

[PURPLE FEVER]

We caught a daytime fish on 4/12 saturday our only bite. It was only 53inch ljfl.,normally a tag and release but was hooked thru the eye and I doubt it would have lived. Somehow this fish must have joined that body of larger fish that inhabit the bottom.No what I meant to say was it must have been "recruited" by those bottom dwellers.

[cappy]

When I started fishing for for swords 7 years ago my first trip we went 7-4-5 on our first try. It got dark around 9 and we were inside Hillsboro at 12:15. The next night we were 5-4-6 and in at 12. Both nights we only killed one fish and had to turn the radar up to 24 nm to count 4 boats. Now when people are setting up 1/4 mile away from you because they can't find a spot in the lot, it makes you think how many hooks are in the water. From south of Miami to north of Ft. Pierce with the major concentration from the hills to Boca. Now throw in bouy gear and daytimers and you will see that there are more hooks in the water than longliners. I've caught a few fish this year in just a few trips but worked my butt off to get them. I guess my point is the pressure was off for a few years and it was good, now every googan with a boat is out there killin. Fish are in declining numbers everywhere, what are we going to do?

[RocknReeln]

Need to start preaching "worldwide" conservation.....from what I have read, the only country really making an effort is the US. ICCAT considers the Swordfish not to be overfished and that the stocks are rebounding.

Here is what the NOAA website says:

"Landings refer to the amount of catch that is brought to land. The United States harvests about 1/5 of the total North Atlantic landings; several other nations (such as Japan, Spain, Portugal, and Canada) are also active in the North Atlantic swordfish fishery. With increased restrictions on the domestic fishery, U.S. landings remain low while international landings have been rising."


I think we need a closer look at what the impact of commercial fishing is on these fish in other countries. If we are not meeting our ICCAT tonnage allocations, and Spain, Japan, Portugal, and Canada is increasing, then regulations only here is not going to have a great impact. The "carryover" allocations are what is distrubing to me. This was an amendment in 2007.

1920s – Recreational fishery begins, primarily from Massachusetts to New York
1960s – Long-line gear introduced into commercial fishery, replacing traditional use of harpoons
1970s – Recreational fishery develops in Florida
1971 – FDA prohibits sale of swordfish with mercury content greater than 0.5 parts per million
1978 – FDA raises maximum mercury content to 1.0 parts per million
1985 – Atlantic Swordfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) implemented, mainly calling for reductions in harvest of smaller swordfish, continued research and monitoring of swordfish population, and minimization of foreign impacts on the fishery.
1990 – ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) passes its first recommendation on swordfish, calling for reductions in harvest of undersized swordfish; NMFS follows with a ruling limiting harvest of undersized swordfish
1999 – FMP for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks replaces 1985 Plan, still utilizing many of the initial management measures; also calls for U.S. to negotiate international rebuilding plan
1999 – ICCAT establishes a 10-year rebuilding program for North Atlantic swordfish
2002 – Stock assessment determines that North Atlantic swordfish stock biomass was 94% of levels needed for maximum sustainable yield (BMSY)
2004 – NMFS implements several bycatch reduction measures in the commercial fishery, such as mandatory use of "circle hooks"; circle hooks reduce the amount of bycatch and allow for easier release of swordfish and other species (such as sea turtles and marine mammals) in comparison to the traditional "J" hook
2006 – NMFS develops a revised Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan
2006 – October stock assessment estimates that biomass of North Atlantic swordfish is approximately 99% of the biomass necessary to support maximum sustainable yield
2007 – Regulations amended implementing two recommendations from ICCAT; establishes baseline quotas and sets caps on the carryover of underharvests; facilitates the transfer of 15% of the North Atlantic swordfish baseline quota into the reserve category, which would allow it to be transferred to other ICCAT parties with quota allocations; also establishes an option for website reporting in the angling and charter/headboat groups.