Report Your Catch?

[Break Away]

It is my understanding from listening to Skip and some others at the South East Swordfish Club meetings as well as HMS personel that reporting your catch will insure that we as sportsmen get our allotment of fish. There is a quota that is alloted to the US and if we don't use it it will be reallocated to the longliners or worse, it could be alloted to other countries.

There are now aplications being concidered by the Federal Marine Fiseries Dept. To allow limited longlineing in our area for "reaserch". If we are not careful we could lose out on our share of the quota.

If there is anyone out there with more information of if I have inaccurate informatin I would like to here it. We all have a lot invested in this. Lets not turn a blind eye to what is happing in Washington.

[Mike]

Good Post.. Thanks

I agree 100%. .and I know that MANY people do not report there fish simply because they either don't care or don't know. I have ran into many people that don't know that they have to report there fish and have caught many... so it's all about awareness..

This is a great topic to bring up at the club meeting

Mike

[RiskTaker]

Breakaway:

Yes, please report your landed fish. Yeah, and not to mention needing an NMS fisheries permit to Catch: Certain "regulated" Tunas, sharks and other Billfish.

Although you need a permit, I do not think that you need to report these other species of fish, with the exception of recreational landed Bluefin Tuna. Anyone, please advise if that is not correct.

Ron.38 Special posted the the most informative thread that I have seen so far. Stay tuned to that thread since he will probably post accurate updates as they become available. The SSC meeting on Wed. April 6 will likely also provide some current news on the matter.

Start gathering your thoughts for your petition letters to provide to NOAA when discussion opens up for public feedback. In the meantime, if you would like to start reading up on some dated information, but still pertinent to what NMS "Advisory Panels" and "Essential Fish Habitats" and FMPs - Fishery Management Plans, are allow about, then bookmark this link and peruse some of the documents contained. Of particular interest are the comments from the scoping session and take alook at the draft of the Admendment 2 Fishery Management Plan. Links below.

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/hms...html#swordfish

Take a look at the scoping or inquiry phase for 2005: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Ame...ry%20final.pdf

Now take a look at the pre-draft:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Ame...l_Predraft.pdf

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Ame...April%2016.pdf

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/finalFMP.html

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Ame...ry%20final.pdf

I saw somewhere what an exempt permit could be issued for. I cannot find the link again at the moment but it sounded something like testing out new gear to reduce juvenile catches. An exemption would allow longlining in anotherwise prohibited zone. I read it last night and just wish I had it handy today.

Anyways, good reading. RT

[Break Away]

Thank You for the responce and I will read some of that material. I have reported every fish to date and plan to continue to do so. I started this thread to get the topic started for those who don't know or think that reporting is a bad thing. The commerical interests are not going to give up without a fight and we are the only ones that can take it to them. Every angler that wants this fishery to continue needs to get involved and pay attention. Don't think that some else is going to do it WE ARE IT!

This morning when I was reporting Fridays catch I asked the HMS person if they wanted to come to a meeting and speak. Ron had allready beat me to it. He said they were busy but they maybe able to make it eventually. I pointed out that between this fourm and the SESC there was an oppertunity to educate the swordfishing community.

I understand that 25 metric tons of our quota was allocated to Canada in 2003. We will lose it if we don't clame it.

[Finlander]

Great info and a good solid plan. Please inform everyone on how to report catch. :?: :?:

[Break Away]

First for those who don't know, you need a HMS permit to keep a swordfish. Go to www.nmfspermits.com it is $22.00. Money well spent concidering how much hot water you can get into without it. That site will provide all the rules.

After that when you make a catch call 1-800-894-5528 within 24 hours and leave your name permit# and daytime phone and someone will call and ask the fork length and the date you returned to the dock. There are also optional questions such as how long did your angler fight and type of hook used. They will then give a comformation # . It takes less than 5 min. and it will help us stake our clame to a portion of the quota.

[Finlander]

How about putting the reporting phone number on the masthead of our forum?