Do you report your catch? Survey/Discussion

[Mike]

Use this thread to discuss the reporting of swordfish and use the survey on the home page. As we get more information regarding this issure, we will post in this thread.

Q: What are the recreational reporting requiremnts for billfish and swordfish?
A: Anglers must report all non-tournament landings of Atlantic blue marlin, Atlantic white marlin, Atlantic sailfish and North Atlantic swordfish, including those landed on a charter/headboat, to NOAA Fisheries by calling 1-800-894-5528 within 24 hours of the landing. The toll-free call will take less than 5 minutes for each response and an additional 5 minute confirmation call from NOAA Fisheries will verify the reported data and issue a confirmation number for enforcement purposes. This requirements applies only to non-tournament recreational landings to avoid duplicative reporting with the Recreational Billfish Survey. North Carolina and Maryland are also exempted from non-tournament billfish/swordfish landings reporting since these states have modified their large pelagic/bluefin tuna catch card reporting programs to cover these species.

[CaptKen]

Do you report your catch?
I do,my last one was #122 confirmed the day of the Swordfish Club meeting.
Ken

[Anonymous]

Called in mine thursday morning. I would rather take the 5 minutes to call in a fish , then not catch anything :cry: .

Tight Lines,

SwordSlasher

[Ron.38 Special]

I reported numbers 1,2,3,12,13,16,19,22,4something, etc etc. last few fish were 92,93,112,113.
I have reported every fish since they started the system.

Check out my article in the next months Sport Fishing Magazine blasting Mike Leech for pushing a non report when he send out flyers asking everyone to report to him, What a hypocrit!

Report everthing you can, and when you report your fish, make Greg put you releases since your last report into the comment section of the reports.

[RiskTaker]

Q1 ++ ? - What is the deal-y-o about this Highly Migratory Fishing permit/license? I have my Florida Saltwater/ Fresh water, Hunting licenses for 5-year plan, with annual stamps for Snook, Crawfish, etc. So now that we are in federal waters for Highly Migratories, I guess that this suggests we now also need a federal permit, for a few more $US. Is this a longstanding requirement, or something relatively new? Remember, the Federal vessel registration scheme: decals A B C D as well as the U.S. Customs permit? In addition to the Florida Vessel Registration! Come on now: we need to keep our lives simplified and focused - like on fishing perhaps, without the relentless fear of fine and penalty from multiple authorities; city, county, state, nation. Unless, of course, your are doing something clearly and fundamentally, in the WRONG (according to the rules of Hoyle and common sense). We really should be responsible to only one jurisdiction: the State of Florida. This state being a current and presently significant member to the United States of America needs to be responsible to relay any pertinent data to the Federal authority. But what about our neighbors? Besides the United States of Mexico and other adjacent foreign nations, this leads to another question.

Q2 ++ ? - When Swordfishing, is it possible that we may be venturing into the territorial waters of the Bahamas? It seems that they currently have a lovely fishing licensing scam, oh, I meant to say plam, sorry, plan. Would it also be prudent to secure appropriate licensing from this Nation as well as our own state and federal agencies? If swordfish are caught there, or on the way to there, are we still required to report to here, or just be happy that we paid our fees to the Bahamian Customs Official.

Do you see how beaurocratic this all sounds? We pay a lot of $US already, in taxes to city, county, state(sales), and federal. Why do we need to bother with the picky-une detail of these stupid permits. Reporting details is a wonderful thing: to keep metrics, or a pulse, on the health of an ecosystem; but the stupid minutia of multiple agency registrations, fees and permits definitely needs to be updated. As far as I would like to be obligated; I should be considered registered if I have a rod to fish with and 'am pre-paid, for all imaginable permissions, with the amount of tax already levied on the fuel purchased to get me out there and back home again. (Oh the fuel tax, another issue....) Later Gator

[Darkside]

The permit is only something like $22.00 for a one year permit, seems like a small price to pay to legally catch the biggest gladiator of the sea. Yeah they get us coming and going with permits and taxes but thats why we go out there to forget about those problems. Good luck and stay tight.

[edk]

Does anyone know what's up with the reporting #. It doesn't answer so there is no way to report a catch from this weekend. We caught a fish on Friday night and have been trying to call in without success. The Coast Guard checked us on the way in so there is a record of the catch. If we are going to be required to call in within 24 hours they need to be doing a better job with the reporting system.

Ed

[Anonymous]

Call Bobby Boyles Art Studio at 954 420 5001. If your a member of the S.E. SwordFishing Club he is an Official Reporting Station. If not a member, He's a great guy he will probably take the info anyway and at the same time you can get info on the Club.

Tight Lines,

SworSlasher

[Mike]

Based on the poll results, a lot of us are not reporting our catches because we don't think we are valid population like the longliners.

I have spoken with longliners / recreationtional fisherman / and authorities and they all agree on one thing.

If we ABUSE IT, WE LOSE IT!

If we don't start following the rules and show are catches it is very possible that we could lose this fishery again.

Please feel free to express you opinion in this forum and what can be done to make this easier. Help us keep this fishery alive and well for the future.

Keep Em Tight!

Mike

[edk]

Is there an alternative reporting method for non-SE Swordfish club members ? The 1-800 # has been down since last weekend. I spoke to Greg Fairclough about it last week as we had a fish to report and he told me that the equipment was broken and they are working on getting a replacement system up. In the meantime he told me to keep trying the 1-800 # until it came back online.

Ed

[Mike]

Capt John Peel Contacted Me with the following to say:

ICAT Closures

Dear fellow fisherman,

Your unwillingness to report your catches, is going to have disasterous conquenses in 2006 or 2007 when ICAT, reviews U.S, FL. swordfish production. This could very well result in closing your fishery, to a ZERO take. ( re; NMFS Maryland ). a federal violation to possess any fish at that point. ) WAY TO GO. Because we, (fl) have no catches at this point, and Florida's swordfish fishery is not a healthy fishery........ way to go!..... SO, go back now.. WAY back ... and add up all your catches, and call in ALL OF them in NOW. Better late than never. Because the eyes of the world (ICAT ) are on us......... the highly migratory species toll free number is. 1 800 894-5528 date them, to the best of your ability, and call in ALL of them. NOW...... WE need thousands of recorded south Florida, catches NOW,,,,,,,,,to have our recational quota increased, otherwise the party is going to be over. SOON. This is not the I.R.S. we need to fear. It's ICAT we need to fear. Start adding NOW.

Capt. John Peel www.fishingpalmbeach.com

[JP]

GOOD POST, I AM ON IT.

[RiskTaker]

Forum Readers/SSC Members:

If you have been following this thread, its seems to be more and more evident that it is beneficial to be reporting all Swordfish catches in this area.
Lets review a few details...
First, it seems like doom and gloom to our fishing practices, if there are artificially low "reported" catches of Swordfish for this region. It sounds like there may be a distinct possibility that the Florida Straits Nursery could be closed down completely, for a while (years), if the numbers/specifics reported by Recreational fisherman is severely low.
Read the threads above, for 2006 & 2007 review and analysis.
(Dismal reports... Appears like a highly damaged nursery/fishery; therefore , we must place a moratorium on this once MEGA location).

I think/hope all readers on this forum would like to preserve recreational fishing "allocation" for Swordfish as well as Tunas, etc.

Second, it would be very beneficial if we could have a fairly accurate pulse of our eco-system where we like to be able to fish. This can be enabled by reporting the details of your fishing adventures.

Third, hopefully we will soon have established a suitable venue that all required reporting of swordfish catches can be recorded legitimately for regulation purposes, even if the 1-800 number is not working, plus SSC reporting metrics can be recorded , & plus casual sportsmen can post their fishing details.

The big win for all of us participating in this sport, is that we will have continuously updated progress on how our fishery is doing, we will know all of the best places to fish, plus we will know of all of the best practices to fish while in these places, in addition to know where it is not good to fish.

Sounds scary doesn't it.... I don't want to tell where I catch my fish or any details about it. Such is the story of many a sailorman! You will always choose. But if you choose to report the pertinent details, some of which are required by law anyway, we will begin to understand better the ways of "The Gladiator of the Seas"

Not intended to wipe them out, but not intended to leave them alone either.
(But intended to clearly understand the balance and have a good fishing adventure when that happens).

It is time to get excited about this sport in a owner/guest manner. Report everything accurately that you are willing to reveal. The story that the combined inputs of data will only help you to fish better while you are, out the next time.

Bon Appetit,
RiskTaker

[LIGHTINING STRYKER]

i reported 106 107 108 it was not a problem.the permit can be had in minutes on line.p.s captain ken thanks for info the other night.are you still in the dog house or are you staying at hammerheads.greg faircliff from nmfs is probably still shaking his head about the 17ft boat me and dragonbaits caught those fish on.lucky

[FirstTry]

I only report my catch, when I don't catch anything.