What are the guys at DMF thinking???

[macojoe]

This is were I do all my Fluking and a fair amount of my fishing!!
Been getting less and less fish there for some time now, but this is going to finish it off!! >:( >:(

To all MSBA members and friends,

Do you fish the Soth Cape Beach and Cotuit Highlands area in the Spring?? Do you fish Oregon Beach, Loop Beach, South Cape Beach, Popponessett, Vineyard Sound, Middleground etc etc.

There is trouble about to happen. The following announcement from the MA DMF is talking about this exact area. In a very controversial vote that was a tie until the pro commercial chair of the MA Marine Fisheries Comission voted in favor, the inshore state waters, within three miles was opened up to commercial draggers of all sizes and there will be no trip limits on the dragging of Squid. This is an extention of the commercial fishery we all watch on the horizon while Bluefishig and Bass fishing from both boat and shore. The MA DMF was proposing another plan but it failed.

The motion that passed will bring larger commercial vessels inside three miles with no trip limits and both the unlimited removal of more forage (Squid) and the potetial extreme amount of bycatch will be devastating. This will interrupt the Squid and Fish migration up towards Chatham and aound Race Point and it will possibly effect fishing all the way into Massachusetts Bay.

We, as recreational fishers must inandate the DMF, The MA Secretary of Environmental Affairs and our local politicians until something is done to stop this and we have to act fast. Here is what you can do right now in the next couple days:

1...Call or E-mail DMF Director Paul Diodati at the DMF Offices in Boston (617-626-1520)([email protected]) and express your outrage at the decision of the Commission. Let him know that the Commission decision does not represent your interests and you want this action ceased. If Paul is not available, leave a message and ask for a call back. Be polite as the DMF is probably on our side and needs our support.

2...Call or E-mail the MA Secretary of Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles (617-626-1000) ([email protected]) and let the Secretary's Office know that the Mass Fisheries comission has voted to take an action that does not represent your interests, will damage Recreational Fishing in the area and will damage the overall health of the areas fisheries in a way that is just unacceptable. Ask that the Secretary step in and stop this action. Once again, be polite and ask for a return of your message when taken.

3...A call to your local State Senator or Representative will also work



Thanks for suppoprting this action & this is why you should be a member of the Massachusetts Striped Bass Association.



MSBA Gov't Affairs



At a March 15th business meeting the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission (MFC) took action on several proposed rule changes affecting 1) mobile gear fishery for squid, 2) commercial tautog fishery, 3) recreational summer flounder (fluke) fishery, and 4) commercial spiny dogfish fishery. Additionally, the MFC supported the Division’s decision to disapprove a public petition to ban gillnetting from state waters.

1) Squid trawlers granted access from May 1 - 8 in near-shore waters in the vicinity of Collier’s Ledge. The MFC enacted an exemption to a seasonal mobile gear closure for squid trawlers providing extended access to productive fishing grounds off Barnstable. The Commission approved an eight day exemption in waters from shore out to three miles extending from Succonnesset Shoal in Mashpee to Pt. Gamon in Yarmouth (see map). At the start of the squid fishery season, this area is routinely fished by trawlers from April 23rd to April 30 until the area is normally closed on May 1 through October by a longstanding three mile closure that extends from Mashpee east to Chatham. Trawler fishermen, especially, those with smaller vessels, requested fifteen additional days of access to capitalize on early May squid aggregations that are found close to shore. The Commission did not grant the requested 15 days, but opted to grant eight days (May 1-8).

[macojoe]

I have gotten one responce so far,

Dear Mr. G,

Please be aware that the Division of Marine Fisheries opposed the public petition to extend trawler access for squid in the area of Collier’s ledge for one or two weeks in May. The Division testified that allowing additional access in May would likely result in disastrous gear and user conflicts, not to mention possible increases in catch of non-target species. Nevertheless, the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission, by one vote, approved the proposal allowing one additional week.

I continue to have grave concern about this action and have recommended that the Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game not approve this regulatory change. I will keep you and all others who inquire about this action appraised of its final outcome.


Regards,

Paul Diodati

Director

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

251 Causeway Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02114

617.626.1539

617.626.1509 (fax)

[C YENSEN]

i hate politicians, who dont know what the hell they are voting on >:(

[reelapeelin]

No limits inside 3 miles'll wipe it out...SOMEBODY got PAID >:( ...

[EngstromNK]

Hey MJ - I was talking to one of the Senior Marine Biologists for MDMF and he believes that it will not be allowed. There has been such a huge stink by the population that the vote is going to be overturned.

Fiddle

[macojoe]

Thanks Fiddle!! I got this email this morning!!

Subject: ACTION RESCINDED TO GRANT EXTENDED DRAGGER ACCESS TO COLLIER'S LEDGE
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:52:24 -0400
From: "Griffin, Melanie (FWE)" <[email protected]> Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
To: [email protected]
March 23, 2007
MarineFisheries Advisory



ACTION RESCINDED TO GRANT EXTENDED DRAGGER ACCESS TO COLLIER’S LEDGE



Acting Commissioner Tom French of the Department of Fish & Game has disapproved a recent action taken by the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission to grant squid trawlers extended access (May 1 – 8) to near-shore waters in the vicinity of Collier’s Ledge. Under M.G.L. c. 130 §17A the Commissioner approves or disapproves regulatory changes submitted by the Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries as part of the regulatory promulgation process.



To clarify, there will be no change to the regulations governing trawl fishing for squid (322 CMR 3.04(6) & 6.39). The squid season runs April 23rd through June 9th. There are not trip limits as of this date but a 2,500-lb. trip limit for mobile gear fishermen will be enacted when certain quota triggers are reached in any given trimester. MarineFisheries will provide notices of any such triggers and consequent trip limit. Mobile gear will remain prohibited during May 1 – October 31 in the longstandings inshore closure from Mashpee to Eastham (322 CMR 3.04(6)).

[EngstromNK]

That is great! The "by catch" is already bad enough offshore I can only imagine what it would have been like between the islands.

I have a friend that was fishing off Nantucket last summer when he came up behind a dragger. He gaffed 200 keeper stripers that were dead behind the boat. He filleted them all and gave the meat away at the dock. He knew that he was breaking the law but was so digusted that he would rather pay the consequences if caught.

Fiddle

[parishht]

I don't know why they throw away the by catch,
thye could easily bring it all to dock and then
hire temp workers to sort it all and send to
different processors.


Here's a picture of shrimp boat by catch, what a shame,
this all goes to waste:

[EngstromNK]

I have an employee who used to work on a dragger. They were allowed 100lb fluke, 100lb flounder and all the skates they could carry. He said that they would get all the fluke and flounder in the first couple of hours and then drag for the rest of the day and throw them all back dead, just keeping skates.

Great laws.

[macojoe]

The bi-catch of fluke should be brought to the dock and sold, the weight should then be taken off the Commercial qouta for that year.

I am comercial Bass, Fluke, Scup, Black Sea Bass.