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Highly Migratory Species Report
by John T. Koegler
(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association February 2003 Newsletter)
New Marlin Rules
Over 5 years ago, ICCAT to tough new rules on all billfish landings ICCAT placed tough new regulations on all billfish landings. Marlin landings were to be reduced by 25% from previously reported ICCAT numbers. US Marlin landings reported were based on major recreational tournament landings ONLY when NMFS staffers were present. Most fishermen and NMFS staffers understand that these ICCAT numbers represented only the major US billfish tournaments. Despite this knowledge, NMFS rules were imposed that reduced these partial US recreational landings by 25%. The recreational community has lived with this for the last 5 years.
Now NMFS published a new final rule for total regulation of recreational billfish to achieve a complete count of all billfish landings. Effective March 2, 2003 the new rule:
1- implements a mandatory recreational landings self-reporting system for Atlantic blue marlin, Atlantic white marlin and west Atlantic sailfish plus swordfish.
2- Establishes a recreational retention limit for North Atlantic swordfish of one swordfish per person, up to three swordfish per vessel trip.
3- Adds handlines as authorized gear for North Atlantic swordfish.
4- Clarifies language concerning applicability of recreational retention limits for sharks Yellowfin tuna and North Atlantic swordfish
5- Clarifies language regarding the Billfish Certificate of Eligibility
6- Makes the criterion for determining the size and/or size class for commercial and recreational permitted vessels.
Anglers must report all non-tournament landings of Atlantic Blue Marlin Atlantic white marlin, Atlantic sailfish and North Atlantic swordfish to NOAA fisheries at 1=800-894-5528 within 24 hours of landing. The system will respond to and verify the reported data and issue a confirmation number for enforcement purposes. This requirement applies only to non-tournament recreational landings in order to avoid duplication.
In my opinion this can only lead to recreational elimination from billfish fishing in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. The billfish management numbers NMFS is using are the result of only major recreational tournament landings. All US Tournaments have gone from fully landing all billfish twenty years ago to almost total release today. No recognition of this huge and major change in US recreational fishing practices has ever been acknowledged. No recognition has been given to the fact that the economic value of billfish landings and releases by recreational anglers is 15 or more times the entire commercial dollar value of billfish as food in the North Atlantic.
Yet, NMFS never bothered to estimate other recreational billfish landings in their US report to ICCAT. Now after agreeing at ICCAT to what amounts to draconian if not absurd recreational rules, NMFS has imposed full reporting! Some things never change.
The new swordfish recreational limit is equally absurd. Anglers are already limited by minimum size rules. To impose new swordfish rules on anglers who catch very few swordfish and keep even less is beyond understanding. Domestically, NMFS reports that anglers in the 2000 fishing year landed less than 20 MT of swordfish. This is counted against the incidental quota, which has never come close to being filled. Why NMFS would now impose strict additional bag limits on recreational anglers defies common sense.
None of these new rules are about conservation. They are all about restrictions without need, regulating without reason and eventually angler elimination from HMS fisheries. These rules clearly highlight the urgent need for anglers and their clubs to be much more active in fishery management issues. NMFS would never do this if you put forth a little more effort to control these unneeded, useless rules. You and your club can make a major difference. All it takes is a short note on key fishery management issues. Nobody at NMFS is going to work to save your future place in these fisheries. If you do not work to save your fisheries, then you will lose them. What do you think? My e-mail is jtkoegler@juno.com. or see you at the Atlantic Boat Show on Saturday 10-3 and Sunday Noon to close at the JCAA booth.
NMFS HMS Division Expands
The HMS division of NMFS has not increased their staff numbers for many years. Their responsibilities and fishery management plans have greatly increased. Their 2003 HMS budget allowed for new staff to be added. Many of the HMS management plans have been in Federal court for years. This was primarily due to commercial fishermen’s desire to make major changes in the new plans. This made all other HMS work move slowly. Many of these lawsuits are now settled.
What is most notable about the new staff is that they are experienced people from ASFMC, NMFS and other sources. Many of these new hires have fishery backgrounds. This is a major improvement from past HMS staff additions.
Here is short review on the new HMS staff that I have met;
Heather Stirratt-
She worked on the ASMFC fishery management plans for American eel, American lobster, Atlantic sturgeon, tautog plus shad and river herring. She brings a high level of enthusiasm plus order to her assignment.
Joseph Desfosse
He started to work for the ASMFC in April of 1995. He was the primary author of three interstate manage plans, Atlantic Herring, Atlantic Menhaden Amendment #1 and Red Drum Amendment #2. He has a strong background in fishery statistics. He was well regarded at ASMFC for his hard work and attention to detail.
Russ Dunn
He worked for the Ocean Wildlife Campaign which was supported in part by the Audubon society. He worked on HMS and other marine fisheries. He was assigned to the HMS St Petersburg office that has primary responsibility for billfish and swordfish.
ICCAT Revisited
The ICCAT meeting was held in November but the official ICCAT review of the meeting has yet to be released. There were several items approved at the November meeting that may have an impact on anglers’ HMS management plans this year.
Two major decisions were approved that were bad for the future of HMS species. These were:
- To keep Eastern zone (Europe and the Med.) bluefin tuna landings above MSY for the next four years.
- Swordfish harvest quota allocations were increased from 10,400 MT to 14,000 MT.
The Swordfish decision was based on a 2002 ICCAT research report that determined that there had been a major increase in swordfish biomass. This allowed for the big increase, at least on paper. However, all of this biomass increase was from juvenile swords that would not be sexually mature for two to four additional years.
These ICCAT decisions were regarded as a setback for swordfish and bluefin tuna. Several other major management issues were approved that may result in better resource management by ICCAT at some future time. Past experience indicates that most ICCAT member countries are primarily interested in quota and not conservation. As long as US strict conservation measures continues to supply the fish these countries catch, these countries will continue to overfish. The final result is that US HMS conservation is unilateral. This allows other ICCAT countries continue their excessive landing levels above MSY and ignore other ICCAT conservation goals. After totally avoiding ICCAT conservation rules for over 26 years why should these countries change??
National Marine Fisheries Service announced that it will host a joint meetings of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel and the Atlantic Billfish Advisory Panel Feb. 10-12 in Silver Spring, Md. The meetings will be held in the Holiday Inn, 8777 Georgia Ave. Hours will be 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 10, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 11-12.