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Letter From Congressman Frank Pallone to ASMFC on WeakfishOctober 14h 2005 (from Jersey Coast Anglers Association November 2005 Newsletter) Mr. Preston P. Pate, Jr., Chairman
Dear Chairman Pate: I am writing to express my serious concerns with a proposal from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that could set extreme limitations on the recreational catch of weakfish. These proposed regulations are merely one of numerous actions by the ASMFC and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that seem to impose undue restrictions on the rights of recreational fishermen. Among the options proposed in Draft Addendum I to Amendment IV to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Weakfish is one to reduce the current recreational limit of eight fish per day per angler to only one fish per day. Imposing such a drastic penalty on recreational fishermen would be exceedingly unfair, given that even your data indicates that fishing mortality is not the cause of the supposed declines in weakfish stock numbers. Instead, the Commission should maintain the current limit of eight fish per day. It is especially unconscionable for the ASMFC to propose severe recreational limitations on the weakfish fishery when the most recent information you are using comes from 2003 and is based on sources of varying reliability. These sources include the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey, which is meant to show trends, not for use in stock allocations. The two-year old data you are using conflicts with reports from fishermen who have been on the ocean in 2005 and have observed much healthier populations of weakfish and "spikes," or juveniles. Moreover, your own scientific assessment indicates that natural mortality, rather than fishing mortality, is contributing to the decline in weakfish numbers. If that is the case, it is patently unfair to respond to a natural problem by penalizing New Jersey's recreational fishermen. The Commission should investigate whether changes in populations of bay anchovies and other small fish may have affected the diet of weakfish and thus their overall mortality. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize that the weakfish situation is emblematic of what appears to be insensitivity on the part of the ASMFC and NMFS to the effects of stringent stock regulations on New Jersey's recreational fishermen. Time and again, we have seen questionable scientific data used to impose overly restrictive limits on recreational fishermen, often because reducing their catch is what is perceived as the easiest way to meet some management official's numeric goals. I would like you and other marine fisheries managers to realize that overly conservative stock-by-stock allocation decisions have a cumulative impact on recreational fishermen, who contribute significantly to New Jersey's coastal economy. Many recreational anglers fish for multiple species during any given season, and the continued announcement of new restrictions seriously impedes their ability to catch almost anything at certain times of the year. For example, these proposed weakfish regulations come on the heels of the closure of the fall flounder fishery and a new limit of one blackfish per angler until November 15th. These restrictions all come despite widespread knowledge among fisheries managers and anglers that current methods for measuring stock sizes and recreational landings -- especially the MRFSS -- are inadequate. Fishermen often report remarkably different assessments of the health of a particular stock than do fisheries managers. Poor communication and what seems to be a lack of understanding of the recreational sector's contributions to our economy have generated extreme frustration among anglers in my district and throughout New Jersey. I urge you to take steps to reach out to the recreational fishing community and consider the cumulative impacts of overly restrictive limits on recreational landings when you make stock allocation decisions, including the final decision on weakfish. As you know, Congress is currently considering a reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation Act, and the recent experiences of recreational fishermen in my district will have a significant impact on how I approach this process. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Sincerely, FRANK PALLONE, JR. Member of Congress
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