Highly Migratory Species Report

Last month’s HMS report covered the Spiny Dogfish plan and the report from the Spiny Dogfish forum. The forum reviewed the FMP and NMFS latest data. They discussed what must be done to sharply reduce all dogfish numbers.

The good news was that the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved landing 8 million pounds of Spiny Dogfish in 2009. New NMFS data received after the MAFMC meeting found 189,000 MT of female Spawning Stock Biomass during their latest survey. This far exceeded the plan’s mandated plan target of 155,800 MT for SSB.

As a result of NMFS latest data, The Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission approved a larger landing quota of 12,000,000 pounds for 2009. The problem is NMFS estimates that the total Spiny Dogfish population increases by 15,500 MT per year. The bad news is a 12,000,000 million pound landing quota will never reduce the current huge Spiny Dogfish out of control population!

Scientists estimate that Spiny Dogfish landings must increase to over 20 millions pounds per year to make any major difference in the dogfish over population. The current huge Spiny Dogfish numbers are considered an ecological disaster by all fishery scientists, except the conservation elite who desire to save even more of this ocean terror.

Will a solution to the dogfish problem require either changing Magnuson or exempting dogfish from its current management measures? In my opinion, there is no justification for having these voracious predators at OY levels. But this is what is currently mandated under Magnuson. Now what happens? Anyone have a good solution?

Thirty two years ago the US accepted ICCAT management measures. NMFS first action under ICCAT was to limit recreational anglers to 4 school Bluefin tuna per angler per trip. NMFS destroyed a billion dollar recreational fishery and created a new ten million dollar commercial fishery with their regulations. WOW, did that ever make sense. Now after 32 years anglers are supposed to be delighted with the great success of their ICCAT supported management choices? Why should we celebrate being limited to landing 1 school and 1 large school per boat trip? So much for trusting the feds to do what is honest and fair for the US recreationals.

US representatives will attend their 33rd yearly ICCAT meeting this month. The Europeans have yet to impose any Bluefin tuna regulations on their fishermen. The European Union reports they are going to get tough with ICCAT fishery regulations! Japan after 33 years of worthless words states it wants the European bluefin quota cut by 50%! Fifty Percent of what? The US as represented by NMFS has reduced the US permitted Bluefin quota for 32 years as they loudly proclaim they are leading by example! What worthless nonsense! The other ICCAT members have NEVER imposed ANY limits on their tuna fishermen. After 32 years do not expect anything that makes sense to come from their latest ICCAT meeting!

NMFS only solution has been to continually reduce the US Bluefin tuna quota for the next year. Will NMFS management accept reducing their salary every year for the last 32 years for doing a HORRIBLE JOB! US fishermen conserve and the rest of the world sells or eats our conserved ocean crossing tuna. WOW, is not NMFS management choices great.

Thanksgiving is upon us. Are none delighted with gasoline at under $2.00 per gallon? The experts informed us last July that gasoline would never ever sell for less than $ 4.00 per gallon. How many anglers would trade current gasoline prices for a stock market at 12,000?

Only 4 years ago our federal government solved your future energy needs by paying with your tax dollars for a vast new federal program to produce ethanol from corn. This production was to use up to 15% of the US corn supply to make auto fuel. New companies were created, plants were built and the federal government gave the companies pounds of your cash for every gallon of ethanol they produced. Ethanol was added to your gasoline which sharply reduced your gas mileage. Unlike the seasonal addition of former terrible additives, ethanol is now added to your gas 12 months a year.

Boat owners are delighted as ethanol dissolves gum in their fuel tanks and transfers it into their engine. In addition, over time, ethanol absorbs water into boat fuel. It cost much more to maintain, more fuel filters, at less mileage per gallon. HORRAY for the fed’s solutions.

Now the price of corn is three times its price of four years ago. All our meat costs much more, chicken, beef, pork. All our groceries cost much, much more! All the new ethanol companies that built new plants to produce ethanol for your petroleum free future are now bankrupt! Now we expect the feds to solve the financial mess they created. They exempted financial companies and banks from former tough federal guidelines! NEVER expect any government to solve ANY of your problems!

Now back to where I started, The New England Fishery Management Council will soon create Ground Fish Plan #16. NEFMC has misled the nation for 30 years with worthless commercial management plans based on Fishing Days at Sea in place of quality commercial quota management controls. But during the entire 30 year process recreational anglers have paid and paid with less and less fish permitted per angler.

Will anyone bet me anglers do not get hit hard again in Ground Fish Plan # 16 for a problem recreational anglers did not cause?