OFFSHORE REPORT
By John Koegler
(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association April 1995 Newsletter)
The government regulation mills are cranking away at full power. During May, the 1995-96 regulations for bluefin tuna will be announced and opinions sought on their impact. some major changes are expected in quotas on the commercial side.
The General Category Tuna Association has made a major political effort to reduce the Purse Seine Category quota for 1995. It has had an effect. This group also believes there should be reductions in the school fish catches by recreational anglers despite the almost total destruction of this fishery since ICCAT’s decision to reduce school size to 8% of the U.S. total quota.
NMFS permitted the historical sport catch to be squashed by allowing commercial fishermen to control the regulations for this fishery. NMFS information shows less than 200 commercial fishermen catch more than 2 giants a season. Everyone else in the fishery must be considered recreational, since if they only earn $5,000 from fishing bluefin tuna, how can they consider this a business? The IRS says NO DEAL. Why are all the rules in the commercials favor when NMFS has issued 15,389 Recreational Angler Permits?
In 1991 the New Jersey Large Pelagic Survey showed New Jersey fishermen caught 12,000 school fish. The new 1992 8% rule meant a reduction to under 7,500 fish for the entire regulated area in nine East coast states! What was the economic impact of this regulation?
Recreational misguided restraint has done absolutely nothing to return this great sport fishery to any state of recovery despite ICCAT regulations being in effect since 1978. In fact, in 1994 recreational anglers landed only about 50% of their quotas, for the first time. How can anyone believe this fishery is recovering or stabilized when there are no small fish? NMFS attitude is "Let’s worry about commercial deficit overfishing next year, when some other person will inherit the problem!"
Commercial DEFICIT fishing will soon destroy every fishery in the United States EEZ. Amendment #% to the squid, Mackerel and butterfish plan has a lot written about limited commercial boat entry, but needed EFFORT and Catch reductions can not be found. What effect will this small mesh fishery have on all other fisheries both commercial and recreational if effective, reasonable regulations are not enacted? All other fisheries will soon suffer.
Will bluefish regulations be changed in 1996? Mid-Atlantic Council has allowed the commercial bluefish fishery to grow far larger than was intended by the Bluefish Plan. Permitted quotas have allowed the commercial fishermen to expand to over 40% of the recreational catch despite the plan cap requirement of 20%. Guess who will be expected to take a big, big cut in 1996? You lose again?!?! I pray the recreational anglers will have the heart to buy all the permits, pay all the fees, cough up their taxes, follow all the changing regulations and have money and spirit left to go fishing. It’s getting tougher all the time!!!
• John Koegler is a member of the Thousand Fathom Club -South Jersey, an appointed Technical Advisor to ICCAT and Chairman of the JCAA Tuna Committee.