Highly Migratory Species Report

NMFS reminds anglers who are interested in Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) management that public meetings on the recently reissued advance notice pf proposed rulemaking are approaching. This is a major overhaul of Bluefin, Swordfish and Sharks rules plus other modifications. This is the second go-around for this rulemaking. Anglers I talked to have totally ignored this rulemaking. To expect the NMFS HMS division to treat anglers fairly is extremely dangerous to anglers’ continued participation in the HMS fisheries. Understand, NMFS is primarily concerned about the failure of US commercial fishermen to land their allotted quotas of Bluefin tuna, Swordfish and Shark. Did NMFS transfer commercial Bluefin quota to US anglers when they did not catch their commercial quota? Definitely NOT! Did NMFS lower the US 2009 Bluefin quota? Yes, for the third time in just 6 years. Does not HMS regulations hurt anglers when they were not punishing them?

The local meeting is on June 23rd at the Manahawkin Holiday Inn. The biggest issue is the start time of 5:00 PM. The comment period for BFT ends on June 30. The comment period for the other species remains open until August 31.

Consider that angler’s historic position of landing 100% of the bluefin tuna ended when in 1981 NMFS allocated over 80% of the bluefin tuna fishery to commercial interests. Since 1981 they have constantly cut anglers back without putting enforced regulations on the commercial sector, at the same time imposing more and more angler only restrictions. Internationally, the HMS division continues to accept ICCAT’s role as the major regulator of the Atlantic HMS fisheries despite full knowledge that after 33 years only the US, Canada and Japan have any HMS regulation in place. The balance of the organization’s countries ignore the rules and have for 33 years refused to impose any rules on the commercial fishermen. Everyone must understand that unilateral rules on an international ocean crossing species like HMS is an exercise in stupidity! The only persons affected are your own citizens, no one else.

Currently, anglers are catching yellowfin tuna and Bluefin tuna along the 100 fathom line. The problem is a major part of those fish hooked are smaller than the 28” requiring catch and release. Each year as anglers look forward to another canyon season they face the fact that they will catch fewer fish than they did the year before. At some point the canyon fishery will die. Will NMFS HMS division give US citizens a break in the future rules due to their 33 years of conservation?

An International team of researchers have placed a jack-up platform on the US continental shelf about 40 miles due east of Barnegat Inlet. This platform is part of an international project to document previous changes in both the ocean and land due to previous global warming periods. They will take core samples from three different locations over the summer to get a core history of the local ocean changes.

Officially designated 44066, it will be located at 39.35N and 072.36W which is about 80 miles offshore. It can be accessed from the NDBC buoy web page and will be listed as 44066-TT4. It is three meters wide and weighs 3800 pounds and is anchored in 250 feet of water. Give this buoy wide clearance since there will be intermittent servicing boats at that location until everything scientific is working properly. Rarely are they angler friendly. This is the first buoy located where it can record the actual ocean conditions that canyon fishermen face when they head offshore to their favorite canyon spot.

Wishing you a great fish-catching summer.