yanked this from a FL Sportsman
No Gulf grouper fishing in 2010?
The news is grim for Gulf of Mexico grouper anglers. Reports indicate that data presented to federal fishery managers in June will likely result in a complete ban on gag grouper fishing in 2010.
According to federal fishery biologists, the “best available” scientific information estimates gag grouper stocks are below half their target level and the combined total allowable catch (TAC) of gags for all commercial and recreational fishermen must be cut over 80%!
This year, commercial and recreational anglers were allowed to catch 3.4 million pounds of gag grouper. If the proposed National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recommendation is approved, fishermen will be limited to just 820,000 pounds next year. However, due to new Accountability Measures (AMs) and Acceptable Catch Levels (ACLs) fishermen could be limited to 650,000 pounds next year.
The only way to accomplish this would be a complete ban on grouper fishing, because the same federal data estimates indicate that at least that many grouper will die after being released when caught accidentally while fishing for other species.
“Basically, they (NMFS) are saying our throw-backs that die after being released will account for more than we are allowed to take next year. So it will likely be a total closure for both gag and red grouper,” Fishing Rights Alliance (FRA) Executive Director Denny O’Hern predicted after attending updated stock assessment meetings in June.
“These stock assessments are a joke. Their model says 30% of all grouper in the Gulf were killed by red tide in 2005 and fishing levels have continued to increase despite the economy, $4 gallon gas prices and reduced limits,” O’Hern added. O’Hern and others closely following the federal fishery rule-making process say that federal biologists and scientists are under a tremendous load trying to meet all of the stringent requirements to quickly end overfishing as set forth in the new Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) passed in 2007 and are being forced to make decisions based on an admittedly “fatally-flawed” data collection system.
The problem is compounded by several factors, including:
• The flawed Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS) estimate showing near-record fishing effort (catches and releases) in 2008.
• The random telephone survey system and dock interview system used to estimate fishing effort is an outdated method of collecting harvest data.
• Models and formulas overestimating the amount of fish that die upon release (discard mortality).
• Heavy pressure from multi-billion dollar environmental groups (Pew Environmental Group, Conservation Law Foundation, Defenders of Wildlife, Ocean Conservancy and the Blue Ocean Institute) on council members and scientific advisory panels in charge of determining the data used to set rules. Bob Zales, owner of Bob Zales Charters, president of the Panama City Boatman’s Association, and executive director of the Conservation Cooperative of Gulf Fishermen (CCGF), says the new restrictions are too much, too soon.
Recently-adopted grouper and snapper regulations already in place for this year are threatening to put most charter boats out of business. The proposed closure would completely wipe them out, along with bait and tackle suppliers, marinas, boat and motor retailers/manufacturers, and further damage Florida’s already-struggling tourism industry.
The economic impact on hotel owners, restaurants, tourism-related businesses and countless others will be staggering, he added. Anglers are fighting the proposed new rules on two fronts. O’Hern and the FRA filed suit against the NMFS on May 18, seeking to stop enforcement of new Gulf grouper rules, alleging NMFS has violated the MSA by failing to meet Congressional mandates to replace and upgrade the “fatally flawed” MRFSS program which was not designed to provide data to determine whether a quota is reached, yet is being used to implement new rules.
At the same time, O’Hern and Zales are urging all affected anglers and business owners to contact their congressman and urge them to support bills pending before Congress that could allow more flexibility in federal fishery rebuilding plans and add an amendment to relax “overfishing” requirements (see related story on page 26).
Both men, along with dozens of other concerned fishermen, attended recent Gulf Council and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) meetings to provide input and organize anglers seeking to stop the rule changes. To join the effort, go online to the FRA website (www.theFRA.org) and contact the CCGF at action@conservationfishermen.com. The proposed new rules are online at: http://www.gulfcouncil.org/
