flatts1
10-23-2003, 11:10 AM
Hello All,
While reviewing some audio of a meeting by the Recreational Advisory Panel to the New England Fisheries Managment Council, I came across some information that I think has been overlooked in the whole Amendment 13 process (tape 7 side A).
I have digitized the audio and it can be found at the following links (in 2 parts total of about 7 minutes)...
1/2
http://www.basspond.com/audio/am13/rap18jun02_1of2.m3u
2/2
http://www.basspond.com/audio/am13/rap18jun02_2of2.m3u
I have also included the text for some of the more salient quotes below for folks who can not listen to audio over the internet. Although, if you do have the means then I highly recommend listening to the full audio.
I believe the fellow speaking is Frank Blount. What I gather from information on the NEFMC web site and various other comments on the tapes, is that Mr. Blount...
- is a party boat operator
- holds a DAS permit
- chairs the Groundfish Committee of NEFMC.
In other words, he seems to be very knowlegable on the subject of both recreational and commercial ground fishing.
Please keep in mind that these are quotes from June 2002. I am interested to know is if the last quote is still true. Has NEFMC continued to ignore these compelling remarks made by Mr. Blount and others.
Best,
Mike Flaherty
BassPond.Com
Quincy, MA
...
Mr Blount: We're here because we exceeded the commercial TAC every year for the last 10 years.
...
Mr Blount: The commercial TAC has been exceeded. Now you add in the discards and it's tremendous. Is it their fault? It's not their fault. It's the management measures that were put in place. I would hate to believe that the average commercial fishermen is out there saying that 'I'm deliberately discarding fish. I'm deliberately killing them.' He abided by the law. He went out he caught his 400 pounds. He discarded. That was legal to do for him. Morally right? Probably not. But he lived within the law and the law allowed him to discard those fish. But because that happened we exceeded the TAC by a tremendous amount.
Had the commercial sector lived within its means and caught the TAC then we wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be discussing it. Georges bank has had great recruitment. We wouldn't be in this mess. And until someone hammers that point home, we're never going to get there.
...
Mr Blount: But the TAC next year (even with a 70% reduction in commercial) is going up. Does everybody realize that? Next year, the commercial allowable catch will be higher than what they were supposed to catch this year. That's a fact. We need a 70% reduction but the allowable catch for commercials is going up next year and what's being asked is how is this group [recreational] going to take a reduction. It's ludicrous!
...
Mr Blount: Right now because of the judges decision, everybody is hammering away. The fish is 19'' size. They're hammering them. Every fish they can catch every day.
...
Mr Blount: There isn't a boat in Point Judith or anywhere south that isn't using they're days at sea to catch every last fish they can catch.
...
Mr Blount: The TAC for the last few years has been exceeded by more than the recreational catch was. And now your being asked to reduce. [The commercial sector] exceeded it by 4 times what the recs caught. Not what they landed. That's just what they exceeded.
...
Mr Blount: If we lived within the TAC then we wouldn't be in any of this mess.
Other Voice: Franky's done the same speal many many times to the groundfish committee and the Council. The Council knows it they just choose to turn the other direction. They just don't want to hear it.
Mr. Blount: I just wish I could have made it to the judge.
While reviewing some audio of a meeting by the Recreational Advisory Panel to the New England Fisheries Managment Council, I came across some information that I think has been overlooked in the whole Amendment 13 process (tape 7 side A).
I have digitized the audio and it can be found at the following links (in 2 parts total of about 7 minutes)...
1/2
http://www.basspond.com/audio/am13/rap18jun02_1of2.m3u
2/2
http://www.basspond.com/audio/am13/rap18jun02_2of2.m3u
I have also included the text for some of the more salient quotes below for folks who can not listen to audio over the internet. Although, if you do have the means then I highly recommend listening to the full audio.
I believe the fellow speaking is Frank Blount. What I gather from information on the NEFMC web site and various other comments on the tapes, is that Mr. Blount...
- is a party boat operator
- holds a DAS permit
- chairs the Groundfish Committee of NEFMC.
In other words, he seems to be very knowlegable on the subject of both recreational and commercial ground fishing.
Please keep in mind that these are quotes from June 2002. I am interested to know is if the last quote is still true. Has NEFMC continued to ignore these compelling remarks made by Mr. Blount and others.
Best,
Mike Flaherty
BassPond.Com
Quincy, MA
...
Mr Blount: We're here because we exceeded the commercial TAC every year for the last 10 years.
...
Mr Blount: The commercial TAC has been exceeded. Now you add in the discards and it's tremendous. Is it their fault? It's not their fault. It's the management measures that were put in place. I would hate to believe that the average commercial fishermen is out there saying that 'I'm deliberately discarding fish. I'm deliberately killing them.' He abided by the law. He went out he caught his 400 pounds. He discarded. That was legal to do for him. Morally right? Probably not. But he lived within the law and the law allowed him to discard those fish. But because that happened we exceeded the TAC by a tremendous amount.
Had the commercial sector lived within its means and caught the TAC then we wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be discussing it. Georges bank has had great recruitment. We wouldn't be in this mess. And until someone hammers that point home, we're never going to get there.
...
Mr Blount: But the TAC next year (even with a 70% reduction in commercial) is going up. Does everybody realize that? Next year, the commercial allowable catch will be higher than what they were supposed to catch this year. That's a fact. We need a 70% reduction but the allowable catch for commercials is going up next year and what's being asked is how is this group [recreational] going to take a reduction. It's ludicrous!
...
Mr Blount: Right now because of the judges decision, everybody is hammering away. The fish is 19'' size. They're hammering them. Every fish they can catch every day.
...
Mr Blount: There isn't a boat in Point Judith or anywhere south that isn't using they're days at sea to catch every last fish they can catch.
...
Mr Blount: The TAC for the last few years has been exceeded by more than the recreational catch was. And now your being asked to reduce. [The commercial sector] exceeded it by 4 times what the recs caught. Not what they landed. That's just what they exceeded.
...
Mr Blount: If we lived within the TAC then we wouldn't be in any of this mess.
Other Voice: Franky's done the same speal many many times to the groundfish committee and the Council. The Council knows it they just choose to turn the other direction. They just don't want to hear it.
Mr. Blount: I just wish I could have made it to the judge.