April 27, 2004




CHANGES TO RECREATIONAL SCUP MEASURES TO ACHIEVE ASMFC MANDATED 40% REDUCTION IN LANDINGS



At its March meeting, the ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board mandated that Massachusetts reduce its recreational scup landings by 40% relative to 2003. Other states are required to reduce landings by variable amounts due to overages in the 2003 fishery. Due to the Board’s delayed decision, MarineFisheries is enacting the following changes through emergency action to recreational scup minimum size and possession limits to comply with the 40% cut in landings effective Tuesday, April 27, 2004:



For all recreational fishermen:

Recreational scup minimum size is increased from 9 to 10-inches.
Open season remains January 1 through October 6.

For recreational fishermen fishing aboard a private vessel or from shore:

· Possession limit is reduced from 50 to 40 fish during the open season.

· Private vessels with two or more people aboard are prohibited from possessing more than 80 fish.



For recreational fishermen fishing aboard a for-hire vessel:

Possession limit of 100 fish is retained through June 30.
Possession limit is reduced from 100 fish to 40 fish from July 1 through October 6.


Personally I don't have too much of a problem with this..I would like to see it stay at 9" (for bait reasons) but I still think 80 scup is too much. Hell I think 80 of anything is too much!

I am worried about FLuke!! NY state is in BAD shape. They may go out of compliance with the ASMFC and sue them. They say NY took an amazing number of fluke (which evern the asmfc has a hard time understanding but given the poor weather last year and the lower sales at every charterboat and tackle store in the state...they want to cut the fluke limit to 3.) I hope they go out of compliance and sue them because MA is next. "The fishermen" has the details.

This management stuff is comming to a head. They keep claiming what a good job they are doing but it is so comm weighed and they really have done a poor job IMO. The SB is a different story...there was no "management" there was a SHUT DOWN and an clean up. This is not management. Groundfish even Pogies and herring are managed...look at the shape they are in.

FIRE THEM ALL and lets start all over with a clean sheet of paper.

I don't consider myself a "fish hog", but 3 flounder per day (winter or summer) for a "rec" fisherman, seems really kind of like a small amount. Is it really that bad that a guy can only take 3 flounders a day?

When the bait costs more than the fish, it's time to stop fishing.

40 scup per person at 10 inches seems fair, what are you going to do with 40 scup, Give them to the neighbors?

FYI the new NY regs are 3 fluke over 17 inches, and that is out of compliance with the ASMFC requirements. We'll just have to wait and see what's next for NY.

9" Scup would have been just fine!! All they had to do was drop the catch to like 20!! What the heck would you do with 40 or 50 Scup anyway?? Unlesss you are a green horn :laughs: :laughs:

I also like them for Bait!!

Fluke only 3!! No way!! The commercials are still able to take 200 # rod and reel, and 300# as a dragger. And all this at 15"!!

The rec always take it on the chin!!! Just not fair!!

Originally posted by MakoMike
FYI the new NY regs are 3 fluke over 17 inches, and that is out of compliance with the ASMFC requirements. We'll just have to wait and see what's next for NY.

Mako,

Having lived there I know this is going to cause a lot of problems. the partyboat fleet will go bankrupt. No one is going to pay 30-40 +bucks for a fishing trip (plus bait and ect) for 3 17" fluke. First thing you will see is a free for all...people taking whatever they want (size and limits). The law will simply be ignored. Policing is almost non-exsistant and can't deal with massive avoidance. MA is next...you watch all hell will break loose now.

I have always asked myself...Why do we need to take so many scup?... Have you ever take 100 sucp...for what?

Re 10 in..Are you telling me the cops will show up othe town docks throughout NE and tell the kids there that they have to through back those dead scup. This just is not going to happen. No one I know even measures scup for petes sake. How about a more sensible limit based rule...12 scup any size.

Gee now they the hell can't they put their foot down on the pogie boats? They sux
Why don't they just have a window so the spawning scup are left alone in early spring.