Mr. Sandman
03-28-2005, 11:15 AM
You proabably already know about this...but here it is anyway:
SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 29, 2005
Under the provisions of M.G.L. Ch 30A and pursuant to the authority found in M.G.L. Ch. 130 ss. 17, 17A, 80, 100A and 104, Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission (MFAC) have scheduled hearings on DMF proposals and a public petition pertaining to the management of the commercial striped bass fishery (322 CMR 6.07 and 7.01).
The proposals are:
1. Lower the daily possession limit through the following options:
a. DMF proposal to drop from 30 fish to 20 fish per vessel; or
b. Public petition to drop from 30 fish to 20 fish per vessel except on Sundays and the opening day of the season when the limit would be 10 fish;
2. DMF proposal to reduce the number of open fishing days per week (currently set at Sunday-Wednesday) from four to three; Comments will be accepted regarding which days of the week would be open;
3. DMF proposal to prohibit commercial striped bass fishing aboard vessels engaged in for-hire recreational fishing;
4. DMF proposal to allow dealers to sell during April through November striped bass legally caught and documented from out-of-state. Whole fish would have to conform to the Massachusetts 34” minimum size and bear an official tag designating state of origin. This proposal does not alter the existing rules governing imported striped bass during December through March.
5. DMF proposal to open the commercial fishery on July 10.
A public hearing has been scheduled for:
Tuesday, March 29, 2005 (7PM) at the Plymouth Community Intermediate School
(117 Long Pond Rd., Plymouth, MA 02360).
__________________________________________________ ____
Lets recall they dropped it from 40 to 30 last year and it had NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER on the price or length of season. They have no grasp of their own market and I think this shows exactly who has the influence at the state level.
The proposed drop from 30 to 20/day will also have little or no effect as well IMO.
The dropping of a day per week should have some effect of lengthing the season a week or so and the fight will be over which day is dropped. The weekenders recs who have a com lic will want to keep sunday open...They really should DROP sunday altogether. The INTENT should be to have fresh fish on the weekend when someone goes to the market, not week old catch just to make some part-timer happy.
The dropping of the charter guy who is "double dipping" by having his charters fill his comm quota should be outlawed at once! THIS IS LONG OVERDUE IMO. So many guys are doing this and it shows you the GREED involved here.
Importing SB? too complicted and opens the door for an unenforceable nightmare IMO.
If there MUST be a sb comm season at all, (which i think there should not)IMO Allow more like 2-4 fish per day all season until the quota is filled, Keep it simple and keep the demand up. 20 fish per day is still too much. I know you can catch more but it defeats the purpose. I would want to keep it so the price is about $4+ /lb and the season is all season. This way you would get a slow constant supply all summer, not a ton of fish on each day it is open. It would have less of an impact on fishing areas and would allow for a better (longer) market for the fish.
SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 29, 2005
Under the provisions of M.G.L. Ch 30A and pursuant to the authority found in M.G.L. Ch. 130 ss. 17, 17A, 80, 100A and 104, Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission (MFAC) have scheduled hearings on DMF proposals and a public petition pertaining to the management of the commercial striped bass fishery (322 CMR 6.07 and 7.01).
The proposals are:
1. Lower the daily possession limit through the following options:
a. DMF proposal to drop from 30 fish to 20 fish per vessel; or
b. Public petition to drop from 30 fish to 20 fish per vessel except on Sundays and the opening day of the season when the limit would be 10 fish;
2. DMF proposal to reduce the number of open fishing days per week (currently set at Sunday-Wednesday) from four to three; Comments will be accepted regarding which days of the week would be open;
3. DMF proposal to prohibit commercial striped bass fishing aboard vessels engaged in for-hire recreational fishing;
4. DMF proposal to allow dealers to sell during April through November striped bass legally caught and documented from out-of-state. Whole fish would have to conform to the Massachusetts 34” minimum size and bear an official tag designating state of origin. This proposal does not alter the existing rules governing imported striped bass during December through March.
5. DMF proposal to open the commercial fishery on July 10.
A public hearing has been scheduled for:
Tuesday, March 29, 2005 (7PM) at the Plymouth Community Intermediate School
(117 Long Pond Rd., Plymouth, MA 02360).
__________________________________________________ ____
Lets recall they dropped it from 40 to 30 last year and it had NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER on the price or length of season. They have no grasp of their own market and I think this shows exactly who has the influence at the state level.
The proposed drop from 30 to 20/day will also have little or no effect as well IMO.
The dropping of a day per week should have some effect of lengthing the season a week or so and the fight will be over which day is dropped. The weekenders recs who have a com lic will want to keep sunday open...They really should DROP sunday altogether. The INTENT should be to have fresh fish on the weekend when someone goes to the market, not week old catch just to make some part-timer happy.
The dropping of the charter guy who is "double dipping" by having his charters fill his comm quota should be outlawed at once! THIS IS LONG OVERDUE IMO. So many guys are doing this and it shows you the GREED involved here.
Importing SB? too complicted and opens the door for an unenforceable nightmare IMO.
If there MUST be a sb comm season at all, (which i think there should not)IMO Allow more like 2-4 fish per day all season until the quota is filled, Keep it simple and keep the demand up. 20 fish per day is still too much. I know you can catch more but it defeats the purpose. I would want to keep it so the price is about $4+ /lb and the season is all season. This way you would get a slow constant supply all summer, not a ton of fish on each day it is open. It would have less of an impact on fishing areas and would allow for a better (longer) market for the fish.