I got this information off a NH Charter web site

I find it disterbing that they would even think of restricting people from Jeffries Ledge. How is it possible to add restrictions in international waters?

Any way I found this good information if you are a Cod fishermen.

The following is from Al Gauron Deep Sea Charters in Hampton, NH

Rocky' s News & Views
ATTENTION RECREATIONAL FISHERMAN! IMPORTANT! YOUR RIGHT TO FISH IN THE GULF OF MAINE IS IN DANGER!

I am sorry I didn't see this coming. Everyone that can attend the meeting at the Holiday inn, One Newbury Street, Peabody,Ma. on Wed. November 2nd should take the time to attend!

I have early reports from the Recreational Advisory Panel meeting today that all proposals have been shot down. Recreational fisherman might be looking at complete exclusion from Jeffries Ledge, and or a 2 cod bag limit!

This is what is going to be discussed and voted on at the meeting tomorrow! It will be a devastating hit to recreational fisherman if these measures get through!

Pass the word! I know there are all kinds of chat groups and fishing groups out there in cyberspace that love to fish for cod and haddock. Get someone to this meeting. Again, I'm sorry to wait until the last minute to spread the word, but I just got a phone call an hour ago. Any measures that are passed tomorrow by the Groundfish Council will go for a formal vote at the New England Fishery Management Council in January in Hyannis, Ma. We have to beat it back before then!

Unless the afternoon session goes better today, we are in for a major battle to fish next Summer! There will be other items discussed about commercial fishing at tomorrows' meeting too! I won't be able to answer e-mails today, but I'll post anything after I talk to people tonight if there has been any change. Remember, Pass the word!

- Capt. Rocky Gauron

So what has Happened??

Rocky' s News & Views
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 5TH!

MORE THOUGHTS ON FISHERIES IN GULF OF MAINE:

Are all user groups equally responsible for the depletion of codfish stocks? Even though they are talking 38% reduction in cod catches, let's call it 40%. We know from new information the recreational fisherman accounts for 25% of total cod landings. Everyone agrees the data may be in error, but that is the only number anyone has, so it's being used as the ruler!

So back to the original question I asked at the top of this page.Plus,why are we being told recreational fisherman may not be alllowed to posess codfish for a whole year, only 2 months, or only 6 months? This along with a bag limit number that we don't know what it's going to be yet!

If they want a 40% reduction in cod landed by recreational fisherman, then you are looking at a 6 cod bag limit. But, if recreational fisherman are only catching 25% of the cod, then we should only be whacked 2 fish down to 8 cod per person.

The way this is being handled is making everyone nervous. They have gone from looking at what needs to be done, to taking immediate action. This is going to be settled before the new year. The news hasn't really picked up on this yet, so keep your ears to the ground, and in the mean time, I'll find out what I can!

I still haven't got to e-mails yet! I have over 100 messages. I'll start on them later today or tomorrow!


- Capt. Rocky Gauron

I am not sure what is going to happen, but I use this charter out of Hampton when I can not get people out on my boat. Good group of guys, and since they are involved every day, I rely on them for information.

well as for your question, No commercial and recreation, are not equally!!

I was at a Fluke management meeting and the dragger's were fighting the hook & liners, both commercial.
Dragger's said they have the right to take 90% of the commercial catch because they traditionally have caught 90%
Well this is when i got up and used there numbers against them. I said then we are not in this room today because of the shortage are we, if we only caught 10%

I know there are dragger's here on this board and they need and want to make there money.
But the time has come and take a good look at what has happened here!! Its not recreation or hook & line commercial people that have made this mess!!
And its not a total dragger fault it is the whole way that the thing has been manged!! Dragger's take what they are told they can.

Is not just the Cod, look at what the nets bring to the top! They not only take cod, but thy take all kinds of fish and large and small a like!! They do decrement what they scoop up.
Look at the Scup dragger that just dumped all them bass, they are all dead and floating, what a waste!! Those fish should have been brought in no matter what!! Sold to feed the hungry or something and be counted and deducted from the commercial quota!!

I commercial hook & Line and i catch only what i am fishing for 95% of the time. And when i do catch a wrong fish, it is unhooked and free to go for another day.
By the time they drag,haul, dump, cull, all the wrong fish crabs ect. ect... are all dead and good for nothing, what a waste!!

Changes need to be made all across the board now, and there is not going to be any easy way or any way to keep people happy!!
We all are going to have to go with out, or very little to turn this around!! Its time to stop side steeping the issue so that no one gets hurt!! We are all hurt!! Sorry Dragger people but its time!! You have had the seas for many many many years with out putting anything back into it, Now it is time to repay the sea so it can flourish again!!

In stead of all the commercial, hook & Liners, and recreation people fighting, We should all embrace one another and work toghter to fix this problem!! For what ever your reason we all want the same thing, To fish!! So lets just figure it out and do it!!

Ok I am done. I think??

Jefferies Ledge is not in International Waters. It's in Federal Waters. International waters start 200 miles out.

Raocky Gauron shpuld talk to someone that was there beofre he starts hitting the panic button.
The recreational advisory panel recommended that the bag limit stay at 10 fish per person, That the Gulf of Maine closed area remain open to recreational vessels, that the cod season should be closed Nov. 1 to April 1,(cod only anglers could still fish for toher groundfish) and that the size limit be increased to 24 or 25 inches, whatever amount is necessary to bring us closse to the mandated 38% reduction. We were told that as long as we were close, the recommendation would be respected. The council has never refused to heed the reccomendations of the RAP. The Groundfish Advisory Panel met the next day and voted to supprt the RAP advice, the counsil will take it up at their November meeting in Hyanis.

Recreational fishermen are currently taking about 30% of the total catch, and should, IMHO take the same amount of a reduction as the rest of the fleet.

I commercial hook & Line and i catch only what i am fishing for 95% of the time. And when i do catch a wrong fish, it is unhooked and free to go for another day.
By the time they drag,haul, dump, cull, all the wrong fish crabs ect. ect... are all dead and good for nothing, what a waste!!

I think this is the key to it all NO WASTE!!

Dragers have to much waste the way there doing it now.