this weeks MV times has a article with the above title. (online version not up at the moment) but it looks like the may open the EEZ to sb fishing (after a 13 year closure) It would allow mass anglers to exploit the shoals outside of the 3 mile limit. Also, there is a section that says...
"Paul Diodati, DMF director met last week with the sb advisory panel to discuss reg. proposlas for the comming season. He said he expects to see a two-fish limit for recs and and increase in the commerical quota although not to the eextent allowed by ASMFC and no change in the comm size limt.

When the gets on line I will post it.

Mr Sandman,

I am a member of the SB Advisory Panel and we were snowed out 2 weeks in a row. We meet next thursday. Following that meeting, DMF will release the options for 2003 to go out to public hearing. There will be three public hearings. MSBA will host one on April 17 at 7pm at the Viking club. there will be two others that week...one near the Cape and one on the North Shore.

Information I have collected through informal talks with other members of the Advisory Panel has lead me to the following expectations. Not that I agree with all I am posting here.

It looks like there will be a significant increase in the commercial Quota. Hopefully it will not be the full amount that is allowed under Ammenment 6. It looks like there will be support for a Commercial daily bag limit reduction from 40 to 25 fish per day. I also expect to hear that the elimination of the non-resident comm
license for SB (that had some support last winter) will be announced to be illegal.

On the recreational side of things, you can pretty much count on 2 fish per day. There is a movement amongst some of us to try and get a slot of some sort considered. I, on behalf of MSBA have been pushing for 1 fish 28-40 and 1 over 40 for almost a year. There is another slot I have heard, that would be 2 fish over 28", 1 over 40. The theory behind this is that all year classes younger that 1993 are the strongest on record, going back to at least 1950. the fish from 1993 and older (40 + inches)are from some of the weakest year classes ever reported. Add this to the fact that 40 or so per cent of all the SB under 36 inches are males that do not ever grow larger than 36/38 inches and you see where the concern to prevent the incresed harvest from doing more damage to the last of the weak year classes is coming from.

As I stated earlier, this is what I see coming, not nescessarily what I agree with. It would be nice to get some intelligent discussion on this subject going on the boards


As far as EEZ is concerned, ASFMC voted last month to officially request that the NMFS open the EEZ to SB Fishing. IF NMFS decides to consider doing this it would have to go out to public hearing and input first. Paul Diodati has stated many times that he is in favor of the opening. Looking ahead, ther is the possibility that the opening could be left up to each individual state. But that is a way down the road.

Guys,
I'm new to the area, but have fished out of Montauk for the last 30+ years. From what I'm hearing I'll support the push to open the eez. My theory is that the commercial guys are going to get their quota anyway. Meanwhile a lot of the striper haunts that the recs. have depended on between block island and Montauk are really in the EEZ. And some strict enforcement would unduly peanlize a lot of recs. Comments and brickbats welcome.

Personally I think that opening the EEZ would lessen the pressure of some other spots, like say around the Elizabeths.

I also am a member of the SB advisory panel - and I see things going as described by Patrick.

The Mass. Commercial quota will lock in at 1,160,000 lbs.
Focuss will be on ways to extend the season beyond last year's five weeks.
A reduction of the daily commercial bag limit from 40 to 25 will be talked about and probably brought to public hearing - but will meet some resistance at that point - that type of reduction is always viewed as penalizing the more successful fishermen.
The commercial size of 34 inches and the 4 days on / 3 days off will also get some discussion - but these are two components that , in my opinion, have worked well and should stay as is.

On the recreational side, various 2 fish options will undoubtably be discussed.
I personally favor any language that allows only "one" of those fish to be over 40 inches.

I will see you Thursday night Patrick.

can You Guys Up the quota some more and How about 5 fish a day, I meen lets deplete the stocks fast so I can Move the hell out of the Cape.
I like the 4 on 3 off to cut out the recs and its nice to know when I put them suckers belly up the fish will last a day in the slosh
this is BS 2 fish and upping the quota
how ever I do like the 25 fish thing, that should keep the price up :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall:

BM,

I understand the sarcasm and wish the world of Striped Bass could be as I think it should be but it is not.

If we recs on the SB adisory panel stood up and started a Gamefish Status debate we would be ignored as there is just not taht much support by the average fisherman and the potential to get the proposals a little more conservative than the current plans would be lost.

to get things done in a democracy you can not stand up stating it is my way or the highway. Sorry if I seem to poinitng some of my personal frustrations at you. I am one of the very very few that actually show up at these meeting time and time again and you would not beleive how many recs stand up screaming and embarass those of us who are getting things done inside the system. the rec public was left out of the decision making process for many years because our leaders would stand up at a public hearing screaming that all things commercial are bad and all things recreational are good. then those same guys would go to a restaurant and have a plate of Fish & Chips. Rec groups are more organized than ever and have a seat at the table. We are making strides and could make more if we could get more that 5 people at a damn hearing.

who said any thing about game fish status, How about lobbyist like the comms have
who wants 2 fish for recs? the recs.
Hey either way I come out on top with selling bass, But I would like to see the fish preserved and with these half arsed laws I dont think so
I remeber in the 90s when all those so called fishing clubs got up and said lower the limet.
Funny after the bass issue the place dumped out and other species where talked about and not By the recs.
Now Your on this panel, what do You guys do ?
talk and not Be heard or are You for these regs?