MSBA Action Alert--Stripers Forever Bill Could Pass- Only One Hearing--This Thursday
 

MSBA Action Alert--Stripers Forever Bill Could Pass- Only One Hearing--This Thursday 11 AM

On This coming Thursday January 14th at 11 am in Room A-2 of the State House The MA Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture is holding the One & Only Public Hearing on H796 which is formally named An Act relative to the conservation of Atlantic Striped Bass aka The Stripers Forever Bill.

MSBA sources inside the state house have informed MSBA that this legislation has momentum and if a large number of fishermen do not turn out to oppose the bill at the hearing MA Anglers may see the end of Commercial Striped Bass Fishing amongst other poor management measures contained in the bill. Rumor has it that Stripers Forever has three buses coming to the hearing, including one from Maine.We advise that those attending be sure to be in the room at 10 AM because the room is expected to reach max capacity well before 11 am. MSBA will be announcing a meeting place in the Quincy Area for members to meet and take the "

Some Background on this bill:

The main actions in this legislation are as follows:
1..."Commercial harvesting and sale of wild striped bass shall be prohibited in the commonwealth"
2..."It is unlawful to take or possess striped bass unless the fish are whole with head on and are between 20 and 26 inches total length or 40 inches and greater total length"
3..."It is unlawful to take or possess more than one (1) striped bass each day"

Many Months ago, the membership of the 60 Year Old MA Striped Bass Association voted unanimously to oppose this bill because of many reasons, the following is but a partial list:
1. The Commonwealth of MA has an established fisheries rulemaking process that includes the expert input of both it's Citizens, the MA Marine Fisheries Commission and The MA DMF. The management actions contained in H 796 should be vetted through that process so that peer reviewed science and vigorous public debate controlled by MEPA rules will ensure maximized public interaction be part of any proposed management action.
2. If the legislature is to set this precedent and begin including details of species management in legislation; anagement based on reacting to new and better data will be almost impossible to create. The uncertain amount of time it takes to move legislation through the State House process will cause all management actions to include large conservation buffers that will potentially limit access of the citizens to even a seemingly healthy resource such as Striped Bass.
3. An even more problematic result of the legislature getting into fisheries management details is the likely hood that at least one Commercial, Recreational and ENGO written bill will be introduced for each fisheries issue, and that can be dozens per year. The first three the MA Striped Bass Assn would like to introduce will be an "Act to Protect River Herring from at Sea Fishing Mortality", an "Act to Prevent Ecosystem Damage Caused by the Proliferation of Dogfish", and finally "An Act to Protect Atlantic Menhaden".
4. The already predicted scientific example of the proposed slot shows that this slot will cause a very large increase in Striped Bass fishing mortality as was seen when the same slot limit was enacted in the State Waters of Maine. When regulations allow anglers to harvest small, agressive and hungry juvinile fish the fishing mortality numbers rise sharply.
5. This legislation calls for all farm raised Stripers to bear a tag when displayed for sale. The measures contained in this legislation will cause a steep decline in the market for farm raised Striped Bass. There will be no need for farm raised Stripers if the ethnic populations that make up the majority of the farm raised Striped Bass market are able to harvest 20 inch fish from every bridge over every salt water estuary in the state.

Obviously, MSBA urges that all opposed to this legislation make time to attend the Hearing.

For more information check out http://www.msba.net/

There are many threads on this bill just search Stripers Forever on this site!!!!!

Before many start debating...who is going to the hearing.

How will this affect the recreational fishermen?:confused:

Sounds like a great bill. I hope it passes.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Except for:
1. The Commonwealth of MA has an established fisheries rulemaking process that includes the expert input of both it's Citizens, the MA Marine Fisheries Commission and The MA DMF. The management actions contained in H 796 should be vetted through that process so that peer reviewed science and vigorous public debate controlled by MEPA rules will ensure maximized public interaction be part of any proposed management action.
2. If the legislature is to set this precedent and begin including details of species management in legislation; anagement based on reacting to new and better data will be almost impossible to create. The uncertain amount of time it takes to move legislation through the State House process will cause all management actions to include large conservation buffers that will potentially limit access of the citizens to even a seemingly healthy resource such as Striped Bass.
3. An even more problematic result of the legislature getting into fisheries management details is the likely hood that at least one Commercial, Recreational and ENGO written bill will be introduced for each fisheries issue, and that can be dozens per year. The first three the MA Striped Bass Assn would like to introduce will be an "Act to Protect River Herring from at Sea Fishing Mortality", an "Act to Prevent Ecosystem Damage Caused by the Proliferation of Dogfish", and finally "An Act to Protect Atlantic Menhaden".
4. The already predicted scientific example of the proposed slot shows that this slot will cause a very large increase in Striped Bass fishing mortality as was seen when the same slot limit was enacted in the State Waters of Maine. When regulations allow anglers to harvest small, agressive and hungry juvinile fish the fishing mortality numbers rise sharply.
5. This legislation calls for all farm raised Stripers to bear a tag when displayed for sale. The measures contained in this legislation will cause a steep decline in the market for farm raised Striped Bass. There will be no need for farm raised Stripers if the ethnic populations that make up the majority of the farm raised Striped Bass market are able to harvest 20 inch fish from every bridge over every salt water estuary in the state."

this is a dangerous bill.
Just like the pogy bill, fisheries should not be managed by the legislature, period!

If the pogie bill in ri was attached to this bill, I would be all for both.. With the amendment that snagging hooks would be illegal. :hee:
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Well, I think it's naive to think that this doesn't set a dangerous precedent. If SF can get this bill passed, whats to stop PETA et al. from filing one???

As %$%$%$%$ed up as the present system can seem, IMHO fisheries are better managed by the existing framework instead of the legislature.

this isn't supposed to be a debate. BP was asking who was going

The people who go will be the guys with commercial licenses. I hope the look at the last 5 or 6 years of the young of the year index before they go.
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So, they should look at YOY index, but this bill would increase the mortality on 20-26" fish, which are 3-5/6 years old, effectively putting the target on those same fish this coming season...

managing these fish is not an easy task, but via the legislature is not the right move!

Bingo. Duck falls from ceiling.

Very dangerous precedent if fisheries management becomes the purview of the legislature. Just wait until Sate Rep Jones-Smith gets those calls about the "evil" fisherman from some more "influential" constituency. Or specific fisheries management items becomes a bargaining chip in the "you scratch my back I'll scratch yours" mentality of the state house.

So you guys would rather see the striped bass stocks continue to go down? look at how the system saved the striped bass last time there was a problem. It took people like bob pond and senator Chaffee to do it.
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Didn't the legislatures of some southern states (maybe Texas/Florida?) pass laws to protect redfish/snook because they couldn't get it done via management? Precedent may have already been set - just not in Mass. The northeast has always been a bit behind the times and very protectionist of tradition. I don't think this has as much negative impact on the recreational community as it is made out to have. I personally would welcome a smaller size limit with a protection of the larger fish.

DZ

Yes you are correct DZ. The precident has already been set. I hope rhode island adopts this bill as well.
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And perhaps instead of fighting through the legislature on an individual state maybe we should be pushing for a reduction with ASMFC to put a reduction on the total catch.

I'm all for a reduction Dennis, I also feel that while down south they may work to protect a stock, up here they will work to exclude fishermen at every point.

I don't think you can commercially take redfish in Florida John. What they did down there is a role model for what we should be doing up here.
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damned- i agree with eben again...:confused:

:love:
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Here's a "form letter"' feel free to use it if you share my concerns about this bill. At the MA house web page you can get email links for your local reps and the Natural Resource Committee.
http://www.mass.gov/legis/memmenuh.htm
Dear Rep.

I would like to express my opposition to the above referenced House bill #796 and ask your support in the rejection of the bill.

The MA Division of Marine Fisheries management of Striped Bass has been instrumental in the recovery of stocks to a level that allows for both a limited commercial fishery and a robust recreational fishery. The MA commercial bass fishery, a long established MA rod & reel only fishery, is highly monitored through the current reporting and quota system as is the striped bass fishery in general. Marine Fisheries managers have established "benchmark" levels that would trigger more restrictive conservation levels for the fishery. The current data on striped bass indicates that the biomass is in fact very healthy and the limited MA commercial fishery Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is well within the levels established to ensure a continued viable fishery.

Management of our fisheries should be the responsibility of those professionals the state has charged with that task. Fisheries management should never be driven by a special interest and this bill which has been submitted at the request of a private, out of state based group that has been a long standing opponent of any commercial fishery shows a total disregard for both our professional fisheries management and the economic welfare of our commercial fisherman.

Thank you for your consideration of my request.

Who cares what side of this bill you are on...those who do not show up get no say anyway...the real question is who is going to the hearing or is this all just some good old fashioned north east winter wind

me too, talk about dangerous precendents!

I'm planning on going, it works out because I've been working nights.
Geez, 11am is gonna be tough for the average person.

Boy it sure would be a shame if striped bass became a protected game fish. What a tragedy.
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disgusting photo/video
 

Nebe, if you would like to be taken seriously why don't you get rid of that foolish picture of the woman washing her car. I think it speaks volumes about you!!

This was not a post for a debate, just a question . Who's going? I will be there.

funny, i NEVER took Nebe seriously until the carwashing video....

She's washing a car?

So who's going

HAHAHAHA... :rotf2:

I'll be there.

It's gone, now we might have to read Nebe's posts. That does not imply after reading we have to take him seriously.

I find it interesting that if you don't go you have no say.

A fish that is three to six years old probably does not lay any eggs. But fish between 26"s and 40"s sure do. So if someone takes a 25 inch fish home for dinner that hasn't matured sexually, how can that be worse than taking home a 39"er that lays a gazillion eggs that you wont be able to take home if this bill passes.

God forbid the commercial guys can't catch 30 fish a day for up to four to eight weeks until the quota is met.

I don't really care if someone takes me seriously or not. The fact of the matter is that the great rebound of the striped bass population is over. The bubble has burst so to speak and the numbers will continue to go down until the rules are changed.
Before the last crash there were many who were completely opposed to the moratorium stating the fact that they would loose money.... Either from selling the fish or from fishing charters. The people who are profiting now are doing so by the sacrifices everyone made by protecting the fish to allow a sustainable comeback. So I ask those who are opposed... Have you heard the saying " those who have not learned from history are doomed to repeat it"?????
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The fact of the matter is.... that that prior to the moritorium there was no daily limit and the size limit was 16"....and the fact of the matter is ...that neither you or SF has the expertise to deal with fisheries management. Why don't you "I know better than everyone else cause I can't catch a bass" faux fisheries managers either let those who have the job of managing do it....or go apply for the job yourselves. Maybe I'm wrong...you must have the education, expertise, etc to do the job because.....the fact of the matter is you sure as hell are acting like you do.

Eben for President! I have to agree with him! I could care less about the commercials......its all take, take, take......kill, kill, kill! I am all for going back to 1 fish per day at 34 inches! No commercial take!:uhuh:

Eben I could not agree with you more!

+1 and bring back the pic in your sig :drool:

The problem with your scenario is the 25" never had an opportunity to spawn before it was harvested, whereas the 39" fish spawned several times before it was taken.

[QUOTE=Swimmer;738355]I find it interesting that if you don't go you have no say."

Frank...It is Stripers Forever that is working to eliminate your input on this subject.

If the proponents of stricter regulations actually did the footwork, developed and presented the science and used the current system then we might actually have the series of hearings and vigorous public debate that many of us are yearning for including the MSBA Leadership.

Unfortunately, Stripers Forever took a grant from some hard core enviros...hired some lobbyists and influenced Rep. Matt Patrick (who happens to be Brad Burns of Stripers Forever's Summer Time Neighbor) to introduce the bill.

Does anyone think that Matt Patrick's refusal to meeet with the Falmouth Fishermen's Assn and the Falmouth Rod & Gun Club is any indicator that this is not an open public process.

One hearing in the middle of a weekday is the Stripers Forever way...the "system" many here complain about has hearings from 5-7pm in multiple locations iwth at least 30 days notice...required by law...not manipulated by Stripers forever high paid enviro attorney's.

If you want a say on this bill...tell the legislature to kick the subject to DMF and the MA Marine Fisheries Commission where it belongs. Your remember the last time we had a S-B hearing...that was the process then..and at least we got to speak and be a part of the process.

Hope to see you there on Thursday

This all may be a mute point anyway,I noticed the state of Conn. DPH in 2009 recommended women and children avoid eating any striped bass at all. Could there possibly be a time soon, when bass is deemed not fit for consumption.:huh:

I can't be there because of an appointment and in this economy , I have my priorities, but I'd like to think that an email will help to get some say. so if your statement is true, maybe I just won't bother to email then. I can accept the outcome. I wonder if there will be many commercial fishermen there.

If you can't be there call or email!!

You've summed up exactly the cause of many people's frustration - very little getting done because of the obstacle course that is set up to push new policy.

Having worked and sat through dozens of public hearings/meetings/conferences through my work, I've witnessed that very little ever gets accomplished from them aside from delaying action or a result of complete inaction. Every school teacher, retiree, college student, home-maker, engineer, and businessman that shows up is an "expert" on the subject and thinks they have detailed knowledge. For example, the Westwood Station development has taken over a year longer than expected due to needing a hearing before just about every decision could be finalized.

Why exactly should the average fishermen have a say? Unless you have performed detailed research or reviewed multiple competent studies, how can an informed opinion be presented? Fisherman are already somewhat dismissed by the enviros for being selfish and destructive - presenting unsupported misinformation will only give them more ammo. SF is highly organized, and as such, more than likely has the qualifying materials (biased or not) to support there policy push. Unfortunately, "I have been fishing for 30 years" isn't perceived as credibility at these hearings.

If recreational fishermen truly want more control over fisheries management, then they need to support the people/groups that can perform the research necessary to support/contradict regulations and not let groups like SF or the commercial fishing industry continue dumping money until they get what they want.