RI - Amendment 6 meetings - Wednesday Night - who is going?
 

Tomorrow (Wednesday) night @ Corless auditorium - URI Bay Campus

Maybe we can grab a bite & a beer after but we really need to have some representation at the meeting.

Who is planning to go tomorrow?


Rhode Island Division of Fish & Wildlife
September 17, 2014 at 6 PM
University of Rhode Island, Corless Auditorium
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Nicole Lengyel at 401.423.1940

I'll be there.

I'm planning to be there.

i was planning on being there but have a confrence in Boston now. Hopefully its a good turn out.

I'm going

Last call - we need recreational anglers to be there :love:

I will be there

I am planning on making it.

wish I could. soccer scrimmage in the wilds of burrillville tonight.

Unfortunately it looks like I will not make it unless I get a last minute break.

Less than 60 people including fish cops and the chick running the meeting.

Don't want to hear any whining when you're using your $1000 reels and $500 rods surfcasting for tog and blewfish.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

that,s 45 more than usual ><><

But for the most part, the same people that go; the Surfcasters, some RISAA folks, and the charter boat association.

Quick summary: RISSA and the Charter boat guys were for 2 fish per day. The Charter guys were for a slow phase in, I don't recall RISAA's position of take the hit right away or the slow phase in.

Most surfcasters and the usual suspects you would know from here recommended 1 fish, immediate reduction @ 25% (still a little light IMO but more stringent is not an option, and NO transfer of commercial allocations between states.)

Public comment is still available by mail, email, and phone, there is still some time left to make your voice heard.

RISAA is for 2 fish? Seriously?
Had the kids tonight, coulndt swing it. Have emailed and snailmailed comments.

The most restrictive option was 1 fish @ 32" - no 1 @ 36 option is in the cards

Yes - 2 fish - my assumption is that it was heavily influenced by the sizeable # of charter and boaters i their membership

This is the exact reason I quit RISSA years ago. Steve Mederous has always been on the charter boat Capts side.
I couldn't make the meeting as I was on a redeye from Rome and didn't land in the Charlotte until 9:45 AM yesterday. Home at 1:00 PM. Dead! No sleep on the redeye with a screaming 18 month old in the row in front of us all the way across the "pond". I also emailed and snail mailed.

I thought the DEM folks were both informative and receptive.

Not surprising and pathetic.

I thought that Charlie on the Snappa, one of the few charter guys who was honest about the stripers numbers, had some excellent things to say, things that I'm sure didn't make him too popular this morning down on the Point Judith charter docks.

I agree - Charlie and the group of charter captains from Block were the only for hire boats supporting a 1 fish bag. RISAA, as well intended as they are, are basically a vehicle of the "for hire" industry. I really wasn't that surprised by their stand - their consensus on issues is almost always for the advantage of the boating fishermen.

DZ, care to elaborate/ paraphrase in regards to their responses.

Goose may want to help me out on this. I believe Charlie mentioned that we all need to make concessions in this case including the charter industry. Zach Harvey read a statement from a group of about 6 charter boats (Hula Charters, Chris Willi of BI Fishworks, and a few more) on Block who couldn't make the meeting. The BI group all supported a one fish bag at 28 inches to be institued in the one year time frame.

John - I didn't see you (or maybe not recognize you as it has been 7-8 years?)

The letter Zach Harvey read from the Block group was very good and hit some very important and key points. The officials from the RI Charter boats seemed a little perturbed by a few people off the reservation. I have nothing against those guys, it is a tough balance.

Those other captains fishing off Block (not the 5 from Block in the letter) though might be the last to see the decline.

Props to Zach for also bringing up accurately the Block Island Switch, catching the rec bass off Block and converting into sales in Mass Comm.

John, you mentioned that the rec anglers during this meeting had a consensus of 1 fish w/ 25% reduction in one year. Was there a consensus for which of the options was favored during the meeting B1(1@28), B2(30), B3(32), etc..

The recreational consensus was generally a 1 year 25% reduction with one fish at 32", since options were limited by the constraints of the ASMFC proposal. Kudos to Charlie Donlon of Snappa Charters. DZ, Mike Laptew, and several other recreational guys were well spoken. RISAA supports a slot limit, no doubt given its constituency, of one fish between 28 and 34" and one "trophy" fish over 36".
Ironically, at the recent Galilee Fishing Tournament managed by RISAA, there wasn't even a third place bass ( min. 32") entered in the shore division.

I wish i could have made it but i was working. Thanks to those who showed up and voiced their opinions.

I would say 70% of the individual recs said 1 fish and out of those fairly mixed between B1-B3. All / Almost all recommended the 25% first year reduction.

[QUOTE=JohnR;1051858]John - I didn't see you (or maybe not recognize you as it has been 7-8 years?)


I was up in the back sitting next to Zach. I should've said hello but my head hurt from too much Spawning Stock Biomass and F-mortality. I bolted for home.

Last nights meeting really showed the importance of Showing Up and participating in the process. The party and charter boat association was well prepared in expressing their desires for 2 fish and minimal phase-in for catch reduction. As others mentioned, then most of the recreational fisherman (with the exception of RISAA) started voicing their opinions for 1 fish with the maximum 25 % reduced catch. You could see considerable consternation on the faces of some of the charter captains when so many recreational anglers were in favor of the max reduction.

KUDOS to all who attended and spoke up and especially Charlie Donilon, captain of the charter boat SNAPPA for advocating reducing to 1 fish. He may not be the most popular guy in Pt Judith today but he's got my respect.

Why the #^&#^&#^&#^& is it up to what the majority wants to see happen. I could see if there is a single mathematical end result and we have to decide on which road to take to get to that same result. Shouldn't the "scientists" enforce what they believe to be required to allow the stock to recover?

The bitching and complaining from either side(s) should have no bearing on what gets done. Our collective input should only be considered to vet out the "science" We've all seen the same thing - steady decline to the point where we all agree they're in danger.