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TimW,
Is that you Tim Watts? Anyway, I don't think the ASMFC is d#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g the eel issue, yet. The current addendum was in the works long before the stock assessment came in. The stock assessment basically says that the eel is in deep trouble. The assessment is scheduled to go through the peer review process next week. Once that is done they may release the stock assessment to the public (I have an inside source on the technical committee). My problem with the current proposal is that it sets an expectation level that things will pretty much continue as before, and given the stock assesment that clear should not and will not be the case. Once teh stock assessment is peer reviewd and presented the managment board they, IMHO will have no choice but to move to an amendment to the FMP. I have spoken to several memebers of the management board who agree with that statement. But getting an amendment that will seriously restrict eel fishing is not going to be a speedy process. The best we can hope for is, IMHO something to take effect late next summer or fall. And the the entire ASMFC as well as the eel management board needs to feel the pressure from the public. They are already feeling the pressure form the commercial eels fishermen, reporesented by the Deleware valley fish company, that have been present at every technical committee and managment board meeting.
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