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Yes Mike, thats me.
To me I guess what it boils down to is that each individual state has the authority to take action, and ASMFC has the authority to take action, yet no one has taken any. This decline didn't happen overnight, folks have been aware of it for many years now, yet these things are still getting smacked through all their life stages. How many of our coastal fish species have an open season for the young of the year lifestage? How many species can be fished for with pots by recs? How many have no quota on the amount landed by comms. ASMFC has had the authority over the past several years to establish some sort of reasonable limits on these fish like they have for other coastal species and they have not done it.
On the one hand they are asking the Feds if the things are endangered, on the other hand they are doing nothing. If the stocks are in bad enough shape that ASMFC has to ask the Feds the endangered question, then they are certainly in bad enough shape to warrant some sort of catch limits beyond the ones in place.
That is why my brother and I filed the petition to list them. Because everyone was wringing their hands and talking about it, but no one was doing anything about it. Judging by their current proposal nothing has changed.
I am sure this all makes perfect sense within the regulatory arena, but from my view it sure looks like they are d#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g and running.
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