MSBA Call to Action-Save South Cape Fishing

[BasicPatrick]

To all MSBA members and friends,

Do you fish the Soth Cape Beach and Cotuit Highlands area in the Spring?? Do you fish Oregon Beach, Loop Beach, South Cape Beach, Popponessett, Vineyard Sound, Middleground etc etc.

There is trouble about to happen. The following announcement from the MA DMF is talking about this exact area. In a very controversial vote that was a tie until the pro commercial chair of the MA Marine Fisheries Comission voted in favor, the inshore state waters, within three miles was opened up to commercial draggers of all sizes and there will be no trip limits on the dragging of Squid. This is an extention of the commercial fishery we all watch on the horizon while Bluefishig and Bass fishing from both boat and shore. The MA DMF was proposing another plan but it failed.

The motion that passed will bring larger commercial vessels inside three miles with no trip limits and both the unlimited removal of more forage (Squid) and the potetial extreme amount of bycatch will be devastating. This will interrupt the Squid and Fish migration up towards Chatham and aound Race Point and it will possibly effect fishing all the way into Massachusetts Bay.

We, as recreational fishers must inandate the DMF, The MA Secretary of Environmental Affairs and our local politicians until something is done to stop this and we have to act fast. Here is what you can do right now in the next couple days:

1...Call or E-mail DMF Director Paul Diodati at the DMF Offices in Boston (617-626-1520)(paul.diodati@state.ma.us) and express your outrage at the decision of the Commission. Let him know that the Commission decision does not represent your interests and you want this action ceased. If Paul is not available, leave a message and ask for a call back. Be polite as the DMF is probably on our side and needs our support.

2...Call or E-mail the MA Secretary of Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles (617-626-1000) (env.internet@state.ma.us) and let the Secretary's Office know that the Mass Fisheries comission has voted to take an action that does not represent your interests, will damage Recreational Fishing in the area and will damage the overall health of the areas fisheries in a way that is just unacceptable. Ask that the Secretary step in and stop this action. Once again, be polite and ask for a return of your message when taken.

3...A call to your local State Senator or Representative will also work



Thanks for suppoprting this action & this is why you should be a member of the Massachusetts Striped Bass Association.



MSBA Gov't Affairs



At a March 15th business meeting the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission (MFC) took action on several proposed rule changes affecting 1) mobile gear fishery for squid, 2) commercial tautog fishery, 3) recreational summer flounder (fluke) fishery, and 4) commercial spiny dogfish fishery. Additionally, the MFC supported the Division’s decision to disapprove a public petition to ban gillnetting from state waters.

1) Squid trawlers granted access from May 1 - 8 in near-shore waters in the vicinity of Collier’s Ledge. The MFC enacted an exemption to a seasonal mobile gear closure for squid trawlers providing extended access to productive fishing grounds off Barnstable. The Commission approved an eight day exemption in waters from shore out to three miles extending from Succonnesset Shoal in Mashpee to Pt. Gamon in Yarmouth (see map). At the start of the squid fishery season, this area is routinely fished by trawlers from April 23rd to April 30 until the area is normally closed on May 1 through October by a longstanding three mile closure that extends from Mashpee east to Chatham. Trawler fishermen, especially, those with smaller vessels, requested fifteen additional days of access to capitalize on early May squid aggregations that are found close to shore. The Commission did not grant the requested 15 days, but opted to grant eight days (May 1-8).

[BigFish]

This is insane! And they think about a saltwater fishing liscense???? This is exactly why I think not!!! Consider it done Patrick and thanks for the heads up!

[fishonnelsons]

Here we go again, let's shoot ourselves in the foot yet again.

Bait is the key to any species, food chain and all, and to allow more, larger commercial boats to come in and sweep that away WILL have a major impact upon the fisheries in those areas.

This is another case where any recreational fisherman, regardless of where they live and fish, needs to make their voice heard and join together. This is a great "heads-up", I would have missed it, but my e-mails and phone calls will be made.

[animal]

The loss of the squid is bad,but the BYCATCH will be crippling.

[justplugit]

E mails sent. Thank you for all you do Patrick.

[nightfighter]

Done. Rep and Senator emailed too.

http://www.mass.gov/legis/comm/j21.htm

How about all these folks too?

[Finaddict]

Thanks Patrick, this is a big help ... action taken.

[BassDawg]

Nice Heads up, Basic!

Thank you and will email and phone ASAP!!!

What are these A Holes thinkin? Thinkin'....................oh yeah, that would require intelligence and a scope of interest broader than one's lobbiest infested wallet. It most certainly would require these Committee members to consider future ramifications, digest present data, and research the past results of the moratoriums that are in place and working rather effectively.

Prolly too much for them to entertain in their miopic brains.................ya know, doing what's right for the environment, the fishery, and us~ the Constituency of the Commonwealth. Hell, the committee members aren't even elected are they? Coincidence that the chair of the committee to protect our fisheries is pro commercial? I THINK NOT!!

NOW, IS MOST DEFINITELY THE TIME TO STAND, SHOUT, AND SHOW our elected officials that we do not now, nor will we ever support this enfringement on a targeted species and a forage species at that!!! How else will they know that we care if we remain silent? The potential for present and future fisheries damage from a myriad of prospectives, the least of which is the bycatch devastation, is astronomical at worst and immeasurable at best!

This is akin to playing Russian roulette with an effectively managed forage whose abundance is direct evidence of the positive results gained by proactive conservation and management ~NOT, I REPEAT, NOT ~ reason to impose lesser management, looser conservation in the vein of "we've fixed it, so now let's try to break it!" by loading the roulette gun with all of the bullets.

And what is this crap about 15 days cut down to 8 days as if they are doing us a favor? The lesser of two evils need not apply here!! How's about ZERO days like before. What gives a handful of men the right to effect so many other men's lives simply because they won't work a little harder, dig a little deeper, and stay outta our inshore waters?

If the species is so hearty, stay out of the harbors and off of the shores BEEEOTCHEZ!!! Go deep, kill ya a coupla Giant Reds and be done wid it!!! Sarcasm aside, how's about diversifing your catch? If they changed our fisheries management, to a man, none would flinch and would comply wholeheartedly......for the preservation of our beloved STRYPER!!

[Flaptail]

Thanks Patrick, will get on it ASAP!!!!!!!!

[JohnR]

Patrick et al, recommendations from OutaStaters? Even though I payed taxes in the Commywealth for years I am no longer a rezident

[LeCounts1099]

What John R said... Do our out- of- Staters opinions count even slightly to these pro- Comm. non- elected "decision- makers?"

Would it help if I told them how much of my large rec. fishing travel & leisure budget used to be spent on- Cape, vs. in recent years?

Keep Commercials removing the squid & herring & pogys (and killing Bass in by- catch up there!) close to shore in that all- important zone... & allowing seals & dogfish to overpopulate & thrive... and we NY & NJ'ers will keep our disposable Rec. fishing $ in- State down here: where the bulk of the bait & Bass stayed without much reason to continue North past Block to Mishuam!

[Mr. Sandman]

The squid situation is not that good that they should be pounding them to death. I know they only live a short while ( a 18mo or so) but let them spawn before you rape the resource. Keep them off the 3 mile limit for gods sake, they will be dragging the harbors! I hope you comm R&R'ers see the greed here. Bunker boats, squid boats...taking every last bait if possible.


related topic:
This month in National Geographic there is a cover story about saving the fish world wide and look at the impact of comm fishing on a number of species. After reading that, and seeing the damaged done to the cod in the Grand Banks and tuna in the med...I have little hope.

Commerical tuna fishing today is taking more then 4X the sustainable rate in the med. They believe they took so many tuna out of the sea last year that the fishery can't recover.

There are more then 2X the number of comm fishing boats world wide required to fish the sustainable limits.

It looks really bad. They will be taking every last fish, no question.

Funny, they didn't mention the rec fishing as a problem...hmmmm.

[chief10]

patrick Thanks! emails sent.

[quick decision]

Could someone post a link so it will make it easier to send the email? I would but dont know how.

[Back Beach]

Maybe I'm slightly aloof, but it looks like a fairly non threatening issue here. They are allowing the fleet to fish an extra seven or eight days in one locale. The total landing quota, which is a coast wide quota, hasn’t changed. There is no guarantee of there being any more or less squid in the sound during the time period in question. Actually, it’s the end of the run for the most part. Check the commercial landings on DMF, and you will see that the mass landings are only a fraction of RI landings. Mass has landed about 1/8 of the RI landings year to date. Can't say the ratio will be the same at season's end, but it seems like a moot point to bitch over a week's additional fishing in one locale if there is a coast wide quota in place. The real issue is the sustainability of the coast wide number, for which I can't produce an informed argument for or against.I would direct my aggression there if the data suggested a problem with the stock numbers.Bycatch is always bad, regardless of where or when. However, it is tough to make an argument that the bycatch will go way over the normal "allowances" on account of this extension.

[Fish_Eye]

Patrick,

Thanks for the heads up. I spoke with Paul Diodati at the DMF and he advise sending emails to tom.french@state.ma.us expressing displeasure with the proprosed regulation and requesting that he DOESN'T sign it.

Mike

[Adamfishes]

email sent

[RoyL]

Thank you and email about to be sent.

[macojoe]

Vineyard sound has already gone down hill in the last few years!! This will just turn it into another dessert!!

[moosh]

Thanks I fish there alot , Ill send e-mail too.

[Fish On]

Makes one reconsider investing $75 or $100K in a dream fishing boat. Why do it if the there will be no fish left....

[nightfighter]

With Threrese Murray becoming new Senate President, should she be a target of emails on this subject??? Her district is Barnstable and ???

[mekcotuit]

Originally Posted by nightfighter

With Threrese Murray becoming new Senate President, should she be a target of emails on this subject??? Her district is Barnstable and ???

I included her on my email as well as Robert O'Leary, Jeff Perry and Sarah Peake (state reps)...

[macojoe]

Here is one responce I have gotten:

Dear Mr. G,



Please be aware that the Division of Marine Fisheries opposed the public petition to extend trawler access for squid in the area of Collier’s ledge for one or two weeks in May. The Division testified that allowing additional access in May would likely result in disastrous gear and user conflicts, not to mention possible increases in catch of non-target species. Nevertheless, the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission, by one vote, approved the proposal allowing one additional week.



I continue to have grave concern about this action and have recommended that the Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game not approve this regulatory change. I will keep you and all others who inquire about this action appraised of its final outcome.





Regards,





Paul Diodati



Paul Diodati

Director

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

251 Causeway Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02114

617.626.1539

617.626.1509 (fax)

[macojoe]

A friend of mine was in Boston today, he stoped by DMF and asked some questions, and the guy there said he thought that they would have to remove the phones off the hook from all the calls.

But thats not the case?? Seems that they are not getting that many calls??
Lets go guys, get on the ball!! Make them calls!!

[fishpoopoo]

if i'm not mistaken, the draggers really did a number on the squid last spring, and it put a huge dent in the fishing for the rest of the season.

in that general area, i jigged up just TWO squid in a week of fishing, whereas on a normal evening i'd be jigging up bucket-fulls. this is going to be really awful if it is allowed to continue.