Thanks to all, I think we have made our point and it is time to end the email campaign and trust our representatives do the right thing.
After years of work by recreational, small boat commercial and environmental advocates, last Spring, the New England Fishery Management Council passed Am 5 to the Herring FMP. Am 5 requires 100% observer coverage, strict regulations on dumping of catch before that catch can be observed and other measures to "clean up" the mid water trawl and big boat dragger Atlantic Herring fleet.
Early this Fall the National Marine Fisheries Service disallowed Am 5 on some technical points and "we" went back to work. Our goal is obviously to correct Am 5 and get the 100% coverage and dumping regs corrected by the NEFMC and approval by NMFS.
During a battle of a council meeting in late September, correcting Am 5 was not really moving and after significant public comment from the big boat dragger fleet that has been watching the up and coming year class of juvenile haddock get hammered by the herring fleet, NEFMC member Tom Dempsey from the Cape Cod Fisherman's Alliance made the following motion:
Mr. Dempsey moved and Mr. T. Alexander seconded:
to request an Emergency Action to prohibit the use of mid water trawl gear in New England federal
waters by vessels with a herring A or B permit unless and until that component of the fishery is covered
with 100% at-sea monitoring and comprehensive dumping regulations, similar to existing Closed Area 1
dumping regulations, are implemented fishery-wide.
5a. Mr. T. Alexander moved and Mr. Blount seconded:
to table the previous motion until the November Council meeting.
The motion to table carried on a show of hands, with one recusal, Ms. Tooley (11/1/0/1).
Next Wednesday at the Marriott in Newport RI there is a one day NEFMC meeting and this motion will come to the table. The vote count is very close and this motion could not only pass but will clearly force the repair of Am 5 to be fast tracked, hopefully at this very meeting. The recreational community has two members voting at this meeting and recreational anglers need to let these members know how we want them to vote. T
The Massachusetts Striped Bass Assn. is asking all recreational anglers to send an email to
earlybird.2943@verizon.net (Recreational council member Dave Preble)
francesflt@aol.com (Recreational council member Frank Blount).
Sample language:
My name is _______________ and I am a recreational angler who is concerned about the effect of the mid water trawl herring fleet on recreational fishing. The current by-catch of both haddock and river herring is unacceptable, not to mention the many other species effected by this fishery. At the upcoming meeting in Newport RI, I urge you to pass a temporary prohibition on the use of mid water trawl gear in the herring fishery unless and until there is 100% observers on board, no matter who pays the bill, and unless and until there are strict regulations on the dumping of catch as is currently in place for ground fish closed area 1. I also urge you to fast track the repair of AM 5. Our recreational community has called for reform of this fishery for many years and I am asking you to step up, carry the conscience of the recreational community and vote for these reforms on Wednesday.
It would also be great to get some attendance at the meeting. The meeting is at the Newport Marriott Hotel right on the waterfront in Newport RI. Herring discussion starts at 10:15 am and is scheduled to be over by Noon.
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