RI Fluke - rod/reel fishery in potential danger

[Pt.JudeJoe]

I just got this in my mail from SNESA (the RISAA mailing list).It seems that the rod and reel fluke fishery in RI could be in serious trouble if this goes through..... " Boys & Girls,
The Rhode Island Commercial Fishing Association (RICFA) has introduced a proposal that, if adopted, will have an absolute and catastrophic impact on any rod & reel Fluke fisherman in Rhode Island waters, be they recreational or commercial.
The purpose of this proposal, as written, is to “maximize the profitability of the Fluke fishery through the decentralization of regulatory authority and further diminish the inefficiencies of quota management through the employment of community co-management and rights-based stewardship principles.”
What this smoothly crafted and well-versed proposal promotes is that period quotas be eliminated. Fluke quotas in the winter one segment of the comm. season and trip limits are much higher during this period, but draggers have to travel much farther to locate fish.
The objective of the RICFA is to be able to catch their historical poundage (which can range from minimal to thousands of pounds depending on past landings) at any time of the year with no trip limits. This will result in the draggers and gill netters waiting until the Fluke migrate shoreward, then scooping them along the beaches and in the Bay until they reach their poundage number. During winter months they are free to move on to something else. This will reduce our local Fluke grounds to barren as they drag, shoulder to shoulder, until completely decimate the population. This, in turn, will leave the rod & reel community without a fish to catch.
This is a blatant attempt to monopolize the resource for one user group. Furthermore, it is my understanding that the RICFA consists of a mere 40 members, including draggers, gill-netters and trap fishermen, giving them exclusivity even among those within their own industry.
As preposterous as this proposal sounds, it can certainly come to pass. If you’re not totally outraged by this situation, you should be. The R.I. Comm. Rod & Reel Anglers Assoc. is spearheading a drive to stop this aberration. They have printed and stamped cards to Mark Gibson, Dep. Chief, RI Div. Of Fish & Wildlife and Robert Ballou, Chief of Staff, RIDEM renouncing this violation of the rights of ALL RI rod & reel Anglers.
The RICRRAA has no agenda other than to prevent the doom of Fluke fishing in RI waters and any thought otherwise is truly misguided. This travesty will have a profound effect not only on the anglers themselves but also marinas, baitshops and any other businesses involved.Once the president is set, what species will be next?
The cards to the bureaucrats mentioned above can be obtained from me at Quaker Lane Outfitters and Kenport Marina in East Matunuck. Soon they will also be available at Breachway Bait & Tackle in Charlestown. Please give this matter some serious thought and act as soon as possible.
Catch’em up,
ThomCat"