Quote:
Those fisheries managers making "informed" decisions have already allowed the stocks to completely crash once.
To paraphrase something Makai said in an earlier post, "The regulators won't act until their hand is forced." By then, it'll be too late.
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The fisheries managers did not let the stocks crash once...The stocks have "crashed" throughout history, i.e., the turn of the 19 century (plenty of history on the Cuttyhunk, Newport, Sakonnett bass stands empty and dilapidated because of the lack of fish).....
I believe what you refer to is the late 70's, early 80's. There was only one regulation then around here (to the best of my memory)...16" minimum length (I believe the limit was 12" for the Chesapeake netters back then)...otherwise no other regulations (bag limit,etc).
ASMFC started managing stripers because of the lack of fish then, and because of all the work we did back then (COMMERCIAL AND REC-I know, I was there at the mtgs as a R&R commercial) to get rules and regs to safeguard the fish.
Regarding ASMFC, as quoted from the ASMFC website-
"The Commission has managed striped bass since 1981. Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management Plan provides the current guidance to the states from Maine through North Carolina."
That is why I believe that any precipitous drop in the biomass will never reach the point it did back then; too many safeguards are in place.
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