Ma DMf Hearings

[BasicPatrick]

Ok folks,

The date is August 11, 2002....Tonight at 7pm in the Auditiorium of the Mass Maritime Academy along the Canal, the Public Hearings on the Proposed changes to the Cod & Striped Bass Regulations will happen. Part 2 of 2 will be tomorrow night at 7pm in the Annisquam River Marine Fisheries station in Gloucester.

These are the hearings where the public gets to come and give their opinions on the regulations before they are approved and enacted. This is our time to step up and be counted. Gov't pollsters count one preprinted comment card sent by mail as worth 100 voters, One hand written letter as representing 1000 and one body at a hearing is priceless. We the recreational public have a terrible record showing up for these hearings. It is time to change that. There are some recreational friendly members of the MArine Fisheries Commission, but they will carry no political clout if we (and this means you) do not show up. these hearings challenge recreational fishers as they require htat we show up and join a process we are not familiar with. We need to listedn and try to understand what is going on We need to act appropriately and get our point across at the same time. The commercials we be there in droves. Will we once again have only a few leaders show and be outnumbered. Will the billions of dollars recs spend carry no clout as usual. I hope not. Show up and be heard. Here are the issues on tonights agenda.

Cod

1...Rec minimum size increase from 21 to 23 inches..commercial minimum size increase from 19 to 21 inches

2...Bag limit decrease to 10 fish Cod / Haddock combined on for hire vessels (already 10 for private and shore anglers)

...reduction to 5 fish during the months of December through March

Striped Bass

a...Proposal to authorize holders of the new for-hire permit to filet striped bass at sea for their customers consistant with existing regulations...thereby negating the need for a letter of authorization from the director

b...Proposal to amment the current Striped Bass bag and size limit from the current 1 fish per angler at 28 inches or greater to a limit of 2 fish where the first fish must measure at least 28 inches and the second fish must measure at least 40 inches

c...Proposal to increase the commercial quota from 807,000 pounds to 1000.000 lbs

Hope to see you tonight