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O.K. Maybe the explanation was a little two long, here is the crib notes version. NMFS inplemented a ten rebuilding plan for fluke about 8 years ago. The plan was required by the magness act to be complete in ten years. NMFs set, what most people think, was an unreasonably high target for the total biomass of fluke in their plan. Now we are eight years into the plan, and the total biomass of fluke is higher than it has ever been, since NMFS began tracking it, but because of 1. the original target biomass and 2. the ten year requirement, they are going to have to just about shut down the fishery, for both commercial and recreation fishermen, NEXT YEAR. This has nothing to do with MRFSS or any other catch data, this is entirely due to the NMFS estimates of Biomass via trawl surveys. At this point the only option to save the 2007 and later seasons is to get some flexibility built into the Magnesson Reauthorization act, so NMFS can extend the rebuilding period. Again, there has never been a higher biomass of fluke and overfishing is not occuring, yet becauseof the ten year requirement they are about to, effectively, shut down all fluke fishing!
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