Mass. weighs tougher protections for striped bass

[BasicPatrick]

Those that attend the actual ASMFC S-B management board meetings know that there are some valid concerns coming from the scientists and that these concerns will most likely trigger a motality reduction in 2010/2011. Most with some knowledge are predicting a return to the 1 fish at 28" standard for the coastal migrating stock.

For those that like to state how such and such a state can take smaller fish please read up on the term conservation equivalency and get an understanding of how the Striped Bass Management Plan works with regard to mortality numbers. Also please note the scientific differences between the coastal migrating stock and the small local resident populations.

For those throwing slot limit and minimum size numbers around please quote the mortality reduction numbers that are related to your position and from what source you got them. If mortality reduction is the goal we should at least hear what gain you are claiming your numbers will produce.

The real issue the SF moles have this thread all convaluted and confused is to avoid the debate on should the state of MA get into setting fisheries regulations. Anyone that cares about fish from any perspective must answer this questions with a loud HELL NO!

These guys have you all argueing comm vs rec while they lobby hard for a bill that will devastate all fisheries once the lobby for the big business fleet gets their legislative machine working fisheries legislation. Anyone want to argue that big buisness does not beat all in the MA State House.

Does anyone think it is ironic that the largest boats in the state control most of the state funded piers in both Gloucester and New Bedford. Does anyone think the SF folks and their little movement are going to be here when the Midwater Trawl fleet lobbyist wants to target and sell everything they can catch in the name of conservation. These 20 boats and their Alaskan and Irish uber corporations will shut down every small commercial operation in every town on the coast. They will still dump mixed catch as being to dirty to sort for value and devastate the ocean but now they will do it with legislative approval.

Sorry SF, you guys like to blame your lack of fish in Maine o MA while omitting the fact that the combination of purse seiners and other fleets that are dead set on making sure there is more lobster bait for your unregulated trap numbers than is even possible to use have devastated your inshore bait supply to the point that the Striped Bass have left your shores.

If you want a comparison to your brilliant idea, please see the State of Virginia where all regulations must pass the legislature. Anyone want to know what state has the absolute worst fisheries conservation record on the whole coast. Could it be the home of Omega Protein. Bingo. Good job SF...way to make things better, copy the sucessful conservation system of Virginia.

I challenge SF to show up at ASMFC and lobby for regulation change like the rest of us do. Particpate in the system that brought back Striped Bass and continues to manage a fishery that is getting harder to manage by the day. Despite our imperfections, the democratic system of fisheries management continues to work, and will as long as fishermen show up.

The real problem is that this thread will generate more written input than testimony will be spoken at the next ASMFC S-B meeting.

If people only cared enough to show up at one meeting per year we would run management of all fisheries. If all this yap on the net was backed up by one paid membership to one rec advocacy group per person we would run management.

Come on guys...the SF bunch has you all missing the big picture. Don't be fooled.