2009 Tuna Landings Fact Sheet

[JohnnyD]

Again, I ask... if the comms are consistently below their quota, what is the big issue with the recs being above?

[Slick Moedee]

From a international perspective, nothing.

However, if the trend of the past few years continunes into 2010, the fish we have been seeing will be crossing over into the comm size classes. Thus, the rec landings will need to be reigned in as the comm will start to land more fish and use its quota.

[Slick Moedee]

After digging on the NMFS/HMS home page I found a solid presentation regard bluefin

Office of Sustainable Fisheries

Scroll down to Feb 18, 2009 - BFT Recent Trends.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Slick Moedee

From a international perspective, nothing.

However, if the trend of the past few years continunes into 2010, the fish we have been seeing will be crossing over into the comm size classes. Thus, the rec landings will need to be reigned in as the comm will start to land more fish and use its quota.

There's no guarantee that the current year-class we see such an abundance of will keep coming back. With issues of trawlers taking all the herring and Omega vacuuming all the menhaden, I can't imagine there is enough bait to hold the massive class of fish here when they get to that size.

Filling the commercial quota has always been an issue and the regulations can be changed at any time. One comment that has been made here quite frequently is that if we (as in the US) keep failing at filling the quota, then it will go somewhere else. With that in mind, the rec limits should stay the same until science determines them unsustainable due to the commercial sector actually filling their quota. If the commercial quota is getting filled rapidly, along with the rec quota, they can shut it down.

Once these fish get to the commercial size, a lot of recreation tuna guys will probably never be geared up, nor have the boats, to stay in the game.

One of the big buzz phrases thrown around during the striper gamefish status proposal was "Shared Resource". Well, it goes both ways. If commercial SB shouldn't be shut down because it's a shared resource, neither should recreational tuna.

[BasicPatrick]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

Again, I ask... if the comms are consistently below their quota, what is the big issue with the recs being above?

Not being sarcastic but Comm's kill adult fish after they have had a chance to spawn and recs mostlly kill juvinile's...mostly.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by BasicPatrick

Not being sarcastic but Comm's kill adult fish after they have had a chance to spawn and recs mostlly kill juvinile's...mostly.

I know you aren't and your opinion is very valid. A fish killed is a fish killed. Recs can only handle the smaller fish, thus the larger, healthy breeder fish stay somewhat unmolested. Isn't this the same argument people used with Stripers: "Put those healthy 40# breeders back and only keep smaller fish."

With some of the people I've encountered, it seems like people are talking out of both sides of their mouth - "Don't take away comm stripers because there is too much take, but it's ok to shut down the recreational tuna take due to being over quota."

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

I know you aren't and your opinion is very valid. A fish killed is a fish killed. Recs can only handle the smaller fish, thus the larger, healthy breeder fish stay somewhat unmolested. Isn't this the same argument people used with Stripers: "Put those healthy 40# breeders back and only keep smaller fish."

With some of the people I've encountered, it seems like people are talking out of both sides of their mouth - "Don't take away comm stripers because there is too much take, but it's ok to shut down the recreational tuna take due to being over quota."

The difference between stripers and tuna is that with stripers, even the smaller fish are breeders, with tuna no fish smaller than about 70 inches has ever had a chance to spawn.

[Raider Ronnie]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

I know you aren't and your opinion is very valid. A fish killed is a fish killed. Recs can only handle the smaller fish, thus the larger, healthy breeder fish stay somewhat unmolested. Isn't this the same argument people used with Stripers: "Put those healthy 40# breeders back and only keep smaller fish."

With some of the people I've encountered, it seems like people are talking out of both sides of their mouth - "Don't take away comm stripers because there is too much take, but it's ok to shut down the recreational tuna take due to being over quota."

JD, do you ever tuna fish ?

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Raider Ronnie

JD, do you ever tuna fish ?

A bit. Probably will more this year than last.

But that's dependent on what comes about after the regulation meetings. We're all (myself included) just wasting our figurative breaths, arguing points that aren't issues yet. Hopefully, some sense comes out of the meetings.