[MakoMike]

Summer Flounder Board Approves Initiation of Addendum
Addendum to Explore Use of Maximum Size Limits as a Potential Management Tool
to Develop Slot Limits & Trophy Fishery


Alexandria, VA ? The Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass has approved initiation of an addendum to explore the addition of maximum size limits as a potential management tool for the summer flounder recreational fishery. Maximum size limits may provide managers with a wider range of recreational management tools (for example, slot limits or trophy fish) as the stock continues to rebuild.

The Board?s action is taken in response to a preliminary review by the Summer Flounder Technical Committee on the use of slot limits in the recreational fishery. Given that the effectiveness of state-specific slot limits could not be evaluated due to the limited length frequency data at the state level, the Technical Committee recommended that slot limits should only be considered on a coastwide basis. The Technical Committee also cautioned that seasons and size limits associated with slot limits are likely to be more restrictive than current regulations given the greater availability of fish that could fall within the slot limit.

The Board directed the Technical Committee to determine whether the available data could be used to develop regional slot limits. The first draft of the addendum will be developed for Board review at the Commission?s Annual Meeting this October in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

 

[pequa1]

I have repeatedly posted here that it works in freshwater. Since these "experts" evidently feel that the fishery in NJ and the fisheries in NY waters are totally unique and independent of each other, like Lake George and Lake Ronkonkoma, lol, I simply can not wait to see what they come up with this time. My own preference would be one fish between 17 and 20, and a 'tag' for one 20 to 24.
However, since I have not been boarded or asked to show my catch for three years (I have kayaked more than boated in that time though) my own feeling is that enforcement is a farce. I have heard people say that this year was a year of "filet and release..."

 

[MakoMike]

pequa1 wrote:
I have repeatedly posted here that it works in freshwater. Since these "experts" evidently feel that the fishery in NJ and the fisheries in NY waters are totally unique and independent of each other, like Lake George and Lake Ronkonkoma, lol, I simply can not wait to see what they come up with this time. My own preference would be one fish between 17 and 20, and a 'tag' for one 20 to 24.
However, since I have not been boarded or asked to show my catch for three years (I have kayaked more than boated in that time though) my own feeling is that enforcement is a farce. I have heard people say that this year was a year of "filet and release..."


ASMFC wrote:
the Technical Committee recommended that slot limits should only be considered on a coastwide basis.

That would seem to put the lie to your first assertion?

 

[CaptPaul]

If you think a slot size will improve the quality or quantity of your fluke trips, you are poorly versed in fisheries management and how it applies to fluke.

Once you adjust the minimum size anywhere into the mid-range(14" to 18") of this species, you will see a huge increase in successful trips, as opposed to the current form of management, which is designed to have very few successful trips. large amounts of successful trips means a much shorter season. What will you fish for the other 46 weeks of the year? And don't say sea bass. Or scup. Remember, the fluke quota is usually double the poundage of scup and sea bass combined, so diverted pressure will wreak havoc on those stocks.

Paul

 

[loligo]

Let me just say this- once they take something away....they never give it back.

 

[CaptPaul]

I find it amazing that a proposition such as this can happen at this point in the fluke management process. Twelve or fifteen years ago, the slot limit would have been the answer to preventing what we have facing us now. However, now we have a strong population, mass-wise, but are still faced w/ restrictive regulations for everyone. The management process to date has lagged terribly in it's responsive reactions, and as a result, its attempt to increase biomass has resulted in a population that is dominated by old, large fishes. These larger fishes do certainly increase fecundity, but they also mean that the biomass is comprised of a smaller population. At the anticipated higher minimum size limits we will have in the future, we can still have great reproductive capacity, because most states (or all in a coastwise situation) will have minimun sizes that will allow females three to four years of spawning before they become leagl. W/ a healthy biomass, and hence a healthy TAC, any slot limit will serve to decimate whole year-classes. At least at the current high-end size limit, we are targeting multiple year-classes, as the growth rate slows down in that range.

As the older (23"+) fishes are harvested, the biomass can be maintained while the population may increase by up to 100%.

Seems to me the only positive effect a slot size would have on fluke management, would be to prevent states w/ stronger fisheries from seeing any relief from a coastwide regulation set. They would, in fact, probably suffer greatly.

Paul