Cod Fishing Under Attack...Please Help Now!

[FullStrikeAngler]

This post was made by a fellow charter boat captain in our area and describes a serious attempt to destroy the charter boat and recreational fishery in our area. Please take the time to read this and write an email to the persons noted. It dosen't matter if you are from this area or not. The fact that the NMFS is trying to destroy an industry means that today its cod and tomorrow maybe the fish you like to target...thanks for your help.

URGENT NOTIFICATION FOR ANYONE WHO FISHES FOR COD AND HADDOCK

Amendment 16 to the Groundfish Fishery Management Plan is coming due. This will effect seasons and bag limits for anyone who fishes for cod and haddock weather a recreational fisherman, charter boat or a recreational fisherman. A defined time period will be used to calculate the allocation: either fishing years 1996-2006 or 2001-2006. If no action is taken, there will be no allocation of groundfish among the commercial and recreational fisheries.

On May 27th the Recreational Advisory Panel met and decided to send to the council a recommendation that if a reduction in Gulf of Maine Cod and Haddock is needed to reduce the bag limit down to six fish per angler and increase the haddock size to 21” which will keep the same season and no bag limit on haddock. Can you imagine only being able to retain six 24” codfish per person?

The Council is considering an allocation certain regulated groundfish stocks to the commercial and recreational components of the fishery. For this action, an allocation will be determined after accounting for state waters catches taken outside of the FMP. An allocation will not be made in the case of stocks that are not fully harvesting the ACL. An allocation will also not be made if the recreational harvest, after accounting for state waters catches outside the management plan, is less than five percent of the removals. A defined time period will be used to calculate the allocation: either fishing years 1996-2006 or 2001-2006. If no action is taken, there will be no allocation of groundfish among the commercial and recreational fisheries.

If the selected allocation years are 2001-2006 or if no allocation is made the minimum size for GOM haddock is reduced to 18 inches. There is no bag limit and no change in seasons. This means there is no changes to the current size, bag limits or seasons for fishing Gulf of Maine (GOM) cod.

If the New England Fisheries Management Council decides to use the allocation years 1996 -2006 then we will need to take a further reduction in the way of three options:

Options for GOM cod (if the selected allocation years are 1996-2006):

Option 1: The minimum size for GOM cod is increased to 26 inches. There is no change to the bag limit or the season.

Option 2: The bag limit for GOM cod is six fish per angler per trip. There is no change to the minimum size or season.

Option 3: Landing of GOM cod is prohibited from November 1 through April 15. There is no change to the minimum size or bag limit.

Options for GOM Haddock (if the selected allocation years are 1996-2006):

Option 1: The minimum size for GOM haddock is increased to 21 inches. There is no change to the bag limit or the season.

Option 2: A bag limit for GOM haddock is implemented as nine fish per angler per trip. There is no change to the minimum size or season.

Option 3: The minimum size for GOM haddock is reduced to 18 inches and a bag limit of 7 fish per angler per trip is adopted. There is no change to the season.

Written comments on the DEIS may be made from April 24 through June 8, 2009. These comments may be mailed to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Northeast Regional Office; 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930 (Attention: DEIS for Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP), or faxed to 978/281-9207 or sent via email to: multsamendment16@noaa.gov. (Subject line: DEIS for Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP). Public comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. on June 8, 2009, EST.

There have been public meetings on the proposal for both recreational and commercial fishing in Wakefield, MA, Portland, ME and Portsmouth, NH. There are still two more meetings coming up on Monday in New London, CT and South Kingstown, RI.

June 1st, 2009

1-3:30 p.m. New London, CT Radisson New London

35 Governor Winthrop Blvd

New London CT

June 1st, 2009

6-9 p.m. S. Kingston, RI Holiday Inn

3009 Tower Hill Rd

S. Kingston RI

Written comments on the DEIS may be made from April 24 through June 8, 2009. These comments may be mailed to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Northeast Regional Office; 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930 (Attention: DEIS for Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP), or faxed to 978/281-9207 or sent via email to: multsamendment16@noaa.gov. (Subject line: DEIS for Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP). Public comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. on June 8, 2009, EST. Please also send e-mails to the members of the NEFMC, RAP and Director of Marine fisheries below:

Pat Kurkul pat.kurkul@noaa.gov

Paul Diodatti paul.diodati@state.ma.us

Paul Howard phoward@nefmc.org

Rip Cunningham Ripcham@verizon.net

Barry Gibson BarryGibson6@aol.com

John Pappalardo johnp@ccchfa.org

It is imperative that charter boats, recreational fisherman and charter boat customers write to the NEFMC above and tell them that if a reduction is necessary you request that they use Option Number Three for cod which is a closed season Nov 1 April 15 which is only two more weeks of cold windy weather. For a haddock reduction you are requesting they use Option Number 01 which is an increase in size to 21” and no season or bag limit.