[dales529]

Here is a brief and most likely feeble attempt to try and rein in a thread like this.
Back in 2008 - 2010 Gerry agreed at my and others beckoning to start a Fisheries "Regulations / Management" Thread which to date is still located however "locked" for posting at the bottom of the main page. To me its is still a wealth of information and I suggest anyone who posted here to take some time reliving the past. Our "forefathers" have left posting but are still very involved in regulations. Some of our best on this site have also passed on in this life like LAB and other chose to continue the fight behind the scenes due to the bickering but honoring their legacy is still to date very important.

Enter Tom Dakota: We talk daily about the process through emails . phone calls, travel to meetings and some time fishing. We do not always agree on everything but its been nothing short of a very productive effort to date.

What is most important to recognize is this (Toms analysis) effort is difficult within the process but NOT reliant on politicians (yet), climate change and or science peer review. All of the data Tom is talking about has been peer reviewed and presented to the government and us as the data that dictates our regulations. Its NOAA's Data pure and simple looked at and trended in a different perspective based on that same data.

What is happening:
Tom's Data (Again based on NOAA Data) has been presented and is being reviewed by the SSC (Science Statistical Committee, the technical committee, NOAA , ASA (American Sportsman Association) RFA etc and I believe it will be in the ASMFC Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council meeting materials for upcoming meetings in Sept / Oct. No EASY task.

We will attend and defend this data until they prove him wrong. May work maybe not but my god quite an effort.

Leave all the other stuff to another thread as none of is relative. This is based on NOAA data submitted and peer reviewed that is the result of our regulations. Sorry Recreational MRIP , SAW assessments, trawls, catch and mortality assessments are NOT Science, While i personally agree that Climate change should be considered and stocks of Fluke are migrating northward I believe to the tune of 20 miles per decade its NOT yet factored in to our current regulations.
So lets leave TOM , myself and many many others to do the work most wont and see what happens. A slot fish maybe in our future with enough support and less BS,