[Broad Bill]

Gerry I learned a long time ago there's times when we all need to bring more heat whether it's running a business or in this case discussing how stocks are being managed. Too many fisheries are being exploited for political, commercial and financial gain and the recreational sector, charter and party boat operators and small businesses dependent on them are taking it on the chin and being asked to accept ineffective decisions and unfair and disproportionate allocations of a public resource. It needs to end or many people's lives will change socially and economically. That's not at all the spirit which drove the Magnuson Stevens Act. A 15% reduction in striper catch will do nothing addressing the problem of the Chesapeake being turned into an absolute cesspool any more than a 42% reduction in catch quota for fluke will mitigate the damages of regulations mandating the harvest of prime breeders of the stock and a commercial sector that obliterates these stocks in September, October and November while they're spawning during their offshore migration.

Management can collect all the data they wish from scientific studies and conduct all the peer review they wish but if they continue to ignore the facts and data from those studies, refuse to address the problems causing these declines and continue making decisions based on politics and economics, these fisheries I guarantee you will be a shadow of themselves in the not too distant future.

I would argue more heat is exactly what's needed from everybody impacted by these absolutely asinine regulations we've been asked to live with for over two decades now that have done nothing more than create more problems for these stocks to the extent their futures are now seriously in jeopardy.