2024 and 2025 Fluke Options Poll

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Broad Bill

Does the March meeting really matter? The below schedule is from the 2023 NOAA Management Track Assessment Report. Hammer I'd appreciate it if you didn't go ballistic for posting data or schedules real policy decisions are being based on. Note the change in landings between 2013 and 2022 between the commercial and recreational sectors. The commercial sector went from 5,696 metric tons landed in 2013 to 5,683 metric tons in 2013 or essentially status quo. Their catch values however, as they've targeted the harvest of larger higher market value fish, have actually increased over that same window. Main reason recruitment and the spawning stock have taken huge hits. The recreational sector, on the other hand, has declined from 8,806 metric tons in landings for 2013 to 3,916 in 2022, an almost 60% decline and based on the options we're faced with for 2024 and 2025 which mimic 2021 regulations or 6.35 million lbs. in landings, we're headed for an approximate 70% decrease relative to 2013. That would be the lowest landings level for the recreational sector in five decades short of one year in 1989 when landings were 2,566 metric tons. To put that in perspective, in the 80's the commercial sector averaged annual landings of 30 million lbs. or 13,500 metric tons a year. The fishery has never recovered from that onslaught.

So 3 fish at 17.5" with a shorter season, 3 fish at 18" with a longer season, a paper thin slot, no slot, different regulations for southern and northern NJ or different regulations for shore based anglers versus party boats and for hire, does it really matter in the big picture?

Decisions have already been made regarding 2024 and 2025 and March's meeting is simply a check the box procedural requirement based on MSA. We can't fight Town Hall, certainly can't fight the Federal government or compete with the commercial sectors funds and lobbying efforts. I don't mean to be a wet rag but whatever is said or decided at the March meeting is irrelevant to the damage already done to this fishery over the last 25 years and it's only getting worse.

Unless the states can come up with a way to stop commercial boats from fishing in Federal waters and taking those landings back to states such as NC . I honestly could care less .
I see NO reason for recreational fisherman to throw back fish those boats end up taking .
Every year they try and put cut backs on the backs of recreational fisherman while allowing a total disregard to those fleets .

I truelly don’t understand how the small commercial fisherman aren’t up in arms about it .
As I said here a ton of times , a NJ based boat can catch 3000 pounds a week while a NC boat can fish right next to them and take 30000 a week .
Makes ZERO sense .

Quotas in States no longer having a fishery need to be addressed . As their only taking from all the rest of the states’


AND if you really look at those numbers can you honestly believe recreational discards are double what the commercial are ?
Thats saying they discard 1/10 , and we discard 1/4
Bad info in , bad info out