Commercial Fluke Quota

[Billfish715]

Gerry, This struggle to help save the summer flounder (and the related livelihoods it supports) has consumed us all in one way or another. The letter-writing campaigns, rallies, meetings, fund raisers are hopefully chipping away at the iceberg that stands in our way. There are still people who don't donate or attend or write but from the discussions on this board, those people are starting to "talk" or talk more. It's how the message gets around and sooner or later, enough of that "talk" will find its way to the ears of the decision makers.

They are, after all, just people who make decisions. They ultimately have to be persuaded to see our side with a more favorable eye. The voting members have no polls on which to fall back to help them with their decisions. Their position on the board/committee is an appointment and is not an elected post. There is nothing hanging over heads that would cause them any fear of being replaced. It doesn't mean the effort should end, but pressure on them to think independently and based on data is where more focus has to be placed. One by one they have to see how unsuccessful their regulations have been in restoring the stocks. Once they can make that concession, things will start looking up for us.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Billfish715

Gerry, This struggle to help save the summer flounder (and the related livelihoods it supports) has consumed us all in one way or another. The letter-writing campaigns, rallies, meetings, fund raisers are hopefully chipping away at the iceberg that stands in our way. There are still people who don't donate or attend or write but from the discussions on this board, those people are starting to "talk" or talk more. It's how the message gets around and sooner or later, enough of that "talk" will find its way to the ears of the decision makers.

They are, after all, just people who make decisions. They ultimately have to be persuaded to see our side with a more favorable eye. The voting members have no polls on which to fall back to help them with their decisions. Their position on the board/committee is an appointment and is not an elected post. There is nothing hanging over heads that would cause them any fear of being replaced. It doesn't mean the effort should end, but pressure on them to think independently and based on data is where more focus has to be placed. One by one they have to see how unsuccessful their regulations have been in restoring the stocks. Once they can make that concession, things will start looking up for us.

The problem is the people on our local boards are sort of hand tied and so are most of the people one step above them in some of the regional boards like the ASMFC. Although they'd like to get things done, they are restricted by the frame work of federal laws like Magnuson Stevens https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/laws-policies which governs how fisheries are measured, accounted for and managed.

I can tell you first hand there is progress being made like the Recreational Reform which allows management some flexibility to take into account more data for longer periods of time, more recent landing data and stock status. That is being discussed here https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...FW_2022-02.pdf

[Gerry Zagorski]

And for those of you who Seabass fish, you need to read and take action on this which encourages Recreation Reform I mentioned above.

https://www.njfishing.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=117707

[frugalfisherman]

So what ever happened with this?
January 2019 Edition | Volume 73, Issue 1

Published since 1946

Modern Fish Act Enacted
On December 31, President Donald Trump signed into law legislation to update federal saltwater fisheries management. The Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018 (Modern Fish Act) updates the federal law that oversees how ocean fisheries are managed. The new law improves management tools for recreational fisheries and helps to define the important differences between recreational and commercial fishing. The bill, led in the Senate by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and in the House by Congressman Garret Graves (R-LA), passed unanimously in the Senate on December 17 and then passed the House by a 350 to 11 vote on December 19.

“This is historic for the recreational boating and fishing community, capping years of hard work to responsibly modernize recreational saltwater fisheries management,” said Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “The Modern Fish Act is a critical first-step solution towards establishing a framework for expanding access to recreational saltwater fishing, while ensuring conservation and sustainability remain top priorities in fisheries management. We thank President Trump and Congress for making the Modern Fish Act the law of the land and look forward to working with them in the coming years to advance policies that protect and promote recreational saltwater fishing.”

According to a statement by a coalition of sportfishing organizations, the final Modern Fish Act will provide more stability and better recreational fishing access by:

Providing authority and direction to NOAA Fisheries to apply additional management tools more appropriate for recreational fishing, many of which are successfully implemented by state fisheries agencies (e.g., extraction rates, fishing mortality targets, harvest control rules, or traditional or cultural practices of native communities);
Improving recreational harvest data collection by requiring federal managers to explore other data sources that have tremendous potential to improve the accuracy and timeliness of harvest estimates, such as state-driven programs and electronic reporting (e.g., through smartphone apps);
Requiring the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the process of mixed-use fishery allocation review by the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Regional Fishery Management Councils and report findings to Congress within one year of enactment of the Modern Fish Act, and
Requiring the National Academies of Sciences to complete a study and provide recommendations within two years of the enactment of the Modern Fish Act on limited access privilege programs (catch shares) including an assessment of the social, economic, and ecological effects of the program, considering each sector of a mixed-use fishery and related businesses, coastal communities, and the environment and an assessment of any impacts to stakeholders in a mixed-use fishery caused by a limited access privilege program. This study excludes the Pacific and North Pacific Regional Fishery Management Councils.
January 15, 2019

[dales529]

Originally Posted by frugalfisherman

So what ever happened with this?
January 2019 Edition | Volume 73, Issue 1

Published since 1946

Modern Fish Act Enacted
On December 31, President Donald Trump signed into law legislation to update federal saltwater fisheries management. The Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018 (Modern Fish Act) updates the federal law that oversees how ocean fisheries are managed. The new law improves management tools for recreational fisheries and helps to define the important differences between recreational and commercial fishing. The bill, led in the Senate by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and in the House by Congressman Garret Graves (R-LA), passed unanimously in the Senate on December 17 and then passed the House by a 350 to 11 vote on December 19.

“This is historic for the recreational boating and fishing community, capping years of hard work to responsibly modernize recreational saltwater fisheries management,” said Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “The Modern Fish Act is a critical first-step solution towards establishing a framework for expanding access to recreational saltwater fishing, while ensuring conservation and sustainability remain top priorities in fisheries management. We thank President Trump and Congress for making the Modern Fish Act the law of the land and look forward to working with them in the coming years to advance policies that protect and promote recreational saltwater fishing.”

According to a statement by a coalition of sportfishing organizations, the final Modern Fish Act will provide more stability and better recreational fishing access by:

Providing authority and direction to NOAA Fisheries to apply additional management tools more appropriate for recreational fishing, many of which are successfully implemented by state fisheries agencies (e.g., extraction rates, fishing mortality targets, harvest control rules, or traditional or cultural practices of native communities);
Improving recreational harvest data collection by requiring federal managers to explore other data sources that have tremendous potential to improve the accuracy and timeliness of harvest estimates, such as state-driven programs and electronic reporting (e.g., through smartphone apps);
Requiring the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the process of mixed-use fishery allocation review by the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Regional Fishery Management Councils and report findings to Congress within one year of enactment of the Modern Fish Act, and
Requiring the National Academies of Sciences to complete a study and provide recommendations within two years of the enactment of the Modern Fish Act on limited access privilege programs (catch shares) including an assessment of the social, economic, and ecological effects of the program, considering each sector of a mixed-use fishery and related businesses, coastal communities, and the environment and an assessment of any impacts to stakeholders in a mixed-use fishery caused by a limited access privilege program. This study excludes the Pacific and North Pacific Regional Fishery Management Councils.
January 15, 2019

https://www.sportfishingpolicy.com/2...ogress-report/
This for starters: