Sea Bass Closing ??

[CaptTB]

Originally Posted by earl

Try to add seabass back onto a permit the following year. it would be like putting in a claim on your homeowners insurance and think that you wont get dropped upon renewal.

At least to date, that is not true. Many many boats dropped Fluke years ago when we had different regs in the EEZ vs. State waters.

Many boats did it again with scup just a few years back when a similar situation happened.

Each time you added it back on the same way you renew your permit every year. When it is renewed each year you add or subtract endorsements as needed, there is no charge or fee.

That is not to say NMFS will continue to do it that way, let's face it they can do whatever they please, but as of now that is exactly how it works (I should know, we've done it 3 times in the past ten years or so)

[TurboDan]

Tony,

Just out of curiosity, what does a federal permit allow a party boat to do that they wouldn't be able to do otherwise with a species such as sea bass, for example?

[Capt Joe]

correct, you can add open access(certain fish) back on your permit even between renewals, never had a problem before....should I say YET!

[CaptTB]

Originally Posted by TurboDan

Tony,
Just out of curiosity, what does a federal permit allow a party boat to do that they wouldn't be able to do otherwise with a species such as sea bass, for example?

Fish for that species outside of three miles.

Without a federal fisheries permit no party or charter vessel is allowed to fish in federal waters for federally managed species.

Originally Posted by Capt Joe

correct, you can add open access(certain fish) back on your permit even between renewals, never had a problem before....should I say YET!

Joe is correct. Sea Bass is currently an open access fishery (meaning there is no limit to the number of party/charter permits that can be issued) and as has been the case in the past with Fluke and Scup, they can be added or dropped from your permit as needed.

By the way, I faxed my letter requesting the Sea Bass endorsement be dropped for one of our boats Friday afternoon. The girl asked me when she called me back if it was a problem if she processed it first thing Monday morning and I said no (they are very helpful at the permit office)

My request was processed Monday morning and I received in the mail today, Wednesday, the new permit for the vessel without the Sea Bass endorsement. By the way, even though the permit was received in the mail today the endorsement was removed immediately, meaning anyone questioning the permit can do a simple look up on-line and see that there is no sea bass endorsement (I did)

[seaweed]

We should call the marine police over to our boat and make out a report that the fish in possition are legal and would like to utilize federal waters now. Mark them for me or document them