Joe Morrissey caught a near record 10 lbs. 2 oz. largemouth on Slack's Pond in Smithfield, RI. The fish was caught using a silver minnow lure and was 22.5 inches long.
Don Hampton of Worcester County, MA caught three nice keeper bass fishing the channel pad in the East Passage off Barrington Beach. The hope is that government officials, State and US Congregational delegations continue to actively explore and experiment with fisheries management and marketing models that work. Collect data and analysis data to craft management policies and models that allow our fisheries to be used at the highest levels possible for both recreational and commercial purposes while sustaining them at environmentally sound levels. As we strive for optimum and sustainable resource use we must continue to create consumer awareness, drive demand and brand our fish as fresh, nutritious, delicious and affordable while making native fish accessible and available to consumers. Such marketing efforts can do nothing but help both recreational and commercial fishing industries in Rhode Island.
The hope is that government officials stay the course and not be distracted by vocal minorities in the fishing community that provide very little in the way of positive (proven) solutions to fishing challenges that face the our State and region. We need to look at positive solutions that have been proven successful based on research and performance.
Two examples worth noting include the new fisheries management program for New England ground fish effective May, 2010 and the RI Fluke Sector Pilot which is now in its third year. In both cases, annual catch limits were put into place to prevent overfishing and to rebuild stocks. The idea was to provide fishermen with two options for controlling fishing effort. Fishermen could either form groups and fish an allocated share of the total allowed catch or fish individually with a limit on the number of days spent fishing.
Fishing in groups with a total allowable catch offers fishemen flexibility to fish when market prices are highest or fish for species when they are available and other species are not.
The results of these two efforts have been good. In the case of New England ground fish sector system, higher average prices for all species accounted for increased revenues. These were among the findings in an interim report released by NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Researchers looked at gross revenues, fishing effort, average vessel performance, distribution of revenues, and employment for the first nine months of the 2007 through 2010 fishing years. Among the new trends, are increased revenues and prices. Revenues from all species on all trips by groundfish vessels in the first nine months of 2010 were up about $24 million over the same period in 2009. Another successful example of "Sector" management is the commercial RI Fluke Sector Pilot. Since its inception this Pilot Fluke Sector has grown, new members who were added as fishermen saw the benefits of flexibility… being able to fish when other species were not available or when market demand is highest. The sector has proven to be a very effective way to sustain the resource as well with record low discard rates (as much as 98% fewer discards than non sector participants). According to a paper presented April 7, 2011 by Chris Anderson, a professor of environmental and natural resource economics at the University of Rhode Island, "...the (RI Pilot) sector shifted fluke landings to times when they could maximize price. Comparing revenues… we find the sector program increased fleet wide (twelve boats in the fleet at this time) revenues over $800,000, including benefits of over $250,000 to non-sector vessels.” So the pilot sector enhanced revenue for its twelve members, but also incurred enhanced revenue for non-sector vessels by spreading available fish over an extended amount of time rather that flooding the market all at one time which reduces their market value.
Fishing in groups with a total allowable catch offers fishemen flexibility to fish when market prices are highest or fish for species when they are available and other species are not.
The results of these two efforts have been good. In the case of New England ground fish sector system, higher average prices for all species accounted for increased revenues. These were among the findings in an interim report released by NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Researchers looked at gross revenues, fishing effort, average vessel performance, distribution of revenues, and employment for the first nine months of the 2007 through 2010 fishing years. Among the new trends, are increased revenues and prices. Revenues from all species on all trips by groundfish vessels in the first nine months of 2010 were up about $24 million over the same period in 2009. Another successful example of "Sector" management is the commercial RI Fluke Sector Pilot. Since its inception this Pilot Fluke Sector has grown, new members who were added as fishermen saw the benefits of flexibility… being able to fish when other species were not available or when market demand is highest. The sector has proven to be a very effective way to sustain the resource as well with record low discard rates (as much as 98% fewer discards than non sector participants). According to a paper presented April 7, 2011 by Chris Anderson, a professor of environmental and natural resource economics at the University of Rhode Island, "...the (RI Pilot) sector shifted fluke landings to times when they could maximize price. Comparing revenues… we find the sector program increased fleet wide (twelve boats in the fleet at this time) revenues over $800,000, including benefits of over $250,000 to non-sector vessels.” So the pilot sector enhanced revenue for its twelve members, but also incurred enhanced revenue for non-sector vessels by spreading available fish over an extended amount of time rather that flooding the market all at one time which reduces their market value.
Our State and US Congressional delegations should continue to learn the nature of these recent success stories and understand them as these catch shares models were vehemently opposed by a vocal minority in the fishing community when first introduced. While listening to one small segment of the fishing community, some Massachusetts elected officials were convinced that “catch shares” management models were bad for fishermen, the community, the industry and the environment. These two programs have proved them wrong. They have been a big success, enhancing revenue for fishermen, the industry and they have enhanced fishing communities while sustaining the resource.
If we have more fish, what do we do with them?
Catching more fish is one thing. But how do we make them accessible and available to local consumers, enhance awareness of them and brand our fish as fresh, nutritious, delicious and affordable. A recent step in the right direction to market our fish includes the Special State Senate Task Force on Fisheries chaired by Senator Susan Sosnowski (D-South Kingstown and New Shoreham). The Task Force completed their work this month reporting on some great accomplishments. The passage of a bill by the Senate to establish a Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative will address regulatory and marketing issues pertaining to local seafood. And, passage of a bill urging our US Congressional Delegation to pass representation legislation giving Rhode Island a seat on the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Council.
We are on the right path, our pilot programs are working. Now it is a matter of enlightening others about their success and point to ways in which we can market fish as we enhance the fishery and boost our overall economy too.
Southeast Asian Charity Striped Bass Tournament
Register at Ocean State Tackle, Providence for the 1st Annual Striped Bass Southeast Asian Charity Fishing Tournament July 1 to 31st, 2011. Tournament proceeds go to the Laotian Community Center of RI to benefit their youth programs to purchase traditional music instruments, books and supplies. Visit www.oceanstatetackle.com or www.rilaocenter.org.
Where’s the bite
Freshwater bite still very good for trout and largemouth bass. Joe Morrissey caught a 10 lbs. 2 oz. largemouth on Slack's Pond in Smithfield, RI. The fish was caught around 6 p.m. using a silver minnow lure and was 22.5 inches.
Striped bass bite has faded a bit in the upper East Bay passage. Fishing continues to improve for bass around Block Island with fish in the low 30” range quite common. Large fish, in volume, have not yet made their presence known around the Island.
Fluke fishing is spotty off coastal RI southern shores with many shorts being caught. Good fluke fishing being reported in the lower Bay around the bridges, off Beavertail and Newport (Elbow Ledge) and at Austin Hollow off Jamestown. Thomas Schoeger reports on the RISAA blog “Spent (most)… of the day drifting from Dutch (Island) to Austin (Hollow). Caught four keepers 19” to 25”… and about 6 shorts.” Rich Sustello reports,” Fished the ocean for the past month from Charlestown to Sakonnet. All of the places I was successful last year have been disappointing. Tried up into the mouths of the bays the past two times with great success. Late Friday afternoon and evening, Lary Norin and I scored eight keepers with six of them over 20”.
Black sea bass season does not start until July 11. The good news is that anglers fluke fishing are coming across a lot of nice keeper size sea bass.
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