If one of the objectives of the
Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) new “Lean Initiative” meeting
format is to encourage participation at fisheries meetings, Monday night’s
meeting at the URI Bay Campus was a big success.
Over 80 fishermen openly and freely
expressed their points of view on primarily recreational fishing quotas,
proposed regulation options and user group proposals. I say user groups because in fisheries
management a variety of groups compete for access to the same finite resource (see
striped bass example below).
Monday’s meeting combined what normally
takes place over four different evenings into one night. Multiple meetings have hampered angler
attendance in the past. Traditionally participation
at Advisory Panel meetings held over four different evenings are limited (three
to six fishermen, fifteen or twenty if an important issue is being discussed). Often times those that participate are
industry leaders that can sway votes on important issues without getting
perspectives from average fishermen because they are simply not in the room.
There was no doubt at the 4:30 p.m.
workshop that different user groups including private anglers were in the room
to listen to stock status, last year’s fish landings and proposed regulation
options for summer flounder, black sea bass, tautog, scup, striped bass and
others. Anglers were able to ask fish
managers and marine biologist questions, express their point of view and support
or not support proposed regulation options as well as propose alternative
options.
The workshop was followed by an
official public hearing at 7:00 p.m. Fishermen comments were recorded to pass
along to the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council (RIMFC) for their March 2
meeting and then will be passed along to
DEM Director Janet Coit along with Council recommendations as part of the input
she will receive for her decision making process.
Fishermen in the room did not agree
on regulation options, however, the points of view of many were heard together
in a public setting in a much more robust way than traditional Advisory Panel
meetings.If you missed the meeting, it is not too late to comment as DEM has extended the public comment period. Written comments concerning the proposed regulations may be submitted to Peter Duhamel, Division of Fish and Wildlife Marine Fisheries office, 3 Fort Wetherill Road, Jamestown, RI 02835 no later than 12:00 Noon on February 26, 2015. Email all communications to peter.duhamel@dem.ri.gov .
Meeting highlights
Striped
bass took center stage with nearly an hour and half of discussion at the
meetings. Coastwide the Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which sets regulations for east coast migratory
species, approved a one fish at 28” for all anglers with the caveat that states
could come up with conservation equivalency options that achieved at least a
25% reduction in striped bass landings in 2015.
Striped bass fish stocks, particularly the spawning stock of egg bearing
females is on the decline and all agree that something has to be done to reduce
landings.
Conservation
equivalency was the sticking point at the meeting; many anglers did not know or
did not feel that a two fish solution was appropriate even if it reduced
landings by 25%.
Every
user group has their perspective on fishing quotas and regulations,
particularly striped bass. Two options
were proposed in the presentation Monday… one fish at a minimum size of 28” for
all anglers, and then a second option that was one fish at 28” for private
anglers and two fish at a minimum size of 32” for charter and party boats.
Some
for hire party and charter boat operators at the meeting claimed they earn
their living by taking people fishing so they advocated for two fish at 32” for
their customers. Many claim their
customers fish once a year compared to private anglers and the impact on the fishery
is minimal. They also say charter boats
contribute greatly to tourism and the economy and should be treated differently
from private fishermen because it is a business not recreation.
Capt. Denny Dillon, representing
the Rhode Island Party and Charter Boat Association said, “Each year our
industry contributes about $25-million to Rhode Island’s economy in economic
impact. We need the two fish to attract customers.”
Peter Jenkins of the Saltwater
Edge, Newport said he was representing a group of ten bait and tackle shops and
that he (and they) supported, “One fish at a 28” minimum
size for both private recreational anglers and charter boats.” Many bait and tackle customers practice catch
and release, yet many also fish in tournaments and take larger, and larger, egg
bearing fish.
Commercial fishermen at the meeting
wanted one fish at 28” and did not want their commercial counterparts, the
party and charter boats, to have the right to take two fish.
Michael Lanni said, “If commercial
boats are taking a 25% reduction and private angles are bound to one fish at
28”, the charter and party boats should be limited to one fish too.” Lanni continued to say he was not pleased
with the new “Lean” meeting format because he did not get a chance to meet with
others on the panel to decide how they felt about proposed options.
Steve Medeiros, president of the
Rhode Saltwater Anglers Association said, “It was our understanding that the
ASMFC has already approved a two fish at 32” conservation equivalency proposal
for RI.” Representatives on the
commission from RI supported that proposal.
The feeling was that proposal was going to be approved anyway. “So RISAA submitted a proposal option that
included a two fish conservation equivalency option with the stipulation that
the reduction be 31% (the same level of harvest reduction that private anglers
would be bound to with one at 28”) and include the elimination of the captain
and mate fish.” said Medeiros. Historically
captains and mates have been allowed to take two fish on each trip. “Adding the
mate and captain’s fish to the proposal would at least save four egg bearing
fish each trip.” said Medeiros.
Throughout the week and at Monday’s
meeting, many charter captains spoke out for and against the two fish charter
and party boat options. One of the
proposals that had many heads nodding at the public hearing was made by Capt. Charlie
Donilon of Snappa Charters. Capt.
Donilon said, “Something has to be done, everyone knows what’s going on out
there, we have less and less fish. I
recommend that charter boats take 1.5 fish per customer and give up the two
fish for the mate and captain.” This proposal would have a great impact on the fish. Now a charter boat with six passengers, a mate and captain can take sixteen fish (this would still be the case with the RIPCBA proposal). However, Captain Donilon’s proposal would have that same vessel taking a maximum of nine fish, just one more than a private boat of eight fishermen and the fish are 32” rather than 28”. So in terms of conservation it could surpass the reduction value of the coastwide solution of one at 28”.
Other species discussed at the meeting
Even though RI overfished its quota
of summer flounder, most at the meeting supported the status quo option of an 18”
minimum size at eight fish/angler/day with the same season length.
Tautog support fell to status quo
(the same as last year), 16” minimum size with split seasons… three fish in the
spring and late summer seasons with a six fish bag limit in the fall (with a
ten fish boat limit which does not apply to charter boats).Rhode Island needs to reduce its black sea bass landings by one third. The solution that received the most support was one that started the season as early in June as possible with one or two fish and then increased the number of fish to five or seven in the fall. Both 13” and 14” fish should be considered.
More to come on these regulation options as they are reviewed and voted on by the RIMFC on March 2.
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