Assessments, quotas and 2016 fishing regulations
How fish stock assessments and
quotas are used to regulate recreational and commercial fishing is often mind boggling. The science and data that is used in assessments
to determine desired stock biomass (the fish in the water) is complex, current
and historical fishing activity is robust, and quotas that aim to achieve
rebuilt and sustainable fish stocks are all taken into consideration to make
regulations.
Combine this with the variety of
fishermen user groups vying for the same limited resource and you have a very
complex equation.
Recently two meetings occurred that
can give us some insight into what commercial and recreational regulations
might be for 2016.
The first is the Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) annual meeting held in early November. The ASMFC regulates migratory species along
the east coast including many of the species targeted by recreational and
commercial fishermen in Rhode Island.
The second meeting was held Monday,
November 16 at the URI Bay Campus. It
was a Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Marine Fisheries Division’s
workshop and public hearing on proposed regulation options for the commercial fishing
of summer flounder (fluke), bluefish, scup and black sea bass. Similar meetings
will be held to gather input from recreational fishermen in a couple of months.
Here are meeting highlights and
what impact they could have on 2016 fishing.
A recent tautog assessment has shown that we may be overfishing the
species; however, the assessment will not be reviewed until the August 2016 ASMFC
tautog board meeting so more conservative regulations will not be put in place
by the ASMFC for 2016. The tautog board
tasked its Plan Development Team with the development of a draft Amendment
focusing on two regional management options along with a status quo option that
would treat Virginia to Massachusetts as one coastal coast wide region. The
other two options being considered group Massachusetts and Rhode Island together.
A black sea bass stock assessment is underway; however it will not
be completed until the end of 2016 for potential use in 2017 the earliest. However,
in 2015 the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and
Statistical Committee developed a way to set quota for data poor stocks, our
quota for 2016 has increased slightly. The 2016 commercial quotas were
increased by 20% (by 59,317 pounds). This
is good news as the commercial fishery experienced multiple closures in 2015.
DEM proposed a status quo option based on a daily possession limit and a second
weekly aggregate model with a variety of sub-periods. A third option proposed by Town Dock of
Narragansett aimed to avoid season closures by putting a 25 pound/vessel/day
limit into play, and if closure had to occur the fishery would close just one
day a week, Friday, so that fish could be caught Saturday and be available on
Sunday the busiest market day.
The Recreational Harvest Limit
(RHL) has been set at 2.88 million pounds for 2016 in RI. This is good news for recreational fisherman
as this year the RHL was set at 2.33 million pounds so we should see some
liberalization of BSB regulations.
A scup benchmark study was done in 2015. The scup stock is not overfished and
overfishing in not occurring relative to biological reference points. However,
a 4% reduction in commercial quota is recommended. The Marine Fisheries Division recommends a
status quota regulation for commercial fishing in 2016 with three sub-periods
and a 9” commercial minimum size just as we had last year. No new proposals were brought fourth at the
workshop. Recreational fishing regulations for scup will likely be status quo
or a bit more conservation as well.
A bluefish stock estimate was done in 2015. Bluefish are not overfished and overfishing
is not occurring relative to the biological reference points, however, the
estimated biomass is below the biomass target.
A 10% reduction in commercial quota has been established for 2016 which
is a decrease of 35,682 pounds. Commercial
recommendations made at DEM’s meeting include a status quo option which
features two sub-periods splitting the year in half with 50% allocated in each
six month period as well as a second option with an aggregate possession limit
of 3,500 pounds/vessel/week. A third
option was presented at the public workshop and hearing that included an 18”
minimum size and split the year into three periods with 500 pounds/vessel/week in
the shoulder periods, 1/1 to 4/30 and 11/16 to 12/31, and a 4,000 pounds/vessel/week
primary season running from 5/1 to 11/15.
Summer flounder (fluke) is not overfished, however, overfishing is
occurring. No 2015 commercial fishery
closures. The commercial quota for 2015
was 1,719,629 and in 2016 it is 1,274,091 a decrease of 445,538 pounds which is
a 30% decrease. At the meeting a new
option was proposed by Town Dock of Narragansett which aims to leave the season
open (like the black sea bass recommendation). Other options included a status
quo option and one that reduced season starting possession limits to meet the
30% decrease.
More conservative regulations are
likely for recreational fishermen, as in the past reduced bag limits, shorter
seasons and perhaps a higher minimum size will be explored.
Striped bass regulations for are likely to
be the similar in 2016 as the ASMFC striped bass board asked their Technical
Committee to conduct a stock assessment update in 2016 utilizing catch and
index data through 2015. In a meeting
report the board said, “It is anticipated that no additional management will
occur until completion of the 2016 assessment update, which is anticipated for
next fall. “
Regulation options with public
input are also vetted by the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council (RIMFC) that
makes fishing regulation recommendations to DEM director Janet Coit. The
director then makes final regulation decisions.
Stock status, meeting
presentations, options proposed and full annotated regulations on above
commercial regulations can be found at www.dem.ri.gov; the public comment period on the
above commercial options is open and will end at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday,
November 26.
Where’s the bite
Tautog fishing continues to be robust with many anglers able to
reach their limit all along the coastal shore.
Rock piles and structured bottom off Narragansett, Scarborough
Beach, Pt. Judith and all along the
southern coastal shore have been good with rock piles from Newport to the
Sakonnet River bearing fruit too. Mike
Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly said, “The tautog season has been great
with customers catching fish in the 10 to 15 pound range fairly regularly. We
haven’t started to fish the deeper water and our outer reefs yet.” Mike Kwok of
Palisades Park, NJ landed a 14.8 pound tautog while fishing the Frances
Fleet. Capt. Frank Blount said, “Fishing remained strong with
many angler limits recorded and many others who came close.” John Littlefield of
Archie’s Bait & Tackle, Riverside said, “Anglers were doing well from shore
at the Wharf Tavern, the Warren Bridge and Colt State Park, however this
weekend the bite was off.” Capt. Charlie Donilon of
Snappa Charters fished this weekend with good results, “Due to the strong
winds we experienced Saturday, we fished one mile east of Narragansett town
beach. Results couldn’t have been better. Both groups just missed
filling the quota of six fish/per angler by only a few fish. Largest fish
were between six and seven pounds. Earlier in the week we fished three miles
south of Newport with very good results. The largest fish caught in the
deeper water was around ten pounds.” Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait &
Tackle Warwick said, “Tautog fishing is still very strong.” Early last week
Capt. Rene Letourneau of On the Rocks Charters said, “Still plenty of tautog in
the Bay. Fishing this week with great weather, the tog bite has been consistent
along Jamestown. We had a solid bite in Newport also.”
Cod fishing has been good. Capt. Frank Blount said, “A few bigger cod found their
way aboard the Gail Frances on Sunday with a half dozen fish in the teens with
two of them close to 20 pounds A decent amount of customers had two to four cod
apiece to take home. Still all in all signs are encouraging and cod fish are
being found on just about every rock pile sampled.” Ken Ferrara of Ray’s Bait & Tackle said,
“I had four customers catch cod from 22” to 31”, some in the Bay while tautog
fishing at General Rock, North Kingstown and two off Newport.”
Striped bass. “Customers fishing from
shore at Fire District Beach have caught fish to 37” mixed in with school bass”
said Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters.
“Squid fishing is still very good off
Newport and off Jamestown with Ft. Wetherill experience a particularly good
bite.” said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence.
“Fresh water
fishing has
been good with a strong largemouth bass bite particularly at Lincoln Woods and
Stump Pond.” said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle
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