Public Comment Form for pending SAMFC regs change

[JohnB]

All,
The SAMFC, which is the federal agency that regulates and makes the rules in federal waters through out the southeast is proposing some changes. The are having public comment meetings through out the region. If you can get to one of these, I would strongly recommend it. If you can't, I have put up an online form that you can use to submit your comments on upcoming regulations.

The form has links to the actual regs so you can read them.
It is pre-populated with the opinions of many concerned anglers, and organizations. Please don't post back if you disagree, I am just providing an EASY way to get your voice heard. You can put your own comments in, or modify the ones that are there.

Please read the regs, read the opinions, and then add your own comments. We didn't get a good recreational angler turnout at the public meetings, so here is the chance to spend a little time to get informed on what is going on, make your own opinions, and more importantly, get your voice heard.

This form generates emails to all the appropriate SAMFC members, and will be considered as part of the public comments on these ammendments.

I can't tell you how important it is to get the word out on this. Feel free to post this link anywhere that concerned anglers might see it, and have their voices heard.

We have 9 days, Feb 22, 5pm is the cutoff.

click here to enter your comments

Thanks
JohnB

[JohnB]

Guys, we could really use your help...

*** Pending Actions Affecting Recreational Anglers by the SAMFC ***



INTRODUCTION: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting public input on possible options regarding the allocation of fishery resources between recreational and commercial user groups. The reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act requires the Councils establish Annual Catch Limits for each species and Accountability Measures that ensure the catch limit is not exceeded in any year by any sector. To do this the Council must allocate the Total Allowable Catch from the stock assessment process between recreational and commercial sectors. They are trying to determine the method that will be used to decide on a species by species basis exactly how many fish will be allocated between the recreational and commercial fisheries, within the Total Allowable Catch.



POTENTIAL METHODS TO ALLOCATE Overview The Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFMCA) sets the congressional standard by which all management decisions are made. The MSFMCA National Standard 4 addresses allocations in the following language: “(4) Conservation and management measures shall not discriminate between residents of different States. If it becomes necessary to allocate or assign fishing privileges among various United States fishermen, such allocations shall be (A) fair and equitable to all such fishermen; (B) reasonably calculated to promote conservation; and (C) carried out in such manner that no particular individual, corporation, or other entity acquires an excessive share of such privileges.” The following alternative methods to allocate between recreational and commercial fishermen have been identified.



1. Alternative 1 (Landings Data from NMFS and ACCSP) uses landings data from NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Regional Office (SERO). This includes commercial, Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS), and headboat data. What you need to know is the recreational data is nearly non-existent and consist of limited phone surveys and very limited fish checks at ramps. They even admitted at a public meeting (1) they have very little recreational catch data and (2) that even if the data was there, the computer model they are using was not designed for the purposes they are using it for. This is a bad plan for both the recreational anglers and the marine resources.

2. Alternative 2 (Landings Data from SEDAR) uses data from the SEDAR assessments that includes bycatch and discard mortality. These figures represent the relative mortality inflicted on the species by recreational and commercial fishermen. If they had a true handle on the data, and a good computer model to manage it, in the long term, this probably isn’t a bad approach. The problem is SAMFC is NOT funded to get this data, and there is no immediate plan to start collecting it.

3. Alternative 3 (Council’s Judgment). Certainly, a variety of allocation percentages can be argued for various species but starting at 50/50 could be considered “fair and equitable” for future allocations. Given the “fair and equitable” wording of congress this is the ONLY plan that meets the criteria, and we are strongly recommending that it be adopted. Please encourage the council to use wise judgment, and demand “fair and equal” allocations.



WHAT CAN YOU DO

You can go to www.deep-blue-sea.org to learn more and post your comments that will be forwarded as part of the “public comment” to SAMFC via email. At the Port Canaveral public comments meeting recreational voices were outnumbered by commercial interests by a margin of 15:1. SAMFC needs to hear from you. From this site you will find the links to the actual amendments to see what they are proposing, and have the opportunity to voice your opinions to the SAMFC. Questions/comments can be forwarded to [email protected].