# NC fisheries management at it again



## goout4fish (Mar 19, 2008)

Letter: Stripers, speckled trout and redfish need game fish protection 
Letter: Speckled trout need game fish protection 
Feb 14, 2011 
By Newswire (More articles by this author) 
A letter from Dean Phillips of the Coastal Fisheries Reform Group. For more info go to www.cfrgnc.blogspot.com


Dear Saltwater Angler,

Joe Albea and I attended the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission meeting in Pine Knoll Shores, NC yesterday and today. On the agenda were the issues of the Striped Bass harvest by Trawl, and the closure of the Speckled Trout Fishery. As you know, thousands of Stripers were publicly wasted in the last few weeks, and we have eyewitness accounts from well respected charter captains to these events. Even with all the photos, video, and outcry from other Atlantic coastal states, our Marine Fisheries Commissioners voted today to continue this wasteful practice of trawling for stripers, and will continue to do so until the final 60,000 pounds of their quota is reached. Conservation groups were dumbfounded at this move today. Unbelievable!

But wait, it gets even better! When the topic of the Speckled Trout closure came up for discussion, we requested that they keep the harvest of Speckled Trout closed thru the summer so the larger fish would be given plenty of time to spawn. Since mature females will spawn every 4 to 6 days starting in May and continuing throughout the summer, this would be our best recipe for maximum spawning success. DMF staff recommended ending the closure on June 15, which according to them, would get the fish through the most intense spawning weeks of May and June. We would have been fine with that. No harvest for anyone until June 15, but that is where our commercially run MFC stepped in.

Commissioner Bradley Styron, fish house owner and dealer, pushed through a motion to let commercial gill netters catch and sell 50 pounds of Speckled Trout per day, as long as those trout equaled only 10% of the other fish caught by the fisherman. This will go into effect this week! So here we go again with paying folks to have accidents! We already know how that is working out with our Red Drum don't we? We would never have recommended a closure of the trout harvest for recreational fishermen if we had known that they would still allow the harvest and sale of trout by commercial gill netters! This is wrong, and it is unfair!

If there was ever any doubt in your mind why we MUST have game fish protection for Speckled Trout, I hope this incident has resolved all of those issues for you! As long as Speckled Trout remain a commercial fish, this tug of war will be never ending. It must end now! The only answer is GAME FISH status for Speckled Trout, Red Drum, and Striped Bass!

Our commercially run, money hungry, corrupt MFC has crossed the line for the final time!

Please stay tuned, and please forward this to anyone you know who cares for our coastal fisheries.


Sincerely,

Dean Phillips
Coastal Fisheries Reform Group
[email protected]

www.cfrgnc.blogspot.com


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## drumchaser (Jan 14, 2003)

Gamefish status for trout, drum and stripers. Hopefully it will happen.


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## Frightnight (Dec 15, 2010)

Now what does Gamefish status mean? Can rec, fisherman still catch, and retains two? Can we catch and release? Or is it, we can not catch them at all?


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## twitch (Jan 29, 2008)

Frightnight said:


> Now what does Gamefish status mean? Can rec, fisherman still catch, and retains two? Can we catch and release? Or is it, we can not catch them at all?


Gamefish status, in simple terms, makes the fish illegal to sell or target with commercial gear. It stops * ALL *commercial fishing for that species within state waters, not just the trawlers, but the drop netters, beach seine, and even a hook and line com. season(if the com. guys ever get one in NC).

One thing to remember, we as recs in NC put more pressure on the striper stock than the commercials do. The commercial quota per ASMFC is 480,480 pounds for NC, once the quota is reached they are done for the year. The recs have no quota, just 28" or larger and 2 per person per day, 365 days a year in the ocean.

Yes, recs will be allowed to catch and keep or release as you see fit. I guess the rec creel will be determined when and if we cross the gamefish bridge. I wouldn't count on the daily creel to increase for the recs under the GF plan.


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## TimKan7719 (Apr 4, 2008)

twitch said:


> One thing to remember, we as recs in NC put more pressure on the striper stock than the commercials do. The commercial quota per ASMFC is 480,480 pounds for NC, once the quota is reached they are done for the year. The recs have no quota, just 28" or larger and 2 per person per day, 365 days a year in the ocean.


I dont think Rec anglers put as much pressure as the comms do. Your just thinking NC, the Stripers are only off the coast of NC from Maybe Nov to Mar. Then they migrate to other areas. I have seen the number of Nets they have in the Potomac, and can only imagine the number of other comms out there that are catching the fish. No doubt there are alot of Rec anglers, but I dont think they put no where near as much stress as the Comms do.


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## justinstewart (Nov 23, 2007)

twitch said:


> One thing to remember, we as recs in NC put more pressure on the striper stock than the commercials do.


This may be correct, but it's the waste and disregard from some commercials that I hate.


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## justinstewart (Nov 23, 2007)

It seems to me like commercials should be able to keep 50 fish without killing a few thousand at a time. 

I don't understand how these unchecked idiots get free reign?


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## Ian (Nov 28, 2007)

man cant play mothernature,u ever seen a blues blitz chashing hundreds of weak fish on the beach,the fish are so scared they rather drown on dry land than be ate by some mad bluefish,just saying it aint the commercial fisheries that is depleting your memories when fishing was at its prime,its alot more than just that,look at industrial chaos on all the fingerlets that lead to the ocean, thats the problem.when is the last time u actually saw a real blue blitz,they dont stick around when the water is tainted our freaking waste! if u really want to point fingers i think u should upen your eyes and see were the real problem is at,commercial fisheries have been around for as long as this country,and they do work on better methods ,for less bycathch.etc,etc.power plants ,fertilizer,coal,whatever u can think of is polluting our bays and oceans they all lie right on the grounds where the fish go to do there thing to make litlle baby fish,all these groups of organization, so called conservationist are all acting on a new movement just to make cash.sometimes man is to dam smart for his own good.


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## Frightnight (Dec 15, 2010)

Well, I dont think recs do the same damage as comm, either, but, thats just my opinion, based on the amount of complete waste they are causeing, but maybe I feel that way also, because, where I live, almost everyone here does catch & release, and only keep fish once in awhile. So, maybe I am wrong, but, based on my experiences, thats how it seems anyway.


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## twitch (Jan 29, 2008)

Frightnight said:


> Well, I dont think recs do the same damage as comm, either, but, thats just my opinion, based on the amount of complete waste they are causeing, but maybe I feel that way also, because, where I live, almost everyone here does catch & release, and only keep fish once in awhile. So, maybe I am wrong, but, based on my experiences, thats how it seems anyway.


I do a lot of catch and release also. All the studies I've read suggest 8-10% mortality rate on released stripers, that can add up pretty quickly.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

twitch said:


> I do a lot of catch and release also. All the studies I've read suggest 8-10% mortality rate on released stripers, that can add up pretty quickly.


 I cross over the OI bridge every morning an come back in the evening,and have seen striper charterboats going out every morning.. Unless there's a good blow,that parking lot has had plenty of vehicles in it.. You figure 1 boat,3 anglers,what they keep (almost all keep their limit),what they catch and release,times all those vehicles with trailers and the charters..... Yeap,should have some impact,ya think??


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## justinstewart (Nov 23, 2007)

the commercial fishing doesn't really bother me, it's the waste.

sure those recs go all the time, at least there is a chance their fish aren't wasted.


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## drumchaser (Jan 14, 2003)

TimKan7719 said:


> I dont think Rec anglers put as much pressure as the comms do. Your just thinking NC, the Stripers are only off the coast of NC from Maybe Nov to Mar. Then they migrate to other areas. I have seen the number of Nets they have in the Potomac, and can only imagine the number of other comms out there that are catching the fish. No doubt there are alot of Rec anglers, but I dont think they put no where near as much stress as the Comms do.


I agree with this. Although the fabricated pie charts suggest otherwise so the powers to be in Raleigh stay rich and happy and of course the fish house owners. The latest striper killings have hopefully drawn some positive attention and more emphasis will be put on saving/protecting the resource. I could see a law going either way though with all the finger pointing between the recs and comms. It may just make it even worth for both sides. Let's hope not.


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## Fishwander (Jul 2, 2010)

NOAA and fines:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7356343n

NOAA basicly wants to separate commercial from the recreational fishermen. Personally , I feel that it is a ploy to prevent recreatioal fishermen from getting involved in the NOAA/ EDF pogram of "Catch Shares" . From a tactical perspective , I believe that it is called : Divide and Conquer .

Lets all realize that these fish are resources to be used mutually , not wasted so as to comply with convoluted rules and regulations. Nobody wants to waste resources, but the rules must be clearly written and with common sense .

While I would like to see Gamefish status for trout, drum and stripers , I don't think that will happen ; I don't think it would be financially prudent

Fishwander

Stay current at http://www.theFRA.org/fishing_matters_to_me.htm


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