Morning Star Fishing report OCMD 2-16

[jackdaniels]

Fish Report 2/16/10
More Toggin
Some Sea Bass Reservation Dates
Management's Focus Misplaced

Opening tog trips for this weekend coming - Feb 19-20-21-22 -
West winds forecasted - Boat sells out at 12 - Green crabs provided - Cabin heated - Leave at 7:00 for these trips (or a tad earlier) - Return no later than 3 - 3:30 (usually) - $100.00 buys a spot - Reservation a must, that phone number in signature - Email does not work for reservations - call - leave a good phone number, cell, in case of cancellation.

Also opening the book for sea bass trips from May 22cnd to the end of June. Even though these dates are not 100%, I'm pretty sure we'll have open season then.
The folks at the reservation service are ready to book.

The folks in government will continue to hear that this fishery is being stolen by data..
I remain hopeful that we can secure a longer season; that truth can still be found and used to restore bioeconomic stability to my primary fishery.

Hi All,
On the news recently I saw a young lady beaten & robbed while security stood by "Doing their job" - "Following orders."

That's exactly what fishers are experiencing, except regulators aren't just idly standing by, they're doing the mugging; emptying all cash flow into the sewer, wasting fishers opportunity through blind adherence to an opinion of law.
That we require managers to use the Best Science Available, despite that our 'best' catch estimates are worthless rubbish, is very-much like having security guards who are never supposed to intervene.. only worse.

The government--your government--needs to see this isn't right; that no law should require regulators to use data this bad in any country; especially in the US. They need to see that it's wrong that we fishers verge on regulatory collapse--an economic catastrophe while fish are abundant--when we've pushed through decades of 'rebuilding'.
We have to make them see.

Think I'll make some signs today. Maybe they'll see that. Wednesday the 24th we'll be listening to some of our DC reps on the Capitol Steps..
I don't know whether to think of it as a Rally, a Protest.. or just a big outdoor fisheries meeting. Either way, folks in DC are going to hear a message at the Rally for "Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act."

Fix Magnuson - Restore Flexibility - OC MD
That's what my sign will read.
Was going to bring my bullhorn too. Unfortunately, I think Tucker broke it yelling at Marvin.

I fear that in years to come we'll all be seen as squirrel managers standing in a burnt, heavily deforested, cut-over - idly pondering the mammal's restoration thru hunting controls.
That we are shocked when many squirrels reproduce successfully in the city park where a few trees grow, but just aren't doing as well out where the forest USED to be.

For instance, the original role played by submerged oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay's fisheries ecology is the subject of a great body of work from which one could draw a more simplified goal of restoration: Figure out what's missing and put it back..
Hardly an original thought; I think it was taken too literally in past decades - they saw 'oysters & oyster shell' missing and tried to put that back.
Elevation is key - Off the bottom.. three dimensional habitat where oysters can naturally contribute to their own restoration.
In concert with the many other programs aimed at renewing ecosystem services, our efforts at artificial reef construction are among the most basic needed for true fisheries restoration.

I think we have perhaps 15% of our original natural corals left in the ocean--maybe.
We've got some awesome trees growing in the park though--Some great corals growing on artificial reef..
Now it's time to tend after the forest--look for where the seafloor habitat USED to be.

Those charged with our government's fishery conservation and restoration need to move away from policies of diminished opportunity and focus on the prosperity offered by renewal of our marine and estuarine habitat: Given a few fish, succesful spawning is entirely dependant on habitat.

Squirrel managers will--must--use hunting controls; But derned if they oughtn't check on the trees too.

And apply sensible tests to recreational catch data.. our energy is wasted fighting over insupportable data, some sets includes below.

So much that could be done; we're focused on closures.
Needs a-plenty fixin.
Think I'll go to DC.

Regards,
Monty

Capt. Monty Hawkins
mhawkins@siteone.net
Party Boat "Morning Star"
Reservation Line 410 520 2076
http://www.morningstarfishing.com/


Here's a S. Flounder example - Where I believe after extensive research that OC's party and charter boats caught about 1,100 flounder in 2008 -- All Year! Below is the MRFSS two month wave data for SHORE FISHERS in September/October - This is what the Best Data can look like