Save Our Summer Flounder!

[Green Machine]

All,

As many of you are already aware, the biggest issue facing our fisheries for the majority of the East Coast in many, many years is the current state of the Summer Flounder (Fluke) fishery. Here in NJ, the situation has grown so desperate that we are faced with an effective shutdown of this fishery as early as this year. There is no other fishery in NJ that is more critical to the economy of the region. Commercial Fisherman, Bait and Tackle stores, Party & Charter boats, and all the various business that support them and rely on the clients they bring to our shore communities are in serious trouble if this fishery is shut down, or even if it is scaled back to the point where it is effectively shut down.

This potential shutdown comes at a time when there are more Fluke in the ocean then ever before. Everyone, and I mean everyone, that participates in this fishery from the guys out there every day to the most inexperienced novice are in agreement that there are more fluke in the ocean then ever before in history. Yet, we are facing a disaster situation. Why is this happening? What the hell went wrong?

The reason is very simple. Some very well funded and highly motivated "environmental" groups - who are actually anti-hunting and anti-fishing activists - were able to get language introduced during the re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens act in 2006 which puts extremely rigid rules in place governing the "recovery" of fisheries to mythical, unattainable levels that are not based on any legitimate science. The levels that are to be achieved are based on 1930's studies done on HALIBUT on the west coast - that is how ridiculous this is - yet these levels set in stone. This issue is unique in that it hurts commercial fisherman and recreational anglers the exact same way - so it is critically important that we stand together and fight this side by side.

If you fish on the east coast for Fluke and want to see this situation resolved, please visit www.SSFFF.net and learn more. BTW, I am not in any way affiliated with this new organization. We have a very small side charter business - but it's too small to have an impact on me personally from an economic standpoint. I will get involved with this and offer financial support because I love the fishery, and because I will not stand by and watch crazy people who hate my lifestyle take away my rights to participate in this fishery.

If you care about this please visit www.ssfff.net. This group has a well conceived plan to a) get funding to conduct independent (and scientific!) studies of the fishery to obtain REAL data and b) fight this in congress to get the bill re-opened. Tell your friends and everyone you know about the issues, and donate to this group if you can!!

[pitch bait]

Im glad they are worried about the flounder. On any given day you catch numerous throwback as well as keepes. that to mee sounds like a healthy stock. What about the Mako sharks? They are almost gone. How about Weak Fish? I think that there are other species that need to be looked at.

[Green Machine]

Pitch bait, I agree with you. As a fisherman I consider myself a true conservationist and an environmentalist. All species need to have a management plan which makes them sustainable and ensures their protection. If a fishery is in trouble, I either don't target the species or let most of the fish I catch go (already the case with makos). For ten years I did not eat any commercially caught swordfish because I knew the fishery was a disaster.

That said, if the anti-fishing activists are successful in shutting down this fishery based on completely incorrect numbers, and they are able to dictate to us that this fishery needs to be at an imaginary, unattainable level, they will be able to do this for every species. They'll pick off our fisheries one by one, and they have the money and motivation to do it.

We have to stand together and end this now - or your fishing lifestyle may change more dramatically then when marine gas went to $4/gallon.

Fisheries management needs to be based on real science - not bullshit.

[Misconduct]

This will be a FEDERAL closure, ALL WATERS!!!


Not just Jersey.

I know this group is based out of New Jersey and we had another meeting last night. But that doesn't mean you guys from up and down the east coast can't get involved. These guys are a bunch of party, charter boat capts., bait and tackle shop owners........etc. looking out for not just their future, but that of the fishery, for all of us.

Please check out www.ssfff.net and help in any way you can, even if just by spreading the word.

[livetofishnj]

Im glad they are worried about the flounder. On any given day you catch numerous throwback as well as keepes. that to mee sounds like a healthy stock. What about the Mako sharks? They are almost gone. How about Weak Fish? I think that there are other species that need to be looked at.

Weakie's winter at sea and head off at about a 6-inch length, there's nothing that is going to happen for them until the damn doggies are dealt with. Same with sea bass, scup, and whiting in my opinion. It's probably a large component of the "lack of recruitment" in the summer flounder fishery.

I didn't get to the meeting last night but have been involved with this since last year when we ran the MSA re-authorization letters in The Fisherman. This really is a big deal and most important is not just the summer flounder and the economy that it drives, but instead the precedent that a victory here would set. IT could be the saving grace for many other fisheries across the nation including Red Snapper in the gulf or halibut in the pacific. Any fishery that is facing an unwarranted closure could benefit from a win here.

To be clear, what's happening is that despite the increased flounder stocks (double the early '80s population) the goals set in MSA haven't been met according to the "best available science" that NMFS has to work with. the SSFFF is working to provide better science then the PEW influenced garbage being used now. Until we can provide NMFS with a science based reasoning for either 1) the rebuilding goal being too high given present conditions, or 2)that there are more flounder than NMFS says there are or 3)that the MRFSS numbers are over-inflated. Since probably all three are true it's a god bet that with the right support we'll find that more than one of those is true. Until we do this however, there is nothing that NMFS can honestly do and it's not thier fault- they are mandated by law to do exactly what they are doing.

That is why supporting this organization is such a big deal. Good words and public outcry are fine, but funding is what will actually win the battle.

[Green Machine]

Great comments guys.

I hope everyone on this website from the East Coast and all over the country who cares about fishing and wants to retain his/her rights reads this information, educates themselves on the issues and supports the cause!

[Capt. Brian Daley]

Im glad they are worried about the flounder. On any given day you catch numerous throwback as well as keepes. that to mee sounds like a healthy stock. What about the Mako sharks? They are almost gone. How about Weak Fish? I think that there are other species that need to be looked at.

Hey Pitch your right about the makos & weakfish but the flounder fishing
takes a pounding from everyone the most sough out fishery from kids to
elders to the netters never a break and with the fuel being up the last few
years people are drifting away and targeting them harder then before it a
lot of pressure

[Capt. Brian Daley]

Great comments guys.

I hope everyone on this website from the East Coast and all over the country who cares about fishing and wants to retain his/her rights reads this information, educates themselves on the issues and supports the cause!

HEY Green Machine (GO GIANTS) thanks for posting this up dude

[Green Machine]

HEY Green Machine (GO GIANTS) thanks for posting this up dude

Thanks Brian... did you go to the meeting the SSFFF held in Manasquan?

(BTW enjoy your two weeks of glory but F the Giants!)

[OffTheHook13]

Very informative. Thanks.

As a custom tackle dealer in NY, this is of great concern to me.

My livelihood focuses very large in part on Custom tied Flounder/Fluke rigs, and teaser flies.

I am seeing a HUGE decrease in angler interest at this time.

I realize it is January. But in 4 years this is my worst ever.

I certainly hope for all our sakes in this industry some kind of FAIR resolution is made.