Gulf Jiggers - say bye-bye to your AJ's for 2010

[shoefish]

this is really not fair because i have just got into jigging and i was REALLY looking forward to going after some AJs in the gulf.

I'm no expert, but that doesn't read to me that you can't fish for them, just posess them or keep them. It's still legal to jig for tuna out there, right? Well I'd go tuna jigging and hope that I didn't hook up to anything else

[mythosbeer]

No kidding...this is just ridiculous. If the methods and research they were using to come to the conclusions for overfishing then I can understand them taking some action...but not closing the fishery down completely. Seems like the first thing they need to do is to use good research methods to obtain the data they are using for these decisions. Using the shoddy data they are using now with the terms "might be" and "might have" doesn't seem to justify closing the rec fishing for stuff.

I'm all for conservation and keeping our fisheries in tact for many years to come...but the new head of NOAA seems to want to end recreational fishing completely.

[Jiggin Junkie]

Here is what it boils down to. Written to Shimano Corp. From our blundering nitwits in charge of this Country.

FEDS TO 60 MILLION AMERICAN ANGLERS:
WE DON’T NEED YOU

IRVINE, Calif. USA – October 5, 2009 – A recently published administration document outlines a structure that could result in closures of sport fishing in salt and freshwater areas across America. The White House created an Interagency Oceans Policy Task Force in June and gave them only 90 days to develop a comprehensive federal policy for all U.S. coastal, ocean and Great Lakes waters. Under the guise of ‘protecting’ these areas, the current second phase of the Task Force direction is to develop zoning which may permanently close vast areas of fishing waters nationwide. This is to be completed by December 9, 2009.
Dave Pfeiffer, President of Shimano American Corporation explained, “In spite of extensive submissions from the recreational fishing community to the Task Force in person and in writing, they failed to include any mention of the over one million jobs or the 6o million anglers which may be affected by the new policies coast to coast. Input from the environmental groups who want to put us off the water was adopted into the report verbatim – the key points we submitted as an industry were ignored.”
Recreational fishing generates a $125 billion annual economy in the United States and supports jobs in every state according to government figures. Through the Sport Fish Restoration program, anglers have provided more than $5 billion through excise taxes on fishing tackle to fishery conservation and education for decades.
In addition to the economic aspects, anglers lead the nation in volunteer conservation efforts on behalf of improving fish habitat, water quality and related environmental areas. “There was no mention of the fishery conservation efforts which anglers have led for over 50 years in every state – an environmental success story that has no equal in the world”, said Phil Morlock, Director, Environmental Affairs for Shimano. “The Task Force did not make any distinction between the dramatic differences between harmful commercial fishing harvest methods and recreational fishing, even though we spelled it out for them in detail,” added Morlock.
Claiming to be the result of a public consultation process the report states, “Having considered a broad range of public comments, this report reflects the requests and concerns of all interested parties.”
The original White House memo and not surprisingly the Task Force report contains multiple references to developing a national policy where Great Lakes and coastal regions are managed, “consistent with international law, including customary international law as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea” - a 300-page treaty the U.S. has never ratified.
“We question what implications there will be for state authority and jurisdiction in the Great Lakes and coastal regions if the U.S. adopts the U.N. Treaty,” said Pfeiffer.
The report makes it clear that future authority for implementing the policy for coastal and inland waters will fall under White House jurisdiction with a new National Ocean Council comprised of over 20 federal agencies at Cabinet Secretary or Deputy Secretary level. No reference to Congressional jurisdiction is indicated.
“This significant change in U.S. policy direction is the result of a 90-day fire drill process as ordered by the President that, not surprisingly, lacks balance, clarity and quality in the end product,” said Morlock. “People who simply want to take their kids fishing on public waters deserve better from their government,” he added.
Shimano is joining with other members of the recreational fishing industry to urge anglers to contact their members of Congress and the administration to request this process be required to adopt the economic, conservation and social contributions of recreational fishing as key elements of the policy. It is critical that we ensure Congressional oversight and state jurisdiction and management continues.
E-letters can be sent to the administration and members of Congress by visiting KeepAmericaFishing.org.The future of fishing is in your hands.

[blueoceaneyez]

My 2 big issues with this is: (1) What's next.... & (2) Where did they get their #s from? No one has ever questioned me as to how many I've caught...or my neighbor..or my friends...

This has become ridiculous, imo.

[DoubleA_FL]

My 2 big issues with this is: (1) What's next.... & (2) Where did they get their #s from? No one has ever questioned me as to how many I've caught...or my neighbor..or my friends...

This has become ridiculous, imo.

yea, this is my question - i have only heard of ONE guy questioned about his catch EVER!

i guess ill just have to catch and release, which im ok with.

[FLATLINER]

Your gulf. Today. Here is the notice.


Recreational Closure for Greater Amberjack
in the Gulf of Mexico
In 2008, NOAA Fisheries Service implemented a
recreational quota of 1.368 million pounds for greater
amberjack harvested in the Gulf of Mexico.
Recreational landings data indicate the recreational
quota has been met. Therefore, in accordance with the
regulations,
beginning at 12:01 a.m., local time, on
October 24, 2009, the recreational fishery for greater
amberjack in federal waters is closed. The
recreational harvest and possession of greater amberjack
in or from federal waters will be prohibited through the
end of the current fishing year, December 31, 2009. A
person aboard a vessel for which a federal charter
vessel/headboat permit for Gulf reef fish has been issued
must also abide by this provision in state waters.
NOAA Fisheries Service has determined this action is
necessary to prevent overfishing and to keep the
recreational sector from exceeding its quota during the
2009 fishing year.
If despite the closure, recreational landings exceed the
quota, NOAA Fisheries Service will file a notification
with the Office of the Federal Register, at or near the
beginning of the 2010 fishing year, to reduce the length
of the recreational fishing season for the 2010 fishing
year by the amount necessary to recover the overage
from the prior fishing year. This action is required by
regulations implemented under the Fishery Management
Plan for Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico.

So, in reading this, lets just say for simple math that the quota is set at 90 million pounds, this year. If the quote is exceeded by 10 million pounds, then next year the quota is 80 million pounds. So if that quota is exceeded 10 million pounds again, the quota will be 70 million pounds the following year.

Pretty soon, it will be a thirty day season with a quota of 5 million pounds total..........

Barak, kiss this:

[Sea Draggin]

Not exactly. If the quota for next year is 80 and it gets exceeded again by 10, it will still be 80 the next year, because another 90 gets added to it.

The killer is that shortening any season in this economy doesn't do any good. We are our own worst enemies right now, because if we have an extra penny, we are keeping it.

[Jiggin Junkie]

Sea Draggon, I am here to tell you that numbers have nothing to do with this at all. It is all about pandering to special interest groups 100%.

This was written to Shimano American Corp.

FEDS TO 60 MILLION AMERICAN ANGLERS:
WE DON’T NEED YOU

IRVINE, Calif. USA – October 5, 2009 – A recently published administration document outlines a structure that could result in closures of sport fishing in salt and freshwater areas across America. The White House created an Interagency Oceans Policy Task Force in June and gave them only 90 days to develop a comprehensive federal policy for all U.S. coastal, ocean and Great Lakes waters. Under the guise of ‘protecting’ these areas, the current second phase of the Task Force direction is to develop zoning which may permanently close vast areas of fishing waters nationwide. This is to be completed by December 9, 2009.
Dave Pfeiffer, President of Shimano American Corporation explained, “In spite of extensive submissions from the recreational fishing community to the Task Force in person and in writing, they failed to include any mention of the over one million jobs or the 6o million anglers which may be affected by the new policies coast to coast. Input from the environmental groups who want to put us off the water was adopted into the report verbatim – the key points we submitted as an industry were ignored.”
Recreational fishing generates a $125 billion annual economy in the United States and supports jobs in every state according to government figures. Through the Sport Fish Restoration program, anglers have provided more than $5 billion through excise taxes on fishing tackle to fishery conservation and education for decades.
In addition to the economic aspects, anglers lead the nation in volunteer conservation efforts on behalf of improving fish habitat, water quality and related environmental areas. “There was no mention of the fishery conservation efforts which anglers have led for over 50 years in every state – an environmental success story that has no equal in the world”, said Phil Morlock, Director, Environmental Affairs for Shimano. “The Task Force did not make any distinction between the dramatic differences between harmful commercial fishing harvest methods and recreational fishing, even though we spelled it out for them in detail,” added Morlock.
Claiming to be the result of a public consultation process the report states, “Having considered a broad range of public comments, this report reflects the requests and concerns of all interested parties.”
The original White House memo and not surprisingly the Task Force report contains multiple references to developing a national policy where Great Lakes and coastal regions are managed, “consistent with international law, including customary international law as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea” - a 300-page treaty the U.S. has never ratified.
“We question what implications there will be for state authority and jurisdiction in the Great Lakes and coastal regions if the U.S. adopts the U.N. Treaty,” said Pfeiffer.
The report makes it clear that future authority for implementing the policy for coastal and inland waters will fall under White House jurisdiction with a new National Ocean Council comprised of over 20 federal agencies at Cabinet Secretary or Deputy Secretary level. No reference to Congressional jurisdiction is indicated.
“This significant change in U.S. policy direction is the result of a 90-day fire drill process as ordered by the President that, not surprisingly, lacks balance, clarity and quality in the end product,” said Morlock. “People who simply want to take their kids fishing on public waters deserve better from their government,” he added.
Shimano is joining with other members of the recreational fishing industry to urge anglers to contact their members of Congress and the administration to request this process be required to adopt the economic, conservation and social contributions of recreational fishing as key elements of the policy. It is critical that we ensure Congressional oversight and state jurisdiction and management continues.
E-letters can be sent to the administration and members of Congress by visiting KeepAmericaFishing.org. The future of fishing is in your hands.

[Logan9581]

This was written on another forum about this same topic:

"The really sad thing is that I sat on a plane with a statistics/researcher from USF recently...the subject of fisheries research came up...I was *****ing about bad data, and he said "you don't get it, do you?" he told me he has worked on research programs for fisheries, forestry, water quality, air quality, environmental impact areas, and every one is the same...this is his explanation, and I feel like a moron for not realizing it before...

We all know that statistics can be interpreted many different ways. The main "goal" of the research is to evaluate the health of whatever they are studying...BUT if the statistics show a healthy "whatever" they simply re-work the numbers to be inconclusive. Maybe not to show a crisis, BUT ALWAYS TO PROVE MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED! That's how they get their funding and stay employed!"

[captnemo]

Sea Draggon, I am here to tell you that numbers have nothing to do with this at all. It is all about pandering to special interest groups 100%.

This was written to Shimano American Corp.

FEDS TO 60 MILLION AMERICAN ANGLERS:
WE DON’T NEED YOU

IRVINE, Calif. USA – October 5, 2009 – A recently published administration document outlines a structure that could result in closures of sport fishing in salt and freshwater areas across America. The White House created an Interagency Oceans Policy Task Force in June and gave them only 90 days to develop a comprehensive federal policy for all U.S. coastal, ocean and Great Lakes waters. Under the guise of ‘protecting’ these areas, the current second phase of the Task Force direction is to develop zoning which may permanently close vast areas of fishing waters nationwide. This is to be completed by December 9, 2009.
Dave Pfeiffer, President of Shimano American Corporation explained, “In spite of extensive submissions from the recreational fishing community to the Task Force in person and in writing, they failed to include any mention of the over one million jobs or the 6o million anglers which may be affected by the new policies coast to coast. Input from the environmental groups who want to put us off the water was adopted into the report verbatim – the key points we submitted as an industry were ignored.”
Recreational fishing generates a $125 billion annual economy in the United States and supports jobs in every state according to government figures. Through the Sport Fish Restoration program, anglers have provided more than $5 billion through excise taxes on fishing tackle to fishery conservation and education for decades.
In addition to the economic aspects, anglers lead the nation in volunteer conservation efforts on behalf of improving fish habitat, water quality and related environmental areas. “There was no mention of the fishery conservation efforts which anglers have led for over 50 years in every state – an environmental success story that has no equal in the world”, said Phil Morlock, Director, Environmental Affairs for Shimano. “The Task Force did not make any distinction between the dramatic differences between harmful commercial fishing harvest methods and recreational fishing, even though we spelled it out for them in detail,” added Morlock.
Claiming to be the result of a public consultation process the report states, “Having considered a broad range of public comments, this report reflects the requests and concerns of all interested parties.”
The original White House memo and not surprisingly the Task Force report contains multiple references to developing a national policy where Great Lakes and coastal regions are managed, “consistent with international law, including customary international law as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea” - a 300-page treaty the U.S. has never ratified.
“We question what implications there will be for state authority and jurisdiction in the Great Lakes and coastal regions if the U.S. adopts the U.N. Treaty,” said Pfeiffer.
The report makes it clear that future authority for implementing the policy for coastal and inland waters will fall under White House jurisdiction with a new National Ocean Council comprised of over 20 federal agencies at Cabinet Secretary or Deputy Secretary level. No reference to Congressional jurisdiction is indicated.
“This significant change in U.S. policy direction is the result of a 90-day fire drill process as ordered by the President that, not surprisingly, lacks balance, clarity and quality in the end product,” said Morlock. “People who simply want to take their kids fishing on public waters deserve better from their government,” he added.
Shimano is joining with other members of the recreational fishing industry to urge anglers to contact their members of Congress and the administration to request this process be required to adopt the economic, conservation and social contributions of recreational fishing as key elements of the policy. It is critical that we ensure Congressional oversight and state jurisdiction and management continues.
E-letters can be sent to the administration and members of Congress by visiting KeepAmericaFishing.org. The future of fishing is in your hands.

I think we have all read this about the first 16 times it was posted,

Thanks though