1/25/12 - NOAA unveils improved way to estimate saltwater recreational fishing

[Bottom-Dweller]

Does anybody understand this? I opened the “CountMyFish” link and tried running the revised numbers on Massachusetts (not even an option for GOM) for Atlantic Cod and Haddock…. The choices you can make from the drop down options are boggling! Anyone out there with a big brain cuz I need some help

Apparently I’m too stupid to figure out how to run the reports/queries, let alone understand them! I just wanted to know if the revised catch was more or less than previous years reports. I've always felt the recreational catch was way overestimated.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories...0125_mrip.html

[skatewing]

Hopefully this will help scientists get a better handle and more accurate number from the recreational fisherman.

[overmodulated]

according to the presentation, GOM cod catch was previously overestimated by 25%.

34% of the quota is allocated toward recreational fishing.

[overmodulated]

while I don't understand all of the entries, here's what I got for the query on cod fish counts throughout the state over the last few years:

FINAL 2004 ATLANTIC COD 156,300 21.8
FINAL 2005 ATLANTIC COD 276,997 12.6
FINAL 2006 ATLANTIC COD 165,999 14.7
FINAL 2007 ATLANTIC COD 204,076 17.6
FINAL 2008 ATLANTIC COD 134,212 11.0
FINAL 2009 ATLANTIC COD 98,420 13.8
FINAL 2010 ATLANTIC COD 87,877 21.5
PRELIM 2011 ATLANTIC COD 61,745

[Bottom-Dweller]

I spent some time with this last night, finally figured it out. The MRFSS is the old catch data and the MRIP is the revised catch data. Just as everyone would expect, they have been way overestimating the total catch. I attached the cod and haddock from 2004 to 2011…. Look at the percentage “drops”, holy crap!

revised catch data - cod and ha.doc

[Bottom-Dweller]

I just sent an email off to Maggie Mooney-Seus at the national Marine Fisheries Service asking her if the newly revised data was used when proposing the 2012 Haddock regulations. i.e. 19” and 9 fish limit

Let’s see what she has to say.

[Bottom-Dweller]

Well I received an answer and I can’t say I’m too happy with it. I don’t even see the purpose of asking about cod because that will also need a new benchmark assessment!

This is the correspondence we had:

Question: Hello Maggie, Regarding the new MRIP catch estimates, was any of this new / revised data used to calculate the proposed Haddock limitations for 2012? i.e. 19” and 9 fish limit?

Answer: no data was not available when measures were set for 2012.

Question: Will the 2012 regulations, specifically Haddock, be reviewed and possibly revised now that this new data is available?

Answer: The first step is to incorporate into haddock stock assessment before management measures can be developed. I believe that will require a benchmark assessment -- one has not been scheduled yet. I think it is more likely changes would be made in 2013 not 2012 given that fishing year begins on May 1.