Quota update

[scottne]

These midwater boats are bad news. They crush the area off the Cape and then move out to the offshore area. There is no shortage of tuna in this part of the ocean, just a shortage of bait. There is a reason Canada catches them like they do- no midwater trawlers. As soon as fish show up somewhere here, these boats go and ruin it.

Picture from one of the guys on Georges, look how close the boats are coming.

Chris let's simplify it for guys like me that aren't intimately involved in the battle.

Who are these trawlers? Americans? What ports are they out of, who owns the boats, where is the bait going once caught?

The reason I ask this is, what has to be done to shut this fishery down? When you look at a place like Cape Cod Bay - we all talked about the bait being off PH and then coming into the Bay. For years the tuna followed, well this year there were no sand eels and when the big bait did show up we had 3-10 boats working off Highland Light and whatever fish did get away were taken by the trawlers fishing right off Wood End.

I hate the idea of putting any local fisherman into a difficult spot but it's pretty ridiculous that we have a "marine life sanctuary" when right outside the borders all the bait for that sanctuary is being processed, not to mention the bycatch.

This has to end, what are the steps, who makes the decisions and what can the average fisherman do about it? I know you do a great deal at the various meetings but a lot of us are struggling to get through each day and cannot attend, who do we contact, email, write, call etc?

[twofinbluna]

Scott I am headed out the door so cannot post much now, but there is one small thing people can do to help on the midwater issue

There is a comment period open until the 7th that has to do with the new rule that went into place governing midwater trawl access to Groundfish CLosed Area I, which is east of Cape Cod. The rule's intent was to put 100% coverage on the boats going into that area, while making them bring everything aboard for sampling by an observer. Problem is, NMFS added a loophole that lets them dump their so-called "operational discards". This is the stuff that is left in the net after they are done pumping, often because it will not fit into the pump. This basically allows them to keep anything in the net they do not want sampled and then to dump it without it being observed.

The reason this rule was initiated was because a lot of haddock has been caught be these boats in closed areas, and remember that the only reason they were allowed into these CLOSED areas was because they supposedly did not catch groundfish. But they do, and everyone wants to know how much.

Bottom line is that if the rule is going to work, everything needs to be sampled. The comment period ends on Thursday. I will paste some text below that people can use.

Easiest way to submit is at the Government comment webite:

http://www.regulations.gov

Just enter "herring discard provisions" in the search bar, and it will be the first thing that pops up. You can also read more about the rule by clicking that link.


SAMPLE LETTER


October 1st, 2010


Patricia Kurkul, Regional Administrator
NMFS Northeast Regional Office
55 Great Republic Drive
Gloucester, MA 01930

Re: Herring Midwater Trawl Discard Provisions, RIN 0648-BA16

Dear Ms. Kurkul,

I am writing today to support Alternative 1 of the discard provisions contained in the rule implementing changes to access requirements for midwater trawlers in Closed Area I (CAI). This alternative will require that midwater trawl vessels bring their codends aboard for sampling once pumping is completed.

The whole point of the rule is to allow for accurate sampling on these vessels when they are fishing in CAI. In order for the regulations to be effective, it is important that all catch is sampled. Alternative I will allow for this while still providing exceptions for safety, mechanical failures and dogfish interactions.

We hope the agency will make the right decision and choose Alternative 1. By choosing this alternative you will be closing a potential loophole and will help ensure accurate data gathering.


Thanks for your time,