Adjustments to 2011-2012 Recreational Annual Catch Limit for Black Sea Bass in the South Atlantic

[eppefour]

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: October 5, 2011 727-824-5305, FAX 727-824-5308 FB11-080
Adjustments to 2011-2012 Recreational Annual Catch Limit for
Black Sea Bass in the South Atlantic
On January 31, 2011, NOAA Fisheries Service implemented a final rule establishing commercial and recreational annual catch limits and accountability measures for black sea bass. Annual catch limits are set at levels that prevent overfishing (population is too low). Accountability measures include in-season closures and annual catch limit adjustments during the next fishing year to recover any overages from the prior fishing year.
NOAA Fisheries Service monitored recreational black sea bass landings and projected that the 2010-2011 annual catch limit would be met and recreational harvest closed on February 12, 2011. When final recreational landings data for the 2010-2011 fishing year became available, it was determined that the annual catch limit was exceeded by 67,253 lb. Therefore, this rulemaking adjusts the 2011-2012 recreational annual catch limit from 409,000 lb to 341,747 lb to make up for the 67,253 lb overage.
It is anticipated that the adjusted recreational annual catch limit will be met in mid-to-late October 2011. Available landings for June-August indicate 64 percent of the annual catch limit has been caught. NOAA Fisheries Service expects to announce when the recreational fishing season for black sea bass will close within the next week, and will give fishers ten days notice of the exact closure date.
Background
Black sea bass are overfished, and experiencing overfishing (rate of removal is too high). The commercial quota is 309,000 pounds, and the recreational annual catch limit is being adjusted from 409,000 pounds to 341,747 pounds to account for the recreational overage during the 2010-2011 fishing year. The commercial sector was closed on July 15, 2010, because the commercial quota of 309,000 pounds was projected to be met by that date. Harvest levels must be kept below these annual catch levels to prevent overfishing from occurring, and to rebuild the black sea bass population. Annual catch limits and accountability measures are requirements of the Reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
More Information
For more information please refer to Amendment 17B Frequently Asked Questions, Black Sea Bass Frequently Asked Questions, or the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Web page at: www.safmc.net.
Southeast Fishery Bulletin
National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

[seapower]

But this is absolute BS in my book! I wish our present Governing body would start a deficit reduction plan, starting with NMFS. Talk about good money spent after bad. This group create's problem's simply to stay employed. Frank

[captdavdavis01]

What a crock!

[SeaBiscuit]

Our NOAA fisheries folks have lost their minds.
Our ONLY reliable late fall & winter nearshore rec fishery off NC is black sea bass. A limit of 5 per was already making the expense and effort questionable, but another closure?
As a recreational bottom fisherman I am starting to feel singled out and targeted by NOAA
SeaBiscuit

[seapower]

Ask any commercial or charter Captian at any one of those meeting's (or just on the dock's), if they don't feel the exact same way! I have had that bullseye on my back for many of the last year's commercial fishing, now it's following me around. It is an absolute fact (as I stated before, for the last 35 year's)"if there isn't a problem, they won't have a job". Believe me , THEY are going to keep there job's. I was on the phone with the NMFS (South Atlantic) today, trying to get my permit's straight for this latest boat. Within 5 minute's, the same give a crap attitude came oozing through. It was like a severe flashback, nothing has changed and it's not going too! I was calling them so that I would be in compliance, why did I think time's have changed??? The FISH or YOU DO NOT matter!

If there is anyone out there that would be willing to prove me wrong in ANY way, I would be more than willing to listen. I have given them more info over the year's, provided a platform for them, been apart of their panel's, all of it was used against myself and those like me. They are the biggest crock of _ _ _ _ dept of the Gov't that exsist's. I would dearly love to see Uncle Sam give them the axe, if they are really serious about curbing wastefull spending. Holy Cow, I think I broke another blood vessel. Thank's Nick, Frank