ABTA urges all fishermen to attend BFT endangered species meetings!

[twofinbluna]

The bottom line is that an ESA listing is not warranted .. In the US, I would like to see realistic catch limits and accurate fish counts through a tag system.I would also like to see some thought put into protecting the forage that bluefin feed off of. Increasing the number of bluefin in our waters with nothing for them to eat .. literally starving them a slow death or forcing a change in migration pattern seems like a bad scenario. Why does Canada have so many fish .. Why are there no fish in Morehead ... why are there no giants in the NJ mudhole, but staggering numbers at Georges ..Availability of forage ... once these fish start feeding in international waters , we cannot protect them. Outside the US, figuring out how to enforce quotas would be significant. The numbers may be lower then back in the 60's or 70's, but its apparent that the stocks are improving here in the US. A slow,controlled rebuild of bluefin stocks along with a rebuild of the forage fish is the best case scenario. A moratorium worked for Stripers because they dont travel outside of US waters, so a moratorium gave them nearly 100% protection. With bluefin, it will just give another country license to kill more. If they dont, and numbers actually increase, there wont be enough food for them here, so they will go elsewhere. Some may say I have a vested interest in this ... I do .. nearly 100% of my income comes from tuna fishing , whether it be commercial or charter. But the truth is any one that enjoys fishing or eating fish has a vested interest in this ...I'll be at one of the meetings to share my thoughts

Mark

I hope you are going to one of the meetings, Mark! Those are the kinds of things that need to be said!

[Capt. Mark]

I plan on going to Sandy Hook on Jan 5th ... we have compiled our real catch numbers for the last fours years to back up the increase in bluefin numbers over the same period ..

Mark

[bug hunter]

back to the top time to get proactive everyone!

[Innovator]

I plan on attending the MA meeting on the 6th. Who else from SFC will be attending Boston?

[Fin Chaser]

I plan on attending the MA meeting on the 6th. Who else from SFC will be attending Boston?

Was planning on making the Sandy Hook meeting but got tied-up down south and couldn't make it. Any other meeting locations in the near future? Thought I saw something about a NC meeting.

Capt. Dan
www.finchasersportfishing.com
866-OC-FISHN

[twofinbluna]

There is a meeting in Beaufort on Tuesday. See the notice in the original post.