Bluefin Tuna Article in National Geographic

[Capt.Joe Monticolo]

Originally Posted by OVER-BOARD

I'D ALSO LOVE TO SEE A SIX PER BOAT YELLOWFIN LIMIT, PER DAY, PRIVATE OR CHARTER BOAT.

I'd like to see the limit on yellowfin lowered myself. I think 18 is too many. Probably alot waste on days like that.

[Green Machine]

I did a research paper on the state of the atlantic bluefin tuna fishery about ten years ago. The main thing I learned through the research is by the time I wrote the paper, most of the evidence pointed to a single biomass of BFT -- and not the "two stock" theory to which many had subscribed. This meant that the BFT on our shores were migrating all the way to the mediterranean, and vice versa. There was one biomass of BFT in the atlantic, not two. I guess this is accepted now, but ten years ago it was not. These stocks were viewed as entirely seperate. We didn't think that what was happening over there would have a direct effect on our fishery over here.

There is no doubt that the problem with the fishery lies in ICCAT's relative ineffectiveness at managing the global resource. How can they get these other countries to report properly and follow the rules? I have no idea. Certainly the overfishing by EU countries as well as Africa and the middle east is going to have a negative effect on our fishery. How much and how soon I have no clue.

However, I would also agree that right now, bluefin can't in any way be considered endangered. I agree with those of you who say that there are more bluefin around each year. I remember many times in the mid-nineties where I would troll all day without a single bluefin hit. By about 2000, limiting out and releasing several schoolies became common. It certainly seemed to me that they were trending upward big time in numbers.

Given the apparent rise in the population, why is our schoolie fishery in NJ shut down? They gave us three weeks last year of one fish per boat -- and it was funny that the three weeks they gave us were typically (according to my logs anyway) a "lull" period in catching bluefin. Basically, the rec fishery for school BFT, in NJ at least, has been completely shut down. Not sure how much more conservation we can possibly do on our side. They have already taken the fishery away from us. Nowhere else to go at this point.

Keep bluefin? Heh. No worries about me keeping any bluefin... I don't even fish for them anymore. Used to be my absolute favorite thing - trolling the 20 and 30 fathom curves for BFT. Yet another thing that is off the list of potential inshore targets. Fluke will be added this year to that list, since apparently we can't keep the fluke that are stacked up on top of each other on the bottom, either.

[truckman]

The reason why there wasn't much of a season in 06 was the lack of small fish quota. There was only 25 mt of small school so basicly it was catch and release. Large school small medium at 2 fish per boat is still open. Tomorrow there will be a meeting in OC MD about how we should divide this years quota and I will do all I can do to see that North of LIE to Shinnicock we have a season that we can fish on. We should have about 120 mt of small school and close to 175 mt of large school small medium. Both of these quotas are divided in a north south area. Don't worry about conserving these fish because if we don't, we will lose them to some other country. We have already gifted Mexico 175 mt of giants and there were told the could not catch them in the GOM. That is a LOL who is policing them. NO ONE.

[reel fool]

What he is referring to here is--a few photos were taken of a few large schools of bft on ONE day. the cumulative total in the photos EXCEEDED the supposed entire bio mass of bft in the western atlantic. in just a FEW schools of tuna.
twofin--not doubting you at all--my original comments were extreme--all I meant was that it is silly to me for anyone to want to take away someone else's take but keep their own, when the fishery is being overharvested. Agree about the overharvesting, etc...everything else you said--its very frustrating to even begin the discussion as it seems that all our efforts have been & will continue to be fruitless---look domestically at the "experimental" gear in the nursery zone off SE Florida. In less than 3 years after the buyout, the closure, etc...these discussions had already begun. NMFS was busted having private meetings with the commercial sector, no recreational input, about putting "experimental" gear in the closed areas. pleeeeeeeze.

Originally Posted by twofinbluna

People need to realize that the 'data' that enviros use is often junk. Dont believe me, look into what happened in
NEngland a few years back with teh aerial photos taken by the pilots. A handful of pictures were able to show that the 'data' that enviros were using was so wrong its laughable. There is going to be long term problems if the east/medt. dont comply, but lets not fool ourselves, bluefin are not even remotely close, in any way, to being extinct or even endangered.

& I take back the comment about your way of thinking being like NMFS mismanaing philosophy, etc...I was clearly being as a$$

[twofinbluna]

Sorry, I should have taken the time to explain what I was saying there...thanks reel fool for explaining it.

No I agree, I think that if I were saying they shouldnt catch any that it would be very wrong for me to then say I want to catch some. My point is that I am not saying they shouldnt be able to catch any, just that they have to stop doubling their already huge quotas. I also think they need to both follow the minimum size rules and stop underreporting in general. There is a lot caught that arent reported, on top of them already doubling their quotas.

Thats what gets me so annoyed. I couldnt agree more that anyone who says no fishing should follow what they say. I think there is a level of fish they should be able to catch and am not advocating no fishing at all. Sorry if I snapped back a bit hard.

And most of all, THANK YOU for taking back the NMFS part!!!!!! Thats the worst thing to be likened to.

Again, thanks for explaining my reference, I should have explained it and am glad you knew what I was referring to and explained it first. I am sure we have similar views and if I was a dick I apologize.

It is all frustrating...I just hope that we see some real progress in the next few years.

[capt. jakeg]

Originally Posted by Capt.Joe Monticolo

I'd like to see the limit on yellowfin lowered myself. I think 18 is too many. Probably alot waste on days like that.

Well if you think thats alot, you oughta see one of the big commercial rigs come into market sometime. This is really a vicious cycle with the commercial yellowfins... Similar to whats going on with the bluefins overseas, but this happens right at our doorstep and we allow it. They come in with thousands and thousands of pounds of yellowfins to the point it floods the market and drives down price, then since the price is down, they have to go catch more so they can make the same amount of money. Granted, its not as bad as the commercial operations in Venezuela I was a witness to, but thats another story.
In Venezuela, they locate a school of yellowfins. These are generally 100-300# fish on their spawning grounds. They then bring in a giant 200' or so boat with a giant livewell system, who knows how many gallons, but the enitre ship is basically a livewell. They then take all this bait they have caught and kept alive inshore and pump it out into the area where the yellowfins are. As the use this mass of bait to hold the tunas in an area, the net boat comes through with a gigantic circle net thats miles long and net the ENTIRE school and everything else in the water. Tons and tons of yfts, incredible amounts of marlin and sails, porpoises, turtles and anything else unlucky enough to get stuck in the net dies.

[twofinbluna]

Is there really that much seining for Yellowfin on the east coast?

[twofinbluna]

nevermind

[AhiSlayer]

Originally Posted by Squidnation

I certainly understand the data and maybe even believe it. But I guess the question I have is why is it that in my little part of the world I have seen the numbers of Bluefin and white marlin increase almost every year. But it is not just those two species. Dolphin have almost become a nuissance. I saw boats consistantly limited out on yellowfins this summer. In the late 80's and early 90's this was not the case. Their is not a trip that I didn't see a handful (or bucket full on some occasions ) of turtles. Whales every trip were spotted and the porpoises everywhere, by the hundreds. I personally have never seen more juvinile bluefins in my life. granted I am one person fishing one sliver of our great ocean. Whos making all these babies? Like I said - I am sure the facts are correct. But it really does confuse me a bit.

Aloha old friend
don't be confussed. go to the swordfish thread and read my last post, not all the bickering above it, just my last post on page three.

Then consider that after this interview was given the Florida long line buyout and netbans that have taken place in the straights.

For years these longlines were killing everything. even baby bluefin that were mostly cut as yft.

The more we clean our waters of indiscriminate methods of fishing that change the ocean for the worse and switch to more selective fishing methods like harpooning and greensticking.

ahi