STRIPED BASS ROLLOVER PROPOSAL DEFEATED!

Nov 3rd, 2009 | By Capt. John McMurray

ASFMC Denies Increase in Commercial Striped Bass Harvest
Anglers rally to defeat proposal for commercial sector to kill more fish

Coastal Conservation Association commends the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) for denying a proposal to increase the commercial harvest of striped bass at its meeting this week in Newport, Rhode Island. The proposal would have allowed commercial fishermen to add at least half of their uncaught commercial striped bass quota to their quota for the following year. Many anglers from CCA Maine made the journey to Newport to express their concern over the status of this important fish, and their voice made a difference.

“The Striped Bass Board understands that anglers at the north and south of the striped bass range are not seeing the numbers of fish they saw even just a few years ago,” said Richen Brame, CCA’s Atlantic States fisheries director. “There is cause for concern and we commend the ASMFC for taking a conservative approach.”

In its formal comments before the ASMFC against the proposal, CCA cited several disturbing trends in the striped bass fishery, including a dramatic decrease in the number of striped bass caught and released by recreational fishermen, particularly in the northeastern states of New Hampshire and Maine, the prevalence of the fatal disease Mycobacteriosis among the Chesapeake Bay spawning stock, and a Fish and Wildlife Service annual survey that encountered the fewest striped bass in the survey’s history.

“While officially the stock is not overfished and not undergoing overfishing, there are signs that the overall abundance is declining,” said Brame. “The proposed action to allow the commercial industry to take more fish was not a remedy for any of the problems we are seeing with striped bass. Increasing abundance is what will fix those problems.”

While the motion was defeated by a vote of 8-6, the margin of the victory means recreational anglers will have to maintain vigilance at the ASMFC to protect the recovery of striped bass.

“After the vote on the original motion, there was immediately another motion to allow the commercial sector to rollover 25 percent of their uncaught harvest to the next year, which was also defeated,” said Brame. “We will continue to see efforts like this and it was very encouraging to hear Board members remark on the number of comments they received against this proposal from the public. Our members will have to be ready to stand up for conservation.”

The following states voted against the rollover proposal: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Voting for the proposal were Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Potomac River Fisheries Commission, North Carolina and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The Fish and Wildlife Service abstained.

DEC Arrests Striped Bass Poachers in Brooklyn, NY

October 30, 2009

Routine Patrol Nets 2 Men Catching Undersize and Over-limit Fish

State Environmental Conservation Officers recently arrested two fishermen in Brooklyn for catching dozens of striped bass that were undersized and in excess of allowable limits, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced.

While on marine patrol in the Breezy Point area, Environmental Conservation Officers (ECO) Jamie Powers and Kevin Thomas spotted activities on a boat that made them suspect poaching and they tracked the vessel back to its dock in Shell Bank Creek off Seba Avenue. There, the ECOs witnessed John Arena of Parksville, Sullivan County, and Mark Sarubbi of Brooklyn, struggling to drag two totes full of striped bass up to a truck.

The officers then approached the men and began counting the catch. The fishermen, who realized their day of "good" fishing had just met its end, watched as the ECOs counted out 46 striped bass - the legal recreational limit for the trip for both men is only 2. The fish weighed a total of 295 pounds and the vast majority of the fish - 40 - were less than the minimum size requirement of 28 inches.

Arena and Sarubbi were arrested and charged with possession of 40 undersized Striped Bass; possession of 44 Striped Bass over the legal recreational harvest limit; possession of 46 untagged Striped Bass; taking Striped Bass for Commercial Purposes without a permit; and failing to possess a valid food fish license. Additional charges are anticipated.

Their arraignment is scheduled for early December. They are facing thousands of dollars in fines and a possible four years in prison. The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case. The fish were seized and destroyed because Striped Bass are not permitted to be harvested for commercial sale from waters west of East Rockaway Inlet due to the potential level of contaminants in the fish.

Information on illegal harvest of any species of saltwater fish, shellfish or crabs can be reported to the Marine Enforcement Unit at (631) 444-0460 or by using the toll-free number of 1-877-457-5680.

The Physh Ed National Fishing and Boating Initiative

For Immediate Release

Keith Sutton, Executive Director

ksutton@futurefisherman.org, 703-402-3623

www.futurefisherman.org


Physh Ed Reaches 16,200 New Students During 2008-09

Physh Ed helps teachers connect children with nature through outdoor recreation.

MCLEAN, Va. (October 20, 2009)—The Physh Ed National Fishing and Boating Initiative, which provides grants for K-12 teachers to incorporate fishing and boating activities into their school curriculum, has proven fishing is a fun way to lure children back outdoors. During the past seven years, the Future Fisherman Foundation (F3) has awarded more than $1,200,000 in grant funds to help teachers from 325 schools in 47 states deliver angling, boating and aquatic conservation programs through the Physh Ed Initiative. Most schools approach this program in a cross-curricular manner, teaming physical education, science, math, health and art teachers to deliver lessons.

Seventy-seven new schools each received $2,500 grants for the 2008-2009 school year. Thirteen former grantees were awarded $500 in supplemental funds. The funding was used to purchase fishing and boating equipment, cover field trip costs and buy curriculum materials and other resources to help educators reach state standards for learning in science, physical education, art and other subjects. It also defrayed the cost of a five-day training for new grantees, which prepares them to teach aquatic conservation, spin casting, fly fishing, fly tying and boating to their students.

The Physh Ed program reached more than 16,200 new students during the 2008-2009 school year. Of these, 12% were from economically disadvantaged households, 24% were minorities, and 36% included students with special needs.

The 77 new grantees received a total of 5,346 volunteer hours from parents, community members and state aquatic educators, the equivalent of $68,000 of volunteer time. Teachers also secured donations of rods, reels, tackle, kayaks and boating supplies in the amount of $99,000. This $167,000 of combined in-kind and product donations represents an 88% match to the $199,000 grant funds dispersed to schools.

Grantees received assistance from local chapters of national fishing and conservation organizations such as Trout Unlimited, Bassmasters, Federation of Fly Fishers and the Izaak Walton League. They received product and equipment donations from Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Dick's Sporting Goods, Gander Mountain, Plano, Shakespeare, Pure Fishing, Wal-Mart and Target, among others.

The 2008-2009 Physh Ed National Fishing and Boating Initiative was a partnership between F3 and the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. F3 is currently searching for funding to continue expanding the Physh Ed program into the 2010-2011 school year and invites donors to contribute through F3’s secure online system. For more information, please visit www.futurefisherman.org or contact Director of Education Teresa Rodriguez at (703) 402-0004.

Established in 1986, the Future Fisherman Foundation unites the sportfishing industry and a nationwide network of state outdoor educators, national conservation groups and youth organizations dedicated to introducing America’s youth to angling and the outdoors. These efforts help people of all ages have safe and enjoyable fishing experiences that foster conservation ethics.


P.O. Box 6049 | McLean, VA 22106 US

Fish Regs Fight Goes Federal | Long Island Press | News, Long Island, Local News, Breaking News

Fish Regs Fight Goes Federal | Long Island Press | News, Long Island, Local News, Breaking News

The fight over saltwater fishing licenses has now reached the federal level.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) asked the U.S. Department of Commerce and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on Monday to set up a registration process for Long Island’s saltwater anglers so they only have to register once in their lifetime.

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How Do Hunters and Anglers View The Color Pink For Outdoor Equipment?

Posted 13 Oct 23:08 by donna@southwickassociates.com

For Immediate Release: October 13, 2009

In an recent poll from HunterSurvey and AnglerSurvey, sportsmen and women were asked how color, particularly pink, factors into the market for purchasing angling and hunting supplies such as fishing rods and reels, firearms, binoculars, coolers, and other similar outdoor equipment.

For hunters and target shooters, taken from nearly 3,700 sportsmen and women, the most popular colors for purchase of supplies were camouflage, where 62 percent of males and 60 percent females prefer this color. The following popular colors included black, green, and brown. The lowest preference for both male and females included brighter colors- white, yellow, and multicolored. And 15.4 percent women preferred pink, unrelated to breast cancer causes. Overall, 20 percent of men and women did not care about color in purchasing supplies.

Anglers reported similar results, based on responses from 2,523 males and 148 females. Again, the most popular color was black, with 52 percent of males and 38 percent females preferring this color. Sixteen percent of women preferred pink- and the lowest preference was still reflected in orange, yellow, and overall brighter shades. 30 percent overall did not factor color into purchasing.

Factoring color into the decision-making of purchasing equipment did not present a significant difference in men and women. Among hunters and target shooters, 57 percent of men said color was important, and 47 percent of women deemed color important. Anglers showed an even slighter difference, with 53 percent men and 56 percent women who considered color an important factor in purchasing decisions.

Males are more likely to expect pink to boost purchases by women. When asked if women are likely to purchase outdoor equipment goods in pink unrelated to breast cancer awareness, 53 percent of male hunters agreed but only 41 percent of female hunters agreed. Among anglers, 50 percent males and 40 percent females agreed pink boosts such sales.

With a smaller percentage of women, in comparison to men, agreeing that women are likely to purchase pink- just for the sake of pink, rather than for breast cancer - brings to mind the question of whether or not selling pink equipment unrelated to breast cancer is a condescending way to market that audience. Among hunters, 42 percent of men believed it was condescending, and 47 percent women reported it was condescending, or less than half. Responses were similar among anglers with 46 percent males and 50 percent females believed it to be condescending.

On another note, the discrepancy between pink for the color and pink for breast cancer awareness was significant. Among all hunters and anglers, 72 percent and 74 percent respectively, regardless of gender, believed selling pink equipment to promote breast cancer awareness would promote sales. Eighty seven percent of female hunters agreed that pink equipment would sell better if intended to promote awareness, along with 88 percent of female anglers.

Generally for both men and women, marketing better quality outdoor equipment in darker or more neutral shades is preferred; however, unless produced for the awareness of breast cancer or a general cause, producing pink, or feminine colors is not the major concern for women purchasing equipment- in fact, they would prefer black, green, or brown over pink. Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, agrees, “Overall, the differences between mens’ and womens’ responses were minor. It shows that there isn’t a great market to capture among women just by using a specific color.” Tammy Sapp of The Womens’ Outdoor Wire, www.womensoutdoorwire.com, wrote on women’s favoring of pink and also concluded “that color alone may not woo women who are shopping for equipment” and that “pink is effective when used to help support finding a cure for breast cancer but may not be important otherwise.”

Administration Ignores $125 Billion Sportfishing Industry in New Ocean and Great Lakes Management Policy

For Immediate Release
Mary Jane Williamson, Communications director
mjwilliamson@asafishing.org, 703-519-9691, x227
www.asafishing.org

Obama Administration Ignores $125 Billion Sportfishing Industry in New Ocean and Great Lakes Management Policy

October 5, 2009 - Alexandria, Va. – A sweeping oceans and Great Lakes management policy document proposed by the Obama Administration will have a significant impact on the sportfishing industry, America’s saltwater anglers and the nation’s coastal communities. The draft policy, the Interim Report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, issued on September 17, will govern federal Pacific and Atlantic Ocean waters and Great Lakes resource conservation and management and will coordinate these efforts among federal, state and local agencies. This past June, President Obama created the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), to develop a draft national policy and implementation strategy for conserving and managing the United States ocean territory and the Great Lakes.

“While we are by and large supportive of the intent of the Interim Report, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) has serious concerns regarding the direction the administration is taking regarding how to manage our nation’s marine and freshwater public resources, choosing a tone of preservation over conservation,” said ASA Vice President Gordon Robertson. “We are very disappointed that the task force failed to recognize recreational fishing’s significant conservation, economic and social contributions and include recreational fishing as a key policy component. The sportfishing community strongly supports healthy and abundant ocean, coastal and fishery resources which have a direct impact on sustaining vibrant local coastal communities. Outdoor recreation, especially recreational fishing, is an integral part of coastal economies throughout this nation and therefore should be included as a priority in any national ocean policy.”

“In regards to recreational fishing specifically, it is a long-standing policy of the federal government to allow public access to public lands and waters for recreational purposes consistent with sound conservation including the nation’s wildlife refuges, national forests, and national parks and should be reflected in a national policy for the oceans and Great Lakes. In fact, the use of public resources by recreational anglers is essential to the conservation model used in this country for fish and wildlife management,” said ASA Ocean Resource Policy Director Patty Doerr.

Doerr further said, “As with any good federal policy decision, discussions about measures that may restrict public access to public resources must involve an open public process, have a solid scientific basis and incorporate specific guidelines on implementation and follow-up. We are very concerned about the abbreviated 90 day timeline which forced the Task Force to issue this policy document prematurely. The implications of such a policy are vast and nationwide. Therefore, the review process should be very deliberate and go well beyond the 30 days public review and comment period which started on September 17.” The Task Force's Interim Report is currently under a 30-day public review and comment period.

Since 1950, with the passage of the Sport Fish Restoration Act, anglers and the sportfishing industry have provided the bulk of funding for fisheries conservation and management in the United States through fishing license fees and the federal manufacturers excise tax on recreational fishing equipment. According to NOAA Fisheries, saltwater anglers contribute over $82 billion annually to the economy. Despite taking only three percent of the saltwater fish harvested each year, the recreational sector creates nearly half the jobs coming from domestic saltwater fisheries.

Robertson concluded, “The sportfishing community believes that recreational activities such as responsibly-managed and regulated recreational fishing deserve full consideration and incorporation in the administration’s ocean and Great Lakes policy. Providing the angling public with access to public resources is no less important than conserving those resources. Therefore, we urge the Task Force to include recreational fishing as a separate and distinct ocean and Great Lakes priority. We also urge all anglers and recreational fishing supports to make their voices heard.”

In July, ASA staff met with White House staff to provide comments to CEQ and the Task Force. In August, ASA staff met with Department of Interior staff to discuss their involvement in the Task Force and provide ASA’s perspective on various ocean policy issues, including marine spatial planning and marine reserves.

###

The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association, committed to looking out for the interests of the entire sportfishing community. We give the industry a unified voice speaking out when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. We invest in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous as well as safeguard and promote the enduring economic and conservation values of sportfishing in America. ASA also represents the interests of America’s 60 million anglers who generate over $45 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for over one million people.

NOAA To Close Recreational Fishery for Black Sea Bass for Six Months Due to Overharvest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
978-281-9175 September 30, 2009

NOAA announced today the temporarily closure of the black sea bass recreational fishery in federal waters north of Cape Hatteras, N.C., for 180 days in response to recent landings data that showed recreational fishermen may catch more than double their annual quota by the end of the year. The closure will commence on Monday, October 5, 2009.

Landings data and scientific analyses show recreational fishermen have reached their quota and could exceed their 1.14 million pound harvest limit by as much as 84 to 225 percent if the recreational fishery is not closed.

An independent body of federal and university scientists recently determined that the black sea bass stock has been rebuilt. However, both the scientists and the Science and Statistical Committee of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council have cautioned against increasing fishing of this stock for several reasons, including the complex and poorly understood reproductive cycle, and limited information on life span and important habitats for this species. The Council recommends catch limits for black sea bass in federal waters.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit http://www.noaa.gov.

Fishing License Sales Hit Five-Year High

Harrisburg, PA – The number of Pennsylvania fishing licenses sold through September 13 – 871,499 – has already eclipsed the total yearly sales for each of the last four years and represents the largest oneyear percentage increase since 1980, according to sales figures from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission (PFBC).

“Fishing license sales are up 5 percent and overall stamp sales are up 4.36 percent over the same period from 2008, reinforcing thinking by many that people have returned to fishing as an affordable, familyoriented activity,” said PFBC Executive Director Douglas Austen. “The commission is also finishing the second year of a multi-year direct marketing campaign in cooperation with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. We believe these efforts aimed at lapsed anglers have also had a positive impact on licenses sales.”

Among license types, resident license sales are up 5.47 percent; non-resident sales are up 3.41 percent; 7-day tourist licenses are up 1.55 percent; and 3-day tourist licenses are up 3.61 percent. Among stamps, trout permits are up 3.79 percent; Lake Erie permits are up 3.18 percent; and Combo permits are up by almost 8 percent. The good news also extends to boating, where registration renewals are up by approximately 5 percent from the same period in 2008.

This year’s sales are the highest since 2004, when more than 909,000 licenses were sold. In 2005, the cost of a license increased from $16.25 to $21 and sales for that year subsequently dropped to 823,175.

The mission of the Fish and Boat Commission is to protect, conserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s aquatic resources and provide fishing and boating opportunities. For more information about fishing and boating in Pennsylvania, please visit our website at www.fishandboat.com.

Orvis Podcasts : Fly Fishing Tips from Tom Rosenbauer

Orvis Podcasts : Fly Fishing Tips from Tom Rosenbauer

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As New Jersey fishing laws increase, so do arrests - pressofAtlanticCity.com : Latest News

As New Jersey fishing laws increase, so do arrests - pressofAtlanticCity.com : Latest News

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