Alligator Bate
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Federal managers shut down another Gulf fishery
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) continued its bizarre history of biased management regarding Gulf amberjack when it announced this week that the recreational season for the popular offshore species will close on October 24 due to the recreational sector overfishing its quota. This announcement comes barely two years after the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council arbitrarily shifted a significant portion of recreational allocation to the commercial sector
“There is no way to defend what the Council has done with the management of amberjack. It borders on outright disregard for the recreational sector,” said Chester Brewer, chairman of the Coastal Conservation Associations National Government Relations Committee. “Combined with what is happening with Gulf red snapper and the commercial catch share plan for Gulf grouper, this latest announcement gives recreational anglers no reason to have any faith in the federal management of recreational fisheries.”
In 2007, the Council declared that Gulf greater amberjack were overfished, yet increased the commercial share of the fishery while reducing the recreational bag limit to one and increasing the size limit to 30 inches. The recreational restrictions were implemented despite the fact that unchecked commercial overfishing since 1990 was the primary cause of problems in the fishery – see Recreational Fishery Hijacked, CCA Press Release, September 10, 2007.
“The reduction in amberjack recreational allocation in 2007 from 84 percent to 71 percent has to be the most egregious allocation shift ever enacted by the Gulf Council,” said Ted Forsgren, executive director of CCA Florida. “Anglers were punished for supporting conservation measures and the commercial industry was rewarded for fishing over its quota. The change in catch level was a direct result of NMFS’ failure to enact adequate measures to control commercial take and failure to ever enforce the adopted allocation. We are feeling the full effects of those failures today with a closed recreational season.”
“If the Council had left the allocation where it was in 2007, and where it rightfully should have been, recreational anglers would not have been over their quota as of the end of August, and likely would not have gone over even by year’s end,” said Dr. Russell Nelson, CCA Gulf Fisheries consultant. “This is a case where an unwarranted allocation shift from recreational to commercial two years ago is shutting down our season, even though we are not the root cause of the problem.”
Adding to the frustration of anglers is the fact that last year’s recreational harvest was under the quota, but that underage is not being taken into account this year. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, catch overages and underages from previous years may be calculated in the following year’s harvest limits, but doing so is not mandatory. In the case of Gulf red snapper, however, two years of recreational overages will result in a dramatically shortened season in 2010.
“The one-sidedness of federal fisheries management is at a level that makes it almost impossible to believe recreational interests will ever be considered in any meaningful way,” said Brewer. “No fishery has ever been overfished by recreational angling alone, and any number of economic studies indicates that the recreational sector is by far the most valuable part of our marine fisheries. And yet, fishery after fishery is closing down for anglers while the Councils bend over backwards to keep the longlines and nets in the water. In the eyes of many recreational anglers, the federal management system is on the edge of a total breakdown.”
Dr. Roy Crabtree
Regional Administrator
for the National Marine Fisheries Service
Southeast Region
Roy.Crabtree@noaa.gov
Livingston Lures In Port Isabel TX
One Day Only… Halloween, October 31st Livingstons Lures and the South Texas Sportsman are teaming up to introduce their brand new products in Port Isabel. There will be prizes and demonstrations from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the 1401 West Hwy 100 Port Isabel TX 78578
There will also be “Buy One Get One Free” promotions available this day only! Great opportunity to speak with Fred Rodriguez of the South Texas Sportsman.
The Livingston Team takes pride in the Texas community and wants to provide more knowledge and education for beginners and even those who have been fishing their entire lives. Introducing their new products, and giving the community a glance at the future in fishing.
Robert Castaneda, President/CEO, founded Livingston Lures Inc about 6 years ago and developed the Talking Croaker. He had his “flash of genius” several years ago when he received a musical Christmas card. He ripped the card up looking for the small chip that provided the music for the card. Today, Livingston Lures has an actual chip in the Lure that makes the croaking sound when ever it’s submerged in water.
The company is named after a town in Guatemala where his grand parents reside and often go to visit them. This is where Robert enjoyed fishing with his grandfather, uncle’s and brothers.
Livingston Lures Contact Information: Bridgette Castaneda, 210-857-8381, livingstongear@yahoo.com
Livingston Lures has contributed to several Corpus Christi area fishing tournaments in 2009 and the Saltwater-fisheries Enhancement Association. http://ping.fm/DlJq7
The Ultimate Fishing Backpack
Imagine what an angler goes through to get there gear out to the end of the Jetty? You have to carry your pole(s), tackle, bait, cast net, and yes something to snack on and beverage of choice. Then if you have a successful day fishing… you have to carry your fish out!
I met Brian Ervin with his own homemade fishing backpack he had created. Obviously he had already experienced the hardship I just described above. As they say “necessity is the mother of invention”, and this is a great invention.
I’m reminded of a vacation my wife and I took earlier in the year to Costa Rica. My wife had the idea that we should pack our clothes in backpacks instead of the usual suit cases on wheels. As it turned out… this was a great idea. It was so much easier carrying our backpacks around then trying to pull our suit cases on unforgiving terrain while we transferred from cab to boat to jeep to bus to king air during our trip.
Anyway, these fishing backpacks Brian and his buddy created solves a lot of problems. He’s easily able to carry multiple fishing pulls, all his gear, cooler for drinks and snacks. If he has a good day fishing, he has a C clamp where he hangs his catches to carry them out.
Very clever Brian! This is truly the Ultimate Fishing Backpack.
The Bull Redfish were running last weekend on the Port Aransas South Jetty. Be sure to send us your Fishing Tales! http://ping.fm/iCdku
Jetty Bandits
These wrangling anglers called the Jetty Bandits from San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and other areas met together for a Port A Jetty Rodeo where they lassoed several Bull Redfish and Gaftops. Congratulations on a great weekend of fun for the Jetty Bandits.
Special thanks to Brandt Engineering for sponsoring the Jetty Bandits.
