How Do We Count Fish? Understanding Fisheries Stock Assessments
Feature Photo: A small school of snook off the coast of Florida. Credit: Peter Leahy
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Feature Photo: A small school of snook off the coast of Florida. Credit: Peter Leahy
The American Saltwater Guides Association was formed because there was a lack of a unifying
To the uninitiated, stepping into the fisheries policy space can feel daunting. Many “first timers”
Feature Photo: A crew chasing a blitz in the fog from the movie Hard Lined.
We rely on our members and donations to keep fighting for a sustainable tomorrow in marine conservation.
JOIN ASGA IN CALLING FOR CRITICAL MANAGEMENT ACTION AFTER YEARS OF SPAWN FAILURES & POOR MANAGEMENT.
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4 Responses
Bravo! Makes all kind of sense…common sense in particular. A lost fishery benefits no one. Sustainability is the mantra we should all seek.
Your attack on MD fisheries only shows your bias in the argument. MD followed the science available and it’s harvesting requirements were certified by ASMFC. MD anglers immediately went to the MD Department of natural resources and made them aware of the waste occurring with the new regulations. The overharvesting was mainly increased due to a 4 fold increase in release mortality due to the fish size being raised. The coast continued to harvest during the poor production years 2006-2010 and through to 2014 knowing the biomass of breeders was being impacted. Pointing fingers is not productive. We are all participants in the fishery. Math and science need to be the answer not politics. Promote that and you will get my support.
Dale,
Our only bias is for the fish. The Maryland rec sector was the only group in the entire fishery to overfish and it was done in dramatic fashion. The 2011 year class was utterly decimated by harvest, not by release mortality. If you are referring to Maryland implementing circle hooks, you are mistaken. Circle hooks were a vehicle to harvest a one inch smaller fish. If it was conservation, why move to a smaller fish? Before you say release mortality, you don’t save fish by killing smaller ones. Science has shown us this fact again and again. Currently, Maryland harvests 45% of the rec coastwide harvest. Maryland has a shared responsibility to rebuild this stock. If you listened to the ASMFC meeting yesterday, it is pretty obvious this is not their first concern. Everything… 100% of what we write and the positions we support are based on the best available science. Our goal is to get srtiped bass back to their former glory. Unfortunately, Maryland is currently the biggest obstacle in the goal.