Possible Regulations: Feedback Needed Multiple Species

[dirtyjake237]

Good Evening Snaggedliners,

I received an email from the MD DNR today just like most of you I'm sure, it was titled Possible Regulations: Feedback Needed Multiple Species. It led me to here http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pa...s/changes.aspx
And I noticed the recreational Striped bass is open for comment, along with the striped bass commercial and a bunch of other species.
Comments are going to be accepted until 11:59 PM Feb 28.
After reading a nauseating amount of redundant crap about how the proposed change was decided upon and how it has no negative effects on the economy and as yet unknown positive economic gains for charter boats and bait and tackle shops, I finally got the gist of it.
They are changing
COMAR 08.02.15.08 B.
FROM Size Restrictions. A person may catch or possess striped bass during the spring season between 28 inches and 36 inches, inclusive, total length, or 40 inches or larger, total length.

TO Size Restrictions. The minimum size for striped bass during the spring season is 35 inches

and COMAR 08.02.15.11 A.
FROM Minimum Size. The minimum legal size for striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean, its coastal bays, and their tributaries is 28 inches.

TO A. Minimum Size. A person may catch or possess striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean, its coastal bays,and their tributaries between 28 inches and 38 inches,inclusive, total length, or 44 inches or larger, total length.

From what I can tell they already updated the E regulations page http://www.eregulations.com/maryland.../striped-bass/

It's also worth a read to find out what they are letting the net draggers do to ensure they can transfer their unused poundage to make sure that the whole catch quota can be realized in MD waters. Again, lots of business / economic reasoning and so forth.

If there are any comments inform this guy
MARK J. BELTON
Secretary of Natural Resources

by doing the following
Call: 410-260-8300
Email: fisheriespubliccomment.dnr@maryland.gov
Mail: Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fishing
and Boating Services Regulatory Staff
B-2, 580 Taylor Avenue, Annapolis MD 21401
Fax: 410-260-8310

[ronaultmtd]

Seems to me I remember the minimum size last trophy season was 35 inches

[dirtyjake237]

Seems to me I remember the minimum size last trophy season was 35 inches

You make a very good point, I thought so too. But then again my memory continues to tarnish a lot with age.
So then there are no changes for trophy season if that is the case, but it is very confusing and I felt like like I needed a paralegal to read all the hyperlinks and modifications.

There were two things that really stood out to me over the 60 minutes I spent looking at documents and web pages.
1. I couldn't believe I had 10 PDF documents open and 20 web page tabs open just to find out what they were proposing to change, or not change, or remain unchanged. Seriously I just wanted to know what it is now and what they are proposing to change it to. I thought it would be simple and summarized in a few sentences.
2. After reading for an hour on how they talked to various groups, the recreational anglers, commercial fisherman and business owners; I realized that there was no mention whatsoever of reports from DNR, Marine fisheries young of year counts or research by Marine biologists. This is purely a speculative business decision.

I believe they want to make it as convoluted as possible. This is the Secretary of Natural Resources for the state of MD, we should change his title to the Secretary of Fishing Commerce. Seriously the way these modifications are made it is no wonder why there is a moratorium on Shad.
Hell at least be a good politician and lie to me.... tell me someone did the research and everything is going to be OK.

If anyone knows how to round up thousands of tree hugging hippies please send them to
580 Taylor Avenue, Annapolis MD 21401
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fishing
and Boating Services Regulatory Staff
B-2

[dirtyjake237]

Here is the rant that I sent to fisheriespubliccomment.dnr@maryland.gov

Good Evening,

Thanks for taking the time to read my comments about the proposed changes to striped bass regulations. My first concern is how convoluted and confusing it was to find out what the current regs are and what the proposed regs will be. I shouldn't be required to have a Law degree to be an informed angler. The next and probably biggest concern I have is how this proposition was constructed. From what I have read input from recreational fishermen, the charter boat industry and the Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission was used. There was no mention of MD DNR reports, Marine biologist studies or any reference to young of year estimates included in the facts provided. There seems to be a selective cropping of input from lobbying groups and it is apparent in the remainder of the proposition by citing estimated economic impacts on small business. Where is the sustainable fishery impact survey data, and why are we not including that? This proposition is from the Secretary of Natural Resources not the Secretary of Fishing Commerce. It is no wonder why the Striped bass population crashed back in the 70s, we currently have a moratorium on Shad and the Severn River does not have a sustainable yellow perch fishery any more. You don't listen or even ask until there is an unrecoverable population crash. Seriously go ask a Marine biologist how many eggs a 55 pound striped bass spawns and how many eggs a 12 pound striped bass spawns. Now go reread your regulations on catch quotas. Here is my point a A 12 - pound female may produce about 850,000 eggs and a 55 - pound female about 4,200,000 eggs that is a factor of 4.94 to 1. Not to mention that males are smaller than females so its more like 9.88 to 1 between 12 and 55 pound fish to egg ratio. Please adjust your catch quota accordingly to lets say 10 fish between 20 to 30 inches or 1 fish over 44 inches. Please go talk to a biologist and ask them why there are no Bison roaming the great plains anymore while you are at it.
So since I now believe you are the Secretary of Fishing Commerce I'll give you my second concern about this proposal. I have seen slot limits work, from the Carolina's to Texas red drum are slotted at about 18 to 27 inches inclusive. Those southern states have made this work, and there is a WORLD CLASS fishery that tourist travel to from all over. I am one of those anglers and I live 400 meters from the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, but I'll still go south for this fishery. They too did research and listened to charter boat captains and recreational anglers and biologists with one major difference. They asked a few more questions about the recreational anglers, and the types of purchases they were conducting in their state. Here is my point, since we don't have a WORLD CLASS fishery anglers will travel by car a few hours to come and fish here. They stop at a truck stop by some gas $50, some canned beer and ice $40, spend $80 on an all day charter and buy a good dinner on the way out for $50. That one angler spent about 20 hours in your state and spent less than $300. The business supported are a truck stop, a steak house and a charter boat captain. On the other hand let's look at what happens in Marathon Florida, Cape Hatteras NC or Islamorada FL. A guys gets off an airplane and rents a car for 7 days $300, goes to a hotel for 6 nights $1,800, spends $700 at restaurants, brings his wife and she goes shopping or to a spa $$ GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW MUCH and spends about $650 a day on charter fees. My point is this a different demographic of angler, and he spends money like the 55 pound striped bass spawns eggs at least $10 to $1 sometimes more like $100 to $1. Not to mention the types of business that are supported, 4 and 5 star hotels and restaurants, bed and breakfasts, shopping centers, spas, etc. The real question is why would an angler who lives 400 meters from the Chesapeake Bay (the largest spawning area in North America) go hundreds of miles to fish? Here is why, they have a WORLD CLASS managed fishery and they treat him like he is a king not to mention there are places his family can go while he is out fishing. Fun for the whole family, try finding that on Kent Island. I have never met a FL angler out on the water telling me how he can't find action like this in the Carolina's or back in Florida.
In my mind this is a real shame, I noticed in your proposition you mentioned Amendment IV of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Striped Bass. You also state that it is not likely that the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will be making management changes in the near future for either the Chesapeake Bay recreational and charter boat spring season or the Atlantic Ocean recreational and charter boat striped bass fishery, so the size limits should be changed in regulation. Again let's talk common sense, Maryland holds 80 to 90% of the spawning area. The other states have striped bass fishing for a couple weeks to a few months at best with no resident populations to speak of. So again I'll reference the red drum slot limit and Florida (the fishing capitol of the world), the other states will follow the leader with slot limits. We are the striped bass leader, the other states will follow our lead, especially when they see the results. Not to mention that the angler we are attracting isn't out to catch dinner, he throws almost his landed fish back in so the next pretentious overspending sap can catch it tomorrow. That is a sustained WORLD CLASS fishery management plan. You are the Secretary of Fishing Commerce, please become the Secretary of Natural Resources that we need.

Thank you for your attention,
Concerned angler, Tax payer, Voter, Veteran, grumpy old white guy who rants on public internet forums

[nhunter344]

I believe they want to make it as convoluted as possible.

I agree its completely intentional. The commercial side witht their lawyers have no issue with this. Your average joe scmoe angler (aka US) sits here with a blank look on their face with no idea of what was just read. After all, if we don't understand what is being proposed, we can't very well fight it.

[ronaultmtd]

Love your rant/submission


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk