Red Drum Regulation Change Evaluation

[Slobber Bob]

I saw this posted on another site and thought I'd share...

Red drum regulation change evaluation from MD DNR:
http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/ca...regchanges.pdf

[Memory Maker]

Do you really want to keep a large drum? ......... Smaller ones taste better ....... Large ones are great for pics

[Slobber Bob]

No, I don't see any reason to change the current regs. Protect the breeders. We've had puppy drum show up in numbers for 2 years now in MD and those fish are getting ready to go over the slot so DNR is evaluating changing the regs so people can continue keeping them? Bad idea in my opinion. The slot is whole reason these fish have rebounded in MD.

[MetroMan]

Yeah, I'm not really sure why they would begin to allow 1 to be kept at 27" or greater. I saw the bit about the economic impact (more charter trips booked, more bait & tackle)...but I'm not fully following the motives here. Perhaps I should read that again.


just read it again

Reasons to Request a Management Change
The northern region is currently not experiencing overfishing. Red drum are only available to Maryland anglers (and other anglers north of NC) for a short time period each year. Therefore, red drum landings in Maryland were only a fraction of coast wide landings even when we allowed one fish greater than 27 inches. Red drum that are small enough to fit in the current slot limit are not common in Maryland waters in most years, limiting the ability of Maryland anglers to harvest many fish. Allowing a harvest of one large fish should lead to more opportunity, and desire, to harvest fish, and encourage fishermen to book charter trips and spend more on bait and tackle to pursue red drum. This would lead to a positive effect on the local economies and anglers overall fishing experience in Maryland.

meh.

[AbuMasgouf]

Anytime you see "positive effect on local economies" understand that special interest groups are at play.

[DOGFISH]

The motive is greed! Maryland sucks when it comes to fisheries management. When other states have had great success with the slot limits, if Maryland allows for so called trophy redfish, that will be outrageous. The best economic impact is when those larger fish are allowed to spawn and all numbers of redfish grow. To pick off the spawners in the name of economics is the economics of diminishing returns. How stupid.


Sorry for the strong expressions here, but just how much is one expected to take. Just watch what happens to the 2011 spawn of rockfish this year.

[Shady]

How about instead they start a slot limit for striper and leave the drum slot alone?

[ES Fisherman]

How about instead they start a slot limit for striper and leave the drum slot alone?

x2

[nay_sayer]

How about instead they start a slot limit for striper and leave the drum slot alone?

+1000

[OBX_RAT]

Seems like it's all about the money, I like the slot size, if anything let us keep 2 a day.

[scorpioreno]

If you read the section Barriers to a management change all the way down to the end of the document, It looks like it may not happen with out the southern states wanting in on the change and If that happens there will be more mature breeders taken from Nc down through FL. Right now as it stands those southern states are where we are deriving numbers on the mature population of reds because we just don't have them here Yet. It Reads that we may need more time for more data and a push to Let the breeder females breed 2 generations before a consideration for havest.

[khobombed]

Does anyone know who is pushing the keeping of Reds over 27"?

It was interesting in doing a search I found the regulation of snapper to be a worldwide issue. Down in New Zealand the bag limit was cut from nine snapper measuring over 27 centimetres (nearly 11 inches) per person, to seven over 30cm.

[Slobber Bob]

Lost you on the snapper comment... think you're confusing red snapper and red drum

But to answer your question, the Maryland Sport Fish Advisory Commission was the one requesting DNR evaluate the reg change.