In a recent article for the Recreational Fishing Alliance, “Fatally Flawed” Science Killing America’s Number One Outdoor Pastime,” Jim Hutchinson Jr. writes ‘the recreational fishing industry is nearing collapse.’
The article reads in part: since 1981, fisheries managers have relied on the Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS) as a quota monitoring tool on a state-by-state basis. As early as 2001, NMFS was aware of problems in terms of its accuracy.
“The recreational fishing community can identify numerous occasions where MRFSS has produced harvest and participation estimates that when compared to receipts for fishing expenditures and weather conditions, could simply not be possible.” (2008 letter from the RFA to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez)
Despite RFA pleas on behalf of the recreational fishing community to “consider the reality of reduced recreational fishing because of the economy, gas prices and burdensome regulations when reviewing MRFSS data,” the survey findings were again considered gospel by regional fisheries managers who met in late 2008 to set the 2009 harvest limits, a process which will take place again with an eye on fishing limits for 2010.
NMFS began work on a new survey methodology called the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) which was supposed to be online and operational in 2009. Delays have pushed back the date until sometime in 2010. This means the recreational fishing community is still stuck with MRFSS.
A significant feature of the new MRIP will be the creation of a national saltwater angler registry that will theoretically streamline the procedure for surveyors to contact actual anglers. While the process may change, the content of the actual questions is still open to debate. If experience is any guide, it’s hard for the for-hire industry to be overly optimistic.
Capt. Brook Koeneke, Cape May County, says “In 2006, a good day for us on two daily trips, when conditions were okay, was eight to 12 keepers per trip. Anymore, a good trip is two keepers, and that’s about it. Being a back-bay operation, I can’t go out in the ocean chasing the big keeper fish.”
Like other registered fishing captains, Koeneke occasionally gets phone calls from federal surveyors asking about for-hire participation.
“They want to know where I leave from, where I return to, how many people are fishing and how many hours of fishing do the people get when they do fish.
“I ask them, ‘don’t you want to know what I caught,’ and they say ‘no’.”
The situation has become so alarming that both Florida and New York are suing NMFS based on the federal agency’s inability to meet the NRC requirement to “fix the broken problem.”
A break in the theoretical wall of MRFSS came in 2008 when the recreational industry was able to raise money for new scientific analysis through the industry-supported Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund. With the help of fisheries biologist Mark Maunder, Ph.D, the previous stock estimates for summer flounder were adjusted by approximately 60 million fish, proving overnight that the summer flounder stock was not overfished and that overfishing was not occurring.
Industry advocates are hoping this example can help lead to more accurate decisions about the state of recreational saltwater fishing. For anyone not familiar with the data used for recreational fishing’s regulations, I suggest reading the entire article available online at www.joinrfa.org.
Because of the North Wildwood Beach Replenishment Project, the October fishing tournament schedules have changed.
Saturday, Oct. 10: New Jersey Beach Buggy Surf Fishing Classic has moved from North Wildwood to Wildwood Crest.
Register at Nesbitt Information Center, Rambler Road and Ocean Avenue, 5:30 a.m. Team event, first position 7-10 a.m.; second position 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; individual event Saturday 5 p.m. to Sunday noon.
Take Note: Wildwood Crest does not allow sleeping in vehicles on the beach or on land. Call 732-269-8878.
Saturday, Oct. 17: Anglesea Surf Fishing. As of this printing, fishing beaches have yet to be determined. Registration at Anglesea Fire House Hall, 201 New Jersey Ave., North Wildwood, 6-7 a.m. $50 per 6 person team; $9 individual; $5 juniors (17 and under), www.asaconline.org
All photos submitted appear online at SeeMyBigFish.com. Be sure to send your fish stories to cmiller@cmcherald.com. This column appears first online at capemaycountyherald.com
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
