Thread: Summer Fluke Troubles

Here is a letter I got from the RFA. You can cut, paste and alter as you like, but please send one!!

Patricia A. Kurkul
National Marine Fisheries Service
One Blackburn Drive
Gloucester, MA 01930

RE: Comments of 2008 Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Specifications

Dear Ms. Kurkul:

As a recreational angler and resident of Pennsylvania, I submit the following comments on the proposed summer flounder, scup and black sea bass quotas for 2008. At their last meeting, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved a 15.77 million pound for summer flounder. While this hardly represents a quota reflective of the true status of the summer flounder resource, I must reluctantly support this proposed quota for summer flounder as being the highest allowable quota under the current federal requirements. I have considerable concerns with the management of summer flounder and the information used to estimate effort, catch, harvest and stock status. In addition, I am very concerned about increasing minimum size limits which require fishermen to harvest heavier fish and which also increases discard mortality.

As proposed, it is very likely that recreational anglers from my state will drastically decrease their participation in these fisheries in response the limited opportunity that will be afforded in all neighboring states under the proposed quotas. Being a recreational saltwater angler in a non-coastal state, it takes considerable more effort to engage in fishing. Furthermore, I have a higher mean expense per trip than anglers that live closer to the ocean. Obviously, the simple enjoyment of going fishing is a considerable return for my effort and expense. However, for fisheries such as summer flounder, which have a higher consumptive value than some other important recreational fisheries, it is necessary to have regulations that allow an acceptable probability of catching fish that can be harvested. That said, the proposed specifications and any subsequent quota reductions stand to have a significant impact on Pennsylvania anglers.

I request National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conduct a thorough economic analysis assuming a 15.77 million pound quota is approved in 2008. Furthermore, the socio-economic impacts must be estimated for the various coast wide options proposed to restrict recreational harvest in 2008. As it stands, 2008 poses to have a significant impact on Pennsylvania anglers.

Respectfully submitted,
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