njdiver1
Contributor
Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster
Draft Addendum XVII (commercial portions edited out)
Recreational Fishery
« Status quo: State Measures
« Trap Limits
1, 2, 3 pots per person
« Possession Limits
1, 3, or 5 lobster per person per 24 hours
« Harvest Moratorium
http://www.asmfc.org/meetings/69thAnnualMeeting/presentations/AmericanLobsterBoardPresentationsNov2010.pdf
These may be the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) American Lobster Board's (Board) only choices when it comes to our take of lobster in the future. The Board's Technical Committee is insisting on a 75% cutback or complete moratorium for up to 5 years. The NJ Marine Fisheries Bureau (Bureau) is compiling statistics to prove that our portions of the Southern New England (SNE) stock areas (Areas 3, 4 and 5) do not need such a severe cutback. They are re-forming a Local Conservation Management Team (LCMT) to compile the data. The New Jersey Council of Diving Clubs (NJCDC) is trying to insure that divers are represented on that team. Thanks to getting the word out, there were divers, dive shop and dive boat owners present at all three of the Bureau's American Lobster Public Information Meetings last week.
Commercial and recreational "pot" lobstermen are providing information to the Bureau with their trip logs and by allowing Biologists from ASMFC to be aboard their boats to record everything that comes up in their pots. These observers have already been doing this for three years and are compiling their data to be presented at the next Board meeting in the hope it will convince them that our portions of the SNE stock areas are not as affected as those of Long Island Sound (Area 6). They are also starting a "vent less" pot study that will capture all that enters a special lobster pot (several placed on each lobsterman's trawl) that has all its escape vents closed. When brought onboard the Biologists will record all lobster that are contained, returning all sub and extra legal lobster to the sea, allowing any legal ones to be retained by the boat.
Because of the lack of proper funding to the Bureau by Trenton, there are limited personnel and funds to do these studies on a regular basis. The Marine Fisheries Bureau is presently operating with only 48% of its previous personnel, due to attrition and a death of one of their Biologists. None of them can be replaced due to a hiring freeze. The personnel (two) from ASMFC, who have and are continuing the above mentioned studies, are being funded with grant money from the Commission.
We (NJCDC) are creating a form for divers and dive boat Mates/Captains to fill out, post dive, with information on location, depth, temperature, quantity and size of lobster observed. With an emphasis on how many "crickets" (smaller juveniles) or "Young-of-year" (larger but still not legal) that are present at that site as well as measurements and sex of those captured. If we can get this information together and present it to the Board before they make their decision, we might just save ourselves from having the five year moratorium forced on us.
If we want to retain our "right" to take lobster, we need to step up and work for it. By taking some of your "off gassing" time to fill out the "lobster forms" and returning them to the Bureau, we can help give them the ammunition they need to soften the blow when it comes to reductions in the recreational take of lobster next year.
Rather be diving,
Glenn A. Arthur
Chairman, NJCDC
NJ Council of Diving Clubs - Home page
Draft Addendum XVII (commercial portions edited out)
Recreational Fishery
« Status quo: State Measures
« Trap Limits
1, 2, 3 pots per person
« Possession Limits
1, 3, or 5 lobster per person per 24 hours
« Harvest Moratorium
http://www.asmfc.org/meetings/69thAnnualMeeting/presentations/AmericanLobsterBoardPresentationsNov2010.pdf
These may be the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) American Lobster Board's (Board) only choices when it comes to our take of lobster in the future. The Board's Technical Committee is insisting on a 75% cutback or complete moratorium for up to 5 years. The NJ Marine Fisheries Bureau (Bureau) is compiling statistics to prove that our portions of the Southern New England (SNE) stock areas (Areas 3, 4 and 5) do not need such a severe cutback. They are re-forming a Local Conservation Management Team (LCMT) to compile the data. The New Jersey Council of Diving Clubs (NJCDC) is trying to insure that divers are represented on that team. Thanks to getting the word out, there were divers, dive shop and dive boat owners present at all three of the Bureau's American Lobster Public Information Meetings last week.
Commercial and recreational "pot" lobstermen are providing information to the Bureau with their trip logs and by allowing Biologists from ASMFC to be aboard their boats to record everything that comes up in their pots. These observers have already been doing this for three years and are compiling their data to be presented at the next Board meeting in the hope it will convince them that our portions of the SNE stock areas are not as affected as those of Long Island Sound (Area 6). They are also starting a "vent less" pot study that will capture all that enters a special lobster pot (several placed on each lobsterman's trawl) that has all its escape vents closed. When brought onboard the Biologists will record all lobster that are contained, returning all sub and extra legal lobster to the sea, allowing any legal ones to be retained by the boat.
Because of the lack of proper funding to the Bureau by Trenton, there are limited personnel and funds to do these studies on a regular basis. The Marine Fisheries Bureau is presently operating with only 48% of its previous personnel, due to attrition and a death of one of their Biologists. None of them can be replaced due to a hiring freeze. The personnel (two) from ASMFC, who have and are continuing the above mentioned studies, are being funded with grant money from the Commission.
We (NJCDC) are creating a form for divers and dive boat Mates/Captains to fill out, post dive, with information on location, depth, temperature, quantity and size of lobster observed. With an emphasis on how many "crickets" (smaller juveniles) or "Young-of-year" (larger but still not legal) that are present at that site as well as measurements and sex of those captured. If we can get this information together and present it to the Board before they make their decision, we might just save ourselves from having the five year moratorium forced on us.
If we want to retain our "right" to take lobster, we need to step up and work for it. By taking some of your "off gassing" time to fill out the "lobster forms" and returning them to the Bureau, we can help give them the ammunition they need to soften the blow when it comes to reductions in the recreational take of lobster next year.
Rather be diving,
Glenn A. Arthur
Chairman, NJCDC
NJ Council of Diving Clubs - Home page
