In 1996, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) determined that tautog (also known as “blackfish”) were being badly overfished, and that the fishing mortality rate had to be reduced to no more than 0.15. Such a fishing mortality rate would result in about 14% of the tautog being removed from the population each year. […]
Next week, will ASMFC heed common sense and on-the-water experience? Top photo: A striper eating bunker Last week, I received a brief release from the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition, titled National Wildlife Federation Revives Menhaden Myths with Latest Petition. The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition describes itself as “a coalition of menhaden fishermen, related businesses, and supporting industries,” […]
Photo: Eric Brazer Current fisheries management is influenced by both science and politics, and yet one approach is clearly more beneficial to the success of our fisheries than the other. Science identifies facts that lead to conclusions being drawn. Politics, on the other hand, identifies a conclusion that encourages the finding of facts to support […]
When people think of Maryland, they imagine idyllic lighthouses, striped bass boiling on the surface, blue crabs smothered in Old Bay seasoning, and oysters cooked every way imaginable. All of that is very accurate and part of what makes this such a special place. If you ask local fishermen what they think about when it […]
The fall holiday season is done a little bit differently on the Central California coast. Our trees don’t turn dramatic hues, which makes adventures to see color changes non-existent. The first freeze that many associate with fall is replaced by an increase in temperature as winds swing around to northeasterly. October is the month to […]
Photo: Menhaden, by Capt. John McMurray The Atlantic menhaden Board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is scheduled to meet November 13th and 14th to determine the fate of Amendment 3, which proposes changes to the fishery management plan (FMP). Last week the Atlantic menhaden Advisory Panel (AP) to the Board met to […]
Photo by John McMurray Anyone who pays attention to salt water fisheries matters knows that a coalition of anglers’ rights groups and fishing tackle and boatbuilding trade associations are trying to weaken the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens). The effort is rooted in their assertion that Magnuson-Stevens, with its prohibitions on overfishing, its […]
Editor mocks fly fishermen, light-tackle anglers, and everyone else who benefits from “abundance.” Last week I stumbled across what seemed like a somewhat useful piece from The Fisherman Magazine titled “ALPHABET SOUP: TOP 25 FISHY ACRONYMS.” The intent at first seemed to be to bring some clarity to the mess of words/acronyms regularly used in […]
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