If there is one constant in mid-Atlantic fisheries management, it is that restrictions on the recreational summer flounder harvest will always be controversial. That is particularly true in 2017, after six years of below-average recruitment—the number of young fish entering the population—has caused the population to decline to just 58% of the target level, forcing […]
What role will local fishing, agriculture and food enterprise have in supporting Rhode Island and the region moving forward? This was the primary question explored as 350 business, government and community leaders gathered at the University of Rhode Island for the first Rhode Island Food System Summit in January. The summit was organized by Sue […]
The Difference Between These Two Species Shows Why We Desperately Need to Keep Federal Law Intact Just back from Alexandria, VA… So while all of this is still fresh in my head, I thought I’d get it down. First, summer flounder (aka fluke): As readers likely know, there’s been lots of controversy here. Because… well, […]
Summer flounder (like these caught on the author’s charter boat) have had a declining spawning biomass for six years. New regulation options aim to reduce harvest limits, putting fish first to rebuild the fishery. It’s post-inauguration and the dust hasn’t settled. In fact, nothing is settled. It’s more like a whirlwind. My greatest fear is […]
On January 10, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) released their Review of the Marine Recreational Information Program (known as MRIP). The report takes a comprehensive look at how well MRIP is doing in its goal of “modernizing the survey methods to reduce bias, increase efficiency, and build greater trust with the […]
Fisheries management is not an exact science. Although biologists are constantly refining their stock assessments and population models, there are still many sources of uncertainty. Some of them fall into the category of “scientific uncertainty.” Such scientific uncertainty applies to all of the important parameters, such as stock size and the number of young fish […]
At year’s beginning, many of us take stock and plan for the future. So it is with U.S. fisheries. Once again the nation’s annual checkup found stocks in good health. The annual Fisheries of the U.S. 2015 showed that commercial catches are trending slightly upward across the board compared to 2014. In fact, after hitting […]
Top photo courtesy John McMurray Whenever fishery managers propose regulations that restrict anglers’ landings, someone will always complain that such rules are not needed, and challenge the data on which they are based. While biological data, such as stock assessments, receive some criticism, most anglers’ rancor is reserved for the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) […]
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