capt mike

Recreational Anglers Wake Up!



I don?t write this post to do anything other than inform the largest group {The Recreational Fisherman} in this situation that has the loudest voice and could also have the best argument to be heard and their will respected by the powers that be but evidently won?t get off their duffs and be heard. The recreational angler in the past has sat idle while the charter industry begged you to help them in this fight yes fight because that?s what it is and has been to the point they have decided to try to obtain some stability so as to be able to stay afloat amidst high fuel costs, reduced seasons and bag limits. I have watched this scenario for 13 years now and the charter industry now has decided to take care of their own. These plans that are being worked on are much farther along towards reality than most of you realize. When you can go to a public forum with NMFS people present and witness this being talked about out in the open and NMFS officials telling charter boat operators that they would welcome a plan that could consist of the for hire boats being moved into their own category away from the recreational and dragging part of the TAC with them I can only hope some of you realize how late in the ballgame it really is! I hold no grudge against the charter boat operators and owners because they are trying to survive economically. They have no vendetta against the recreational angler and I know many of them personally from Panama City Florida to Dauphin Island Alabama.



There are plans being made that will have a direct impact on your ability to snapper fish in the northern gulf and if the recreational users don?t get informed and personally involved you are the user group that will take the hit! No other user group has even a fraction of the positive impact to our fisheries and coastal economies that the recreational angler does yet I have watched and listened to them gripe, moan and complain until it has sickened myself and others but this time after its over they?ll be nothing left to wish for.



First before we point fingers at other user groups lets realize that through bad data on fish stocks the National Marine Fisheries intends to squeeze the users so hard that most will give up and just fade into the sunset. This is not an opinion it is a fact. NMFS has never seen a reduction in TAC, size limitation or a shorter season or closure alternative they didn?t like. No one can convince me that one of their strategies in the past has not been to keep the commercial and recreational at odds with each other so to diffuse any real chance of a cohesive effort to hold their feet to the fire and demand correct data and to do their job which is to manage our fishery on snapper and other species in the northern gulf. The snapper fishery is rebounding and seems now that that rebound is coming so fast it could spell trouble for other species. I have fished the northern gulf since 1970 and have never seen the quality and quantity on public and private reefs that I?ve witnessed this past two years.



If you choose to get involved look at the argument for different sectors in the gulf as snapper are more abundant in some areas than in others which could allow for different bag limits in different sectors.

Beware of the NMFS including places that have never had a viable snapper population but include that areas data so as to build their so called ?over fishing argument?.

Push the NMFS to realize that when we throw these 15 inch snappers back we are wasting our resource. It isn?t rocket science to figure this out and maybe we should just keep the first ones we catch which might allow for a larger per angler bag limit due to anglers not killing many to keep a few.



Definitely beware of MPA?s {Marine Protected Areas} because the NMFS get?s to figure out where those will be and what if they close waters close in and they break you from fishing because to comply you have to travel large distances just to be able to wet your line.



Tell the NMFS no to reducing reef permit areas and push them to enlarge them. The panhandle of Florida needs more and larger reef areas. There are people trying to get them to enlarge existing zones take the time to join their effort.



Look into the dreaded fishermen lottery that is already being discussed as a management tool to control {reduce} the effort of the recreational angler. This would devastate recreational anglers, as you would purchase a chance to get to fish. What happens the years you don?t get to participate- are you just going to sit and look at your boat in that expensive stall or high-n-dry all season. This one can evaporate your right to fish real quick!



Are you aware that currently in my area that recreational anglers put out almost all the private reefs which greatly help build this fishery. Make sure the NMFS hears that on a regular basis. Charter operators are in such a financial pinch that their reef building effort is down badly.



Make the NMFS aware that you don?t agree with the aquaculture proposal, they tabled that proposition for now but believe me they will bring it back up. I think they were just testing the water to see how hot it was on that one. We can?t allow our natural bait supply to be plundered to feed their caged fish so the meat will be shipped to unknown countries. The danger of that and the danger of those fish escaping and breeding with our wild fish could be catastrophic. I myself question whether NMFS even has the legal right to allow and control aquaculture in the gulf. Their answer was that it was a ?fishing effort?. In other words here we go again government people setting up a way that private enterprise can come in and use resources that are public and possibly destroy something that the public should have the rights to for someone?s own personal gain. That one even smells bad!



The northern Gulf Of Mexico is a unique place that all of us love and enjoy. I truly feel that as a whole all the users from commercial to for hire to recreational fishermen and women respect this vital resource much more than NMFS realizes but if you want to continue to experience it YOU HAVE TO GET INVOLVED, no longer can you sit on the sidelines and expect to retain your privileges. The recreational angler makes up the biggest sector of users by far yet are headed for the smallest right to use please do your part to see that doesn?t happen.

Captain Mike Lilly

:hoppingmad :hoppingmad :hoppingmad