The Way You See It

In what is simply the rubber stamping of a rule we all knew was coming, NOAA has published the “Final Rule” implementing the new regulations closing the area apparently henceforth to be known as “The Edges” from January 1 to April 30th annually.

Touted as another way to protect “gag and other groupers” during spawning, the closure applies to all commercial and recreational fishing. The area, while a popular and productive area for many commercial fishermen targeting gags, is rarely fished by recreational fishermen, meaning the rule is mostly going to affect those commercial fishermen working in the northern end of the Gulf of Mexico who target the higher priced gag grouper.

In fairness, the rule is supported by a few commercial fishermen and in fact is a modification of a plan originally put forth and spoken for by a commercial fishing boat owner. However, in what is possibly coincidence, those fishermen who support the rule as well as the boat owner who proposed it, don’t seem to be fishermen who ever venture far enough offshore to fish the newly closed and historically extremely productive area. Imagine that.

Gag grouper catches have not dropped off and area closures have never been proven to actually work, making this another selective stab in the dark at trying to fix something that most likely is not even broken using unproven methodology that is going to be one more harmful blow to a segment of he commercial fishery NMFS already has on the ropes.

In other words: Business as usual.

Tags: Government Regulation by Fishing Fool
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Thought this might be interesting. I feel I am under turtle attack !!! We had a 4th of July party to include volley ball games. Everything was going good until the night of the 3rd when these turtles assaulted the volley ball court and laid her eggs in the middle of it.We awoke on the 3rd to find they had canceled our games for up to 90 days. The good thing is they are nesting in the biggest numbers in years.

(You can click the images here for a larger view)

• Pic 1 The net and my blue house. I actually own where she nested and did not get any rent.
• Pic 2 Two nest real close look between blue and yellow tent
• Pic 3 another shot of the two nests
• Pic 4 Look at the people.
• Pic 5 Me, my house,volley ball net, sea turtle farm.

Tags: Turtle Issue(s) by Bobby
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Emergency schmergency.

The Bottom Longline industry in the Gulf of Mexico is currently in an “Emergency Closure” which has shut down an entire industy using what we have said all along were false, misleading and inflated figures.

Now, the St. Petersburg Times, in a July 2, 2009 article, has printed figures showing that the turtle nesting season currently underway is well on its way to being the best in years.  Will the enviros stop and say “Oh, wow, we were wrong about this and the people who said that the nesting numbers were cyclical and the evidence that the population has been decimated is inconlusive were obviously right.  Let those people go back to work already before they lose their homes, their boats, their families and anything else they support and care about.”

Or will they continue to lie and stretch the truth and perhaps even claim a cause and effect relationship between shutting down this vital fishery and an immediate demonstration of the fact that the sea turtle population is FAR LESS THREATENED than they have been trying to convince everyone of?

Hmmm.  I wonder.

Times article is here:  http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/article1014922.ece

Look at the photo while you are there.  Does anyone else see any contradiction in the fact that a few boats are being prohibited from fishing far offshore of that beach yet the volleyball game and partying goes on right on top of the actual nest?

Tags: Ranting general by Fishing Fool
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