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Rick
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Topic: CSMA Striped Bass- A Put and Too ManyTake Fishery Posted: 08 December 2015 at 10:13am |
The NCWRC
monitors striped bass, American and hickory shad, and river herring
since it has overlapping jurisdiction of anadromous fishes with NCDMF.
Unlike NCDMF, the NCWRC reports its findings annually.
The current data on the Neuse River striped bass fishery is quite
compelling, and indicates upwards of 40-70% mortality each year since
1994. Interestingly, the reported harvest and discard from the
recreational creel survey, combined with the commercial trip ticket
data, do not approach the level that would be required to explain the
observed mortality. This is outlined in more detail in Appendix A and B
of the linked Neuse River report. The NCWRC also monitors the
contribution of hatchery-origin fish to the spawning stock using
Parentage Based Tagging, a genetics technique that approaches a 100%
ability to accurately assign hatchery/wild origin. The NCWRC results
agree with ECU’s otolith microchemistry work that the population is
comprised of almost 90% hatchery-origin fish.
It is my understanding that the NCWRC has presented these data and
analyses to NCDMF. At this time NCDMF has declined to conduct a stock
assessment on CSMA striped bass and given an indication that the DMF
will wait until fall 2018 before discussing potential management changes
to this important fishery paid for by sportsman's dollars that supports
what is basically a hatchery based put and take fishery.
Important: “Interestingly, the reported harvest and discard from the
recreational creel survey, combined with the commercial trip ticket
data, do not approach the level that would be required to explain the
observed mortality.”
I personally wonder what percentage of all the striped bass caught in
DMF managed estuarine gill nets are being reported on trip tickets.
For those interested in this subject, you can review Appendix A and B in
this attached link.
NCWRC- Neuse River 2014 Striped Bass Data- http://1drv.ms/1NDDSoL
The ECU otolith microchemistry study- http://thescholarship.ecu.edu/handle/10342/1806
Edited by Rick - 08 December 2015 at 10:13am
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sea byrd
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 11:34am |
A good analogy would be if a co-op planted a crop of sweet potatoes, paying the expense for the crop. Then when harvest time is ready a couple of folks slip in (with the blessings of regulators) harvested all they wanted and left the co-op with nothing but leftovers......and very strict harvest parameters at that.
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<div style="display:none">fiogf49gjkf0d Favorite pastime. Catching fish and eating the few fish I am allowed to keep. At least I am not killing four times the number I eat.
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TomM
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 11:45am |
I do not think NCWRC will continue this as the goal was to build a sustaining stock.
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Redfish
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 11:50am |
Why stock for you know who to harvest? Stupid.
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chriselk
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 11:56am |
So Rick if I recall the commercial CMSA Striped Bass fishery is a directed fishery with an annual quota of 25,000 lbs. I am presently having trouble downloading the actual comm catches in the CMSA (not at home, and personal hotspot choking on the large doc)-so I dont know comm harvest-perhaps someooe has it handy.
From the WRC paper you cited, anglers caught about 2,000 lbs.
So IF the comms are harvesting even close to the quota they are exceeding rec harvest about ten fold.
Since we are buying comms the fish, I think the comms need to buy us all a beer. Or the catches reversed.
Based on WRC info, it should be closed like the Southern region.
Edited by chriselk - 08 December 2015 at 12:02pm
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The above comments are my personal opinion and do not represent those of any organizations or agencies I may be a member of.
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todobien
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 11:58am |
Be interesting to know what it cost to raise a fish to stocking size in comparision to what the price paid to the commercial fisherman at the fish house is.
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dead_fowl
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 2:42pm |
The exact same scenario exists in the Pamlico River as well.
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capt_gordon
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 2:55pm |
Lets stop talking in euphemisms. Dumb people don't understand irony. The net industry in the Albemarle Sound management area is taking tons and tons (literally) of stripers out of the water and not reporting them. There, I said it. Can we get somebody to do something about it now? (probably not, as usual)
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TomM
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 3:44pm |
A lot of those come from the shad fishery. Dominion stocks them to go thru dams grow up and get caught in a net for roe. Sounds stupid is stupid!
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Rick
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 4:18pm |
chriselk wrote:
So Rick if I recall the commercial CMSA Striped Bass fishery is a directed fishery with an annual quota of 25,000 lbs. I am presently having trouble downloading the actual comm catches in the CMSA (not at home, and personal hotspot choking on the large doc)-so I dont know comm harvest-perhaps someooe has it handy.
From the WRC paper you cited, anglers caught about 2,000 lbs.
So IF the comms are harvesting even close to the quota they are exceeding rec harvest about ten fold.
Since we are buying comms the fish, I think the comms need to buy us all a beer. Or the catches reversed.
Based on WRC info, it should be closed like the Southern region.
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You'll find it here- http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/05-striped-bass-csma-ssr-2015Commercials land twice as many of our fish that we are paying for than we do. Commercials have averaged a landing value of $2.38 per pound.
Average Commercial Landings and Value 2005-2014 – 23,623 lbs. / $56,297 2014 Commercial Landings and Value – 25,085 lbs. / $68,607 (quota managed) Average Recreational Landings 2005-2014 – 10,275 lbs., 2014 – 13,371 lbs. I saw the figure of $1.2 million annually spent by the NCWRC to stock just the Neuse being quoted by Capt. Dave Stewart on another website. That value was based on a personal conversation that Dave had with Ben Ricks. Ben is a biologist with NCWRC and one of the authors of the Neuse River data study linked above. Let's think about it this way for 2014- 25,085 (Commercial) + 13,371 (recreational) = 38,456 pounds landed in Tar, Neuse and Cape Fear at a cost of at least $1.2 million to stock. That is $31.20 per landed pound and the commercials are selling their catch for $2.38 per pound. ...only in NC when managed by the NCDMF, because we're "Different".
Edited by Rick - 08 December 2015 at 4:24pm
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BaitWaster
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 6:54pm |
Rick wrote:
It is my understanding that the NCWRC has presented these data and
analyses to NCDMF. At this time NCDMF has declined to conduct a stock
assessment on CSMA striped bass and given an indication that the DMF
will wait until fall 2018 before discussing potential management changes
to this important fishery paid for by sportsman's dollars that supports
what is basically a hatchery based put and take fishery.
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While I agree the commercial take is disproportionate and need to be reassessed, NCWRC gets about a third of its funding from licenses and about a third from General Fund appropriations. Sound like it's become like the trout streams in the western part of the state.
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TomM
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 8:15pm |
BW you are a numbers guy. If a third of their budget comes from the general fund then how many commercials benefit from money collected from all taxpayers in the state? Any SCFL money going to that pot? Agree with you this needs a fresh look.
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Rick
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 9:04pm |
BaitWaster wrote:
Rick wrote:
[COLOR="black"]<span style="font-family: Calibri"]
It is my understanding that the NCWRC has presented these data and analyses to NCDMF. At this time NCDMF has declined to conduct a stock assessment on CSMA striped bass and given an indication that the DMF will wait until fall 2018 before discussing potential management changes to this important fishery paid for by sportsman's dollars that supports what is basically a hatchery based put and take fishery.</span][/COLOR]
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While I agree the commercial take is disproportionate and need to be reassessed, NCWRC gets about a third of its funding from licenses and about a third from General Fund appropriations.
Sound like it's become like the trout streams in the western part of the state.
| I certainly don't fully understand the funding of our hatcheries, but slide three in this link suggests that they are heavily funded, possibly solely funded, through taxes paid by those intended to be the beneficiary, recreational sportsmen. http://216.27.39.103/Portals/0/Fishing/documents/SFR_Pub.pdf
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Crabby Captain John
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 9:12pm |
Rick wrote:
I personally wonder what percentage of all the striped bass caught in DMF managed estuarine gill nets are being reported on trip tickets. For those interested in this subject, you can review Appendix A and B in this attached link. |
Think their math for striped bass is better than for sea turtles by more than a tiny little bit? Not me.
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Rick
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 9:52pm |
I think you'll also find this 2015 NCWRC funding report interesting. General funding has dropped from 32% in 2008 to 17% in 2014. Those Dingell-Johnson dollars gave NCWRC $8,052,302 in 2014. http://www.ncleg.net/documentsites/committees/JointAppropriationsNER/Reports%20Submitted%20to%20the%20Committee/1e.%20WRC_Federal_Grants.pdf
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BaitWaster
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Posted: 08 December 2015 at 10:53pm |
General Fund appropriations now at 14% in 2015 ($11.3 million). License 26% ($20.9 million). http://www.ncwildlife.org/About/FinancialSummaries.aspx#32611105-net-receipts
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todobien
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Posted: 09 December 2015 at 12:53am |
BW - That money is to cover many acres of water and fish not to mention nonfinned game and lands from Murphy to Manteo. What is NC DMF funding and how much are they contributing to striped bass or even shad stocking? Are they even willing to consider this important information in their regs or use it in a stock assessment when someone else has done most of the work for them? I doubt it! They probably find it interesting but want to wait until 2018 (or sometime thereabouts) for the next scheduled assessment and stacked fishery management team process which would probably take another 4 or 5 years to implement. If so that new grandchild would be half way to needing a license before this info would be used. They'll probably blame it on the Corps since Falls Lake went in at about the same time their was a proliferation of gill net usage.
Edited by todobien - 09 December 2015 at 8:42am
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Rick
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Posted: 09 December 2015 at 8:33am |
Given the above striped bass data is it possible that NC is in violation of federal law concerning use of its Dingell-Johnson funds?
It appears that the NCWRC is using those dollars as intended with the NCDMF converting at least 2/3 of the public benefit from striped bass restoration to commercial fishing interests with the primary purpose of producing income.
"In addition to establishing wildlife refuges and sanctuaries, the federal government provides states with financial assistance to fund projects pertaining to fish. This funding was created by the Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C.A. § 777-777k), more commonly known as the Dingell-Johnson Act, which was passed in 1950. This act directs that funds derived from the federal excise tax on fishing rods, creels, reels, and artificial lures, baits, and flies be annually apportioned among the states, 40 percent on the basis of geographic area and 60 percent on the basis of the number of persons holding paid fishing licenses. These funds can be used by the states for "fish restoration and management projects" or, since 1970, for "comprehensive fish and wildlife resource management plans." The Dingell-Johnson Act specifies that its provisions are to apply only to "fish which have material value in connection with sport or recreation in the marine and/or fresh waters of the United States." With the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C.A. §§ 2901–2911), commonly referred to as the Nongame Act, a similar funding program was provided for the protection of nongame fish and wildlife. The FWS is responsible for maintaining and administering these trust funds."
Edited by Rick - 09 December 2015 at 9:28am
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Rick
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Posted: 09 December 2015 at 9:25am |
§80.51 What
activities are eligible for funding under the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish
Restoration Act?
The following activities are eligible for
funding under the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act:
(a)
Sport Fish Restoration program. (1) Restore and manage sport fish for
the benefit of the public.
(2) Conduct research on
the problems of managing fish and their habitat and the problems of fish
culture if necessary to administer sport fish resources efficiently.
(3) Obtain data to guide and
direct the regulation of fishing. These data may be on:
(i) Size and geographic
range of sport fish populations;
(ii) Changes in sport
fish populations due to fishing, other human activities, or natural causes; and
(iii) Effects of any
measures or regulations applied.
(4) Develop and adopt
plans to restock sport fish and forage fish in the natural areas or districts
covered by the plans; and obtain data to develop, carry out, and test the
effectiveness of the plans.
(5)
Stock fish for recreational purposes.
(6) Acquire real property
suitable or capable of being made suitable for:
(i) Sport fish habitat or
as a buffer to protect that habitat; or
(ii) Public access for
sport fishing. Closures to sport fishing must be based on the recommendations
of the State fish and wildlife agency for fish and wildlife management
purposes.
(7) Restore,
rehabilitate, improve, or manage:
(i) Aquatic areas
adaptable for sport fish habitat; or
(ii) Land adaptable as a
buffer to protect sport fish habitat.
(8) Build structures or
acquire equipment, goods, and services to:
(i) Restore,
rehabilitate, or improve aquatic habitat for sport fish, or land as a buffer to
protect aquatic habitat for sport fish; or
(ii) Provide public
access for sport fishing.
(9) Construct, renovate,
operate, or maintain pumpout and dump stations. A pumpout station is a facility
that pumps or receives sewage from a type III marine sanitation device that the
U.S. Coast Guard requires on some vessels. A dump station, also referred to as
a “waste reception facility,” is specifically designed to receive waste from
portable toilets on vessels.
(10) Operate or maintain:
(i) Projects that the
State fish and wildlife agency completed under the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish
Restoration Act; or
(ii) Facilities that the
agency acquired or constructed with funds other than those authorized by the
Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act if these facilities are necessary to
carry out activities authorized by the Act.
(11) Coordinate grants in
the Sport Fish Restoration program and related programs and subprograms.
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Rick
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Posted: 09 December 2015 at 9:27am |
§80.54 What
activities are ineligible for funding?
The following activities are ineligible
for funding under the Acts, except when necessary to carry out project purposes
approved by the Regional Director:
(a) Law enforcement
activities.
(b) Public relations
activities to promote the State fish and wildlife agency, other State
administrative units, or the State.
(c)
Activities conducted for the primary purpose of producing income.
(d) Activities, projects,
or programs that promote or encourage opposition to the regulated taking of
fish, hunting, or the trapping of wildlife.
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Rick
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Posted: 09 December 2015 at 10:38am |
I would ask if anyone sees the irony in the following NCDMF presentation, but irony is
something that is deliberately contrary to what one expects.
Sadly, what we've come to expect from management at the NCDMF is exactly what we are getting- management of our resources not for sustainability, best use and highest economic yield, but for building a bureaucracy of funding and staff supported by keeping as many competing user groups and unsustainable gear and practices fishing on our depleted and declining stocks.
- Approximately 95% of all striped bass in the CSMA are or hatchery origin, paid for by sportsman's dollars.
- Over 66% of those hatchery origin fish are being landed by commercial fishermen seeking income.
Yet, in this 2009 presentation on the NCDMF's use of sportsman's dollars, the Division was spending almost 1/2 million dollars to-
- Monitor the status of striped bass
stocks in the Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River in the Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River
system to assess the effectiveness of management measures being taken to management
measures being taken to support a popular recreational fishery in the region.
- Obtain monthly estimates of striped bass
catch, harvest, and effort by recreational anglers for each of the following:
Pungo, Tar/Pamlico, Neuse, and Trent rivers.
The Division is spending recreational dollars to monitor the recreational fishery while facilitating the commercial harvest of over 66% of the total landed resource. It's a slap in the face.
Just get the nets off our recreational fish. Spend the money enhancing the resource; it's a put and take fishery. Simple! With proper management, a spawning population can be established but not with the current level of commercial pressure.
http://www.ncfisheries.net/mfc/MFC_downloads/sept2009/MFC%20Sport%20Fish%20Restoration%20Presentation%209-25-2009.pdf
Edited by Rick - 29 February 2016 at 9:39am
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todobien
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Posted: 09 December 2015 at 11:27am |
Or let the comms pay to stock 66% more fish. Have accuratre reporting and when all their fish are caught then they have to stop landing and using gear that by catches striped bass.
Edited by todobien - 09 December 2015 at 11:29am
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Rick
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Posted: 09 December 2015 at 12:03pm |
From the study linked above, this is important and must be addressed- "Recreational harvest and discard, as well as commercial harvest, contributed modestly to
the overall mortality rate (Table B.3). “Cryptic mortality”, or mortality not accounted for
through reported harvest or natural mortality, was greater than the reported recreational or commercial exploitation in all scenarios."
Something is killing more fish than natural mortality+commercial harvest+recreational harvest combined. This is not an emigration issue- The potential for migration to affect cryptic mortality must also be addressed as the Neuse River is an open system allowing fish to swim into Pamlico Sound and other adjacent waterbodies. Emigration of Neuse River Striped Bass would be assigned to cryptic mortality. However, analysis of NCDMF tag-return data indicate very little emigration of Neuse River Striped Bass and few reports of immigration by fish originating from other waterbodies(NCDENR 2014). Therefore, considering the Neuse River a closed system is a tenable assumption.
Who is exploiting this fishery and preventing recovery of the breeding stock? When cryptic mortality is included, the commercial sector could easily be responsible for 85% or more of all CSMA striped bass mortality. If cryptic mortality cannot be assigned to natural mortality or migration, it must be assigned to exploitation. Exploitation can be characterized as the “…sum of all fishery-induced moralities occurring directly as a result of catch, or indirectly as a result of contact with or avoidance of the fishing gear…” . ICES (1995) formalized the components of exploitation by the equation where F is exploitation; FCL represents commercial landing mortality; FRL denotes recreational landing mortality; FSL is subsistence fishing landing mortality; FB represents illegal and misreported landing mortality; FD is discard mortality; FO denotes mortality of fish captured by fishing gear but not landed (drop out mortality); FA represents mortality due to fish who avoid the gear but die from stress or injuries incurred during gear avoidance; FE is mortality resulting from fish contacting but escaping the gear and eventually dying; FG is mortality resulting from “ghost” fishing gears (i.e., abandoned); FP represents predation of fish who escape from or are stressed by fishing gear and would otherwise live; and FH denotes mortality due to fishing gear induced
habitat alterations.
Many of these potential sources of exploitation are likely insignificant for many fisheries,
including the Neuse River Striped Bass fisheries. In the Neuse River, FCL and FRL are reported and were included in this analysis, as well as the recreational component of FD. The NCDMF trip ticket program is a direct census of FCL. Since FRL is calculated from survey data and is not a census, FRL parameter uncertainty should be evaluated to explore its effect on cryptic mortality. ICES (1995) suggests FB and FD can have a large influence on exploitation, as well as FG in the case of gillnet fisheries. Therefore, FB , FD , and FG should be investigated as they potentially contribute significantly to the cryptic mortality observed in the Neuse River Striped Bass population.
The NCWRC is spending a lot of time, effort and dollars to develop this important fishery. Mismanagement of this fishery is a NCDMF problem that needs immediate action.
Yield-per-recruit
analysis indicated a 26-in MLL would be required to attain an SPR of 0.45 if exploitation
is reduced to the CSMA management target (Table C.2). However, harvest regulations
in inland waters are unlikely to affect Neuse River Striped Bass mortality at
the current level of angling effort. Less than 3% of the angling effort and 2%
of the Striped Bass catch (harvest and discards) occurred in inland waters in
2014. The NCDMF creel survey indicates that almost all recreational Striped
Bass landings occur in coastal waters. Commercial and recreational harvest in
the Neuse River has been low, yet similar, since 2004 (NCDMF, unpublished
data). Given the high spawning stock mortality in 2014 and evidence of
long-term recruitment overfishing, more conservative management actions are
needed in coastal waters to reduce exploitation.
Management Recommendations
1. Implement a 26-in MLL in inland, joint, and coastal waters of the Neuse River for recreational and commercial fisheries in conjunction with a substantial reduction in exploitation. Maintain current recreational daily creel limit (2 fish/d) and closed season (May 1–September 30). Commercial discard mortality must be reduced to meet the Ftarget specified in the FMP. Protecting the female spawning stock through an increased MLL in conjunction with reduced exploitation is expected to increase SPR to the target (SPR = 0.45) used to create the F biological reference point in the FMP, potentially improving wild recruitment. If actions to reduce exploitation are not implemented, population recovery will not occur and alternative management strategies that improve inland angling opportunities (e.g., put-grow-take, minimized regulations) should be explored.
2. Continue stocking a goal of 100,000 phase-II Striped Bass in 2015 utilizing broodstock collected from the Neuse River. Preliminary results of a NCSU telemetry study of phase-II Striped Bass suggested poor post-stocking survival. Therefore, enhance hatchery fish foraging ability by feeding live forage at least 1% body weight per day for 5 d prior to stocking. Introduce predatory fish before stocking to develop predator avoidance behavior. Culture two unique genetic batches of phase-II fish to evaluate stocking success at inland stocking locations. Inland stocking locations will be chosen based on potential carrying capacity of phase-II fish and potential trophic interactions with resident species.
3. Elucidate mechanisms affecting natural recruitment. Despite evidence of adult spawning, as well as egg and larval collection in previous research, PBT analyses indicates the Neuse River Striped Bass stock remains hatchery dependent. Streamflow, trophic interactions, juvenile nursery habitat, and stock-recruit relationships should be investigated to isolate likely determinants of mortality bottlenecks. In 2015, stock genetically unique Striped Bass larvae in Smithfield to determine if recruitment bottleneck occurs in the egg stage. Beginning in 2016, implement egg and larvae sampling program to estimate egg production, mortality rates, and identify utilization of available nursery habitat. Consider use of in situ egg and larval bioassays to evaluate egg and larval mortality.
4. Quantify economic impacts of the Neuse River Striped Bass stocking program. Economic cost-benefit analyses and biological statistics (e.g., hatchery contribution, discard mortality) should be considered when evaluating the stocking program.
5. Develop NCWRC Boating Access Areas on the Neuse River upstream of Smithfield, NC. Current access is limited for boat angling and NCWRC field sampling, despite the availability of fish habitat during average to above-average spring streamflow.
Edited by Rick - 09 December 2015 at 12:54pm
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Rick
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Posted: 09 December 2015 at 3:00pm |
dead_fowl wrote:
The exact same scenario exists in the Pamlico River as well. |
Yes, it does. Here is the link to the Tar River Data- http://1drv.ms/1XWOh5R
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fiogf49gjkf0d NC Fisheries Management- Motto: Too Little, Too Late, Too Bad Slogan: Shrimp On! Mission Statement: Enable Commercial Fishing At Any and All Cost, Regardless of Impact to the Resource.
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Crabby Captain John
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Posted: 09 December 2015 at 8:04pm |
As more is learned it becomes evident the industry is receiving more entitlements than imaginable.
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Warning Shot
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Posted: 09 December 2015 at 8:55pm |
All of this information is probably not even on the radar screen of the NCWRC Commissioners. Let's let them know in no uncertain terms that we object to sportsmen's license monies and Wallop-Breaux (formerly Dingell-Johnson)funds being spent to support a commercial fishery:
http://www.ncwildlife.org/contacts.aspx#551694-h2commissionersh2
....and NCWRC's Director:
http://www.ncwildlife.org/contacts.aspx#551693-h2directors-officeh2
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WaterDog
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Posted: 09 December 2015 at 9:55pm |
There's a whole lot of interesting stuff here as it pertains to the CSMA striped bass population.
What I find so interesting is the set back requirement on the large mesh to prevent excessive striped bass harvest.....even though just about every fishermen know that you find the striped bass hundreds of years OFF and not on the shoreline the majority of the time!  NCDMF did that "study"to justify that a set back reduced gill net mortality. Perhaps we should look into this so called "Study" and who did it.
And, in regards to the mysterious mortality - we all know of folks who catch 50 to keep their ten. Been talked about many, many times. But we all know that, according to DMF, that no fishermen "targets" bycatch.
Edited by WaterDog - 09 December 2015 at 10:29pm
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bernpackbkr
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Posted: 10 December 2015 at 9:34am |
todobien wrote:
Or let the comms pay to stock 66% more fish. Have accuratre reporting and when all their fish are caught then they have to stop landing and using gear that by catches striped bass.
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This is what we should be demanding - if they want to harvest stocked fish, they ought to pay for them. Sounds like a great use of the commercial fishing fund that was established to pay for observers.
I think the problem would take care of itself.
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Trent Woods, NC
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Rick
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Posted: 10 December 2015 at 10:00am |
bernpackbkr wrote:
todobien wrote:
Or let the comms pay to stock 66% more fish. Have accuratre reporting and when all their fish are caught then they have to stop landing and using gear that by catches striped bass.
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This is what we should be demanding - if they want to harvest stocked fish, they ought to pay for them. Sounds like a great use of the commercial fishing fund that was established to pay for observers.
I think the problem would take care of itself.
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First- How are commercials going to pay on average a stocking fee $30 to $40 per pound of landed fish when they only receive $2 to $3 per pound in income for that fish? I don't care what kind of math you do on that fact, it's going to be a negative margin of at least $27 per pound. They'll pay $750,000 to harvest $75,000 worth of fish. You are right, the problem will quickly take care of itself. Second- The commercials are responsible for 66% of the landings. They may be killing close to 85% to 90% of the fish due to unreported landings and discard mortality in the gill net fishery. As Waterdog pointed out above- high-culling for the biggest 10 fish will contribute significantly to cryptic mortality, unaccounted for mortality. You can see in the proclamation below that targeting striped bass in the Pamlico, Pungo, Neuse and Bay rivers along with Jones Bay is acceptable. There is no associated "primary catch" target % required. Target % of primary catch in the Pamlico Sound and West Bay is an enforcement joke, just like the red drum fishery. http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/proclamation-ff-08-2015?p_p_id=56_INSTANCE_yeO7&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_state=normal&p_p_mode=view&p_p_col_id=column-2&p_p_col_count=2&page=1You can also see that a "fishing operation" can consist of the fishermen and his 9-year old daughter who also possesses a SCFL in her name. This allows a boat on the Neuse, Tar, Pungo, Bay and Jone Bay to target schools of striped bass and keep targeting those schools high-culling for the twenty largest fish. FF-8-2015 PROCLAMATION RE:
STRIPED BASS SEASON - COMMERCIAL FISHING OPERATIONS - INTERNAL COASTAL
WATERS OF CRAVEN, BEAUFORT, AND PAMLICO COUNTIES, PUNGO RIVER, WEST BAY,
AND PAMLICO SOUND Louis B. Daniel III, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 8 :00 A.M., Sunday, March 1, 2015, the striped bass season WILL OPEN in the areas described below for COMMERCIAL FISHING OPERATIONS. The following restrictions will apply: I. AREA DESCRIPTION (See Map) A.
Pamlico and Pungo rivers and their joint and coastal water tributaries
west of a line beginning at a point on the north shore 35° 22.3622' N -
76° 28.2032’ W (Roos Point) running southerly to a point on the south
shore 35° 18.5906’ N - 76° 28.9530’ W (Pamlico Point). B. Jones
Bay/Bay River - west of a line beginningat Sow Island Point at 35°
13.0167’ N - 76° 29.7000’ W, running southwest to a point at Bay Point
at 35° 11.0833’ N-76° 31.5667’ W, then running southerly to Maw Point at
35° 09.0333’ N-76° 32.1667’ W. C. Neuse River - west of a line
beginning at Maw Point at 35°09.0333’N - 76° 32.1667’ W, running
southeast to Point of Marsh at 35° 04.5500’ N - 76° 28.2333’ W. D.
West Bay- south of a line beginning at a point at 35° 03.5167’ N - 76°
26.1333’ W, running southeasterly to a point at 35° 02.1833’ N-76°
21.7500’ W. E. Pamlico Sound- south of a line beginning at a
point on Roanoke Marshes Point 35° 48.3693’N- 75° 43.7232’ W, running
southeasterly to the north point of Eagle Nest Bay 35° 44.1710’N – 75°
31.0520' W [southern boundary of the Albemarle Sound Management Area
(ASMA)] and north of the boundaries of I.A. – I.D. and north of a line
from Camp Point at 35° 00.0833’ N - 76° 14.8000’ W, through Wainwright
Island running southeasterly to a point on Core Banks at 34° 58.7853’ N
-76°09.8922’ W. II. SIZE and HARVEST RESTRICTIONS A. It is unlawful to take, possess, buy, sell or offer for sale striped bass less than 18 inches in total length. B.
In Areas I.A., I.B. and I.C., it is unlawful for an individual or
fishing operation, regardless of the number of persons or boats involved
or the number of areas fished, to take, possess, transport, buy, sell,
or offer for sale more than ten (10) striped bass per day in any combined commercial fishing operation, except that a fishing operation consisting of more than one SCFL holder onboard
may be in possession of up to two daily harvest limits. A SCFL holder
must accompany each single harvest until the time of sale to a dealer
that holds a valid 2014/2015 Striped Bass Dealer Permit validated for
the Central Southern Management Area. C. In Areas I.D. and I.E.,
it is unlawful for an individual or fishing operation, regardless of the
number of persons or boats involved or the number of areas fished, to
take, possess, transport, buy, sell, or offer for sale more than ten (10) striped bass per day in any combined commercial fishing operation, except that a
fishing operation consisting of more than one SCFL holder onboard may
be in possession of up to two daily harvest limits. A SCFL holder must
accompany each single harvest until the time of sale to a dealer that
holds a valid 2014/2015 Striped Bass Dealer Permit validated for the
Central Southern Management Area. Striped bass shall only be taken in
conjunction with other finfish species and striped bass are limited to 50% by weight of the combined daily harvest.
Edited by Rick - 10 December 2015 at 2:42pm
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fiogf49gjkf0d NC Fisheries Management- Motto: Too Little, Too Late, Too Bad Slogan: Shrimp On! Mission Statement: Enable Commercial Fishing At Any and All Cost, Regardless of Impact to the Resource.
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Rick
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Posted: 10 December 2015 at 10:39am |
Please note that this is a targeted fishery under a quota. It is not a bycatch fishery. The NCDMF is allowing the targeting of hatchery raised striped bass for commercial profit. Also note: - The commercial minimum size limit is 18"
- The 22 inch to 27 inch total length no possession slot limit for striped
bass established in N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03Q
.0107 does not apply to commercial fishing operations in Joint Fishing
Waters.
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The quota for striped bass
in the CentralSouthern Management Area (CSMA) by commercial operations
is 25,000 pounds established by the North Carolina
Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) Amendment I.
- This quota is not to prevent regulatory discards, which is evident in proclamation verbiage that states "All striped bass taken during season closures and all undersized striped
bass shall be immediately returned to the waters taken, regardless of
the condition of the fish."
15A NCAC 03Q .0107 SPECIAL
REGULATIONS: JOINT WATERS
In order to effectively manage all
fisheries resources in joint waters and in order to confer enforcement powers
on both fisheries enforcement officers and wildlife enforcement officers with
respect to certain rules, the Marine Fisheries Commission and the Wildlife
Resources Commission deem it necessary to adopt special rules for joint waters.
Such rules supersede any inconsistent rules of the Marine Fisheries Commission
or the Wildlife Resources Commission that would otherwise be applicable in
joint waters under the provisions of 15A NCAC 03Q .0106:
(1)Striped Bass
(a)It is unlawful to possess any striped bass or striped
bass hybrid that is less than 18 inches long (total length).
(b)It is unlawful to possess striped bass or striped bass
hybrids between the lengths of 22 and 27 inches (total length) in joint fishing
waters of the Central Southern Management Area as designated in 15A NCAC 03R
.0201.
(c)It is unlawful to possess striped bass or striped bass
hybrids May through September in the joint fishing waters of the Central
Southern Management Area and the Albemarle Sound Management Area.
(d)It is unlawful to possess striped bass or striped bass
hybrids taken from the joint fishing waters of the Cape Fear River.
(e)It is unlawful to possess more than one daily creel limit
of striped bass or striped bass
hybrids, in the aggregate, per person per day, regardless of
the number of management areas fished.
(f)Possession of fish shall be assessed for the creel and
size limits of the management area in which the individual is found to be
fishing, regardless of the size or creel limits for other management areas
visited by that individual in a given day.
(g)It is unlawful to engage in net fishing for striped bass
or striped bass hybrids in joint waters except as authorized by rules of the
Marine Fisheries Commission.
(2)Lake Mattamuskeet:
(a)It is unlawful to set or attempt to set any gill net in
Lake Mattamuskeet canals designated as joint waters.
(b)It is unlawful to use or attempt to use any trawl net or
seines in Lake Mattamuskeet canals designated as joint waters.
(3)Cape Fear River. It is unlawful to use or attempt to use
any net, net stakes or electrical fishing device within 800 feet of the dam at
Lock No.1 on the Cape Fear River.
(4)Shad: It is unlawful to possess more than 10 American
shad or hickory shad, in the aggregate, per person per day taken by hook-and-line.
History Note:Authority G.S. 113-132;
113-134; 143B-289.52;
Eff. January 1, 1991; Amended Eff.
July 1, 1993; November 1, 1991;
Temporary Amendment Eff. May 1,
2000;
Amended Eff. July 1, 2008; September
1, 2005; April 1, 2001; August 1, 2000.
Edited by Rick - 10 December 2015 at 10:47am
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fiogf49gjkf0d NC Fisheries Management- Motto: Too Little, Too Late, Too Bad Slogan: Shrimp On! Mission Statement: Enable Commercial Fishing At Any and All Cost, Regardless of Impact to the Resource.
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