Tog '07 ain't dead yet

pogyman · 02-27-2007, 05:52 PM

Hi guys-

I attended last night Ma. DMF public hearing in Bourne.

I learned something rather interesting-

Apparently, the ASMFC isn't requiring any changes to the '07 tog fishery? As it was explained to us, by Deputy Director Ma. DMF Dr. David Pierce, "we don't have to make any changes until 01/01/2008",

I took this to mean that according to ASMFC, and to be in compliance, that changes are not mandated this year.

Feel free to correct if I am wrong, if anyone here was at the hearing.

So, that said, I guess I would say to all of you guys- ask about this situation, ask your states DMF or whatever your state calls it.

The part of the hearing that concerned tautog was kind of strange, the DMF didn't actually have any - absolute proposals to offer to us, just some general ideas. Instead of saying we could catch "X" during such and such dates etc., they didn't. They offered no definitive or structured prop's, like I said it was strange.

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This is primarily for any comms that have an interest in tog.

Comm guys- food for thought; The thing I realized just last night was a little disturbing, to say the least. The ASMFC is mandating a "90/10 rec/com split of this fishery, so, if the recs are taking a reduction in their allowable landings, and the commercial allowable landings are going to be based on the reduced allowable landings after the reduction (whew-hang on)- what will that leave the comm's? Nothing? I am not sure and I am going to make some inquiry's today, if I am able to find anyone that can give me a straight answer.

Several people brought up an interesting point at last night hearing.

They asked how the 90/10 split rec/com, came to be. The response from DMF was that it is based on landings from the last twenty years. It was then asked how those landings stats were achieved or record- what was the source of the data, in other words? The response was it is based on federal dealers reports and the MRFSS data. This is preposterous!!

As one fish buyer in the audience stated- "I bought more fish in one year than the landing data reflected for the whole state". Good point, and isn't that a very interesting point? I know for a fact that none of my landings, or prertty much anyone else's landings in Ma. were properly (or at all for the most) recorded until the recent implementation of mandatory recording of all landings when we began the electronic reporting system.

Again and to clarify the above, I am only speaking for Ma., however I
assume that the same can be said for the other states-?

Now I don't know if this has been discussed or considered by anyone else here or not so if it has- oops.

If in fact they do have the landings data way way too low and I really think they do, it is paramount that the comms question all of this and demand that the landings data improprieties be addressed before any reductions are made and that until this landings data is properly reflective of what landings truly were historically, that no adjustments to the tautog fishery are acceptable.

I cannot stress to anyone strongly enough, just how important this is,
you need to question this.

Improperly recorded or not recorded landings have already proven problematic for some fisheries. You still have some access to tautog left- do not give it up without a fight.

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