Edited excerpts from a press release from Tom Fote from the Jersey Coast Anglers Association on Aug. 1:

Bruce Freeman and I attended the Mid-Atlantic Marine Fisheries Management Council Science and Statistical Committee (SSC) and Monitoring Committee Meetings. 

This SSC meeting represented the SSC’s first opportunity to set the total allowable catch for scup, summer flounder, sea bass and bluefish.

It was an interesting process to observe.

Bruce and I were the only recreational people in the audience for the two days of meetings. There were also some commercial fishermen from Virginia and North Carolina and Greg DiDomenico from Garden Seafood Association ....

Because of the scheduling and the short notice, many members of the SSC were not in attendance.

I had expected to see a more diverse group of SSC members, representing universities and the states. However, I was surprised to find that many of the SSC members are NMFS employees. 

These members were, for the (most) part, from other regions of the country, but I am still concerned that they are part of the NMFS system.

State governments generally develop committees for monitoring that have at least the perception of independence and objectivity. We all know how important perception is to the acceptance of any decisions.

I am not questioning the integrity of any of the committee members. I am just concerned about the public perception about the decisions they will make .... 

Bruce Freeman’s Report on Summer Flounder

The Science and Statistical Committee (SSC) met July 31 to review recommendations of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s staff ... concerning the fishery quotas for fluke, bluefish, sea bass and scup for 2009.  Recent additions to the Federal Fishery Law now require the SSC to review changes in annual quotas to make certain they are supported by the best scientific information.  In addition, the Council must follow the recommendations of the SSC. 

The SSC agreed with the recently completed assessment of the coastwide fluke stock that supports a change to the model used as well as change to a key variable used in the predictive fishery model. These changes, together with the most recent survey data, now indicate that the fluke stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. This means that the fluke resource is more than 75% restored to its maximum sustainable level and at the existing catch rate, we should see a complete recovery of the fluke spawning stock to 151 million pounds by the fall of 2012. Federal Law requires the stock to be rebuilt no later than 2013.

The SSC recommended a total allowable catch level for the 2009 fishing year of 19 million pounds which is divided among recreational fishermen (7.6 million pounds) and commercial fishermen (11.4 millions pounds). 

The 2008 coastwide recreational fishery has been held to about 6 million pounds because of concern that the fluke stock will not be fully restored over the next 4 years. The updated analysis and change in model variables now indicate the stock is more improved than previously indicated and that the recreational catch for 2009 could possibly be increased to 7.4 million pounds, a 19% increase, yet be fully restored by 2013. 

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