Letter from Skip C. (Force E) re Fla lobster regulations

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

El Stroko Guapo - 05 Nov 2007 19:42 GMT

The Florida State FWC is about to adversely change the Lobster catch
laws to favor the Trap Fisherman and reduce the sport diver’s
opportunity to enjoy their sport.

SAVE YOUR SPORT

It is proposed to:
• Lengthen the season for Commercial Trappers.
• Require State issue catch tags for Sport Divers
• Reduce the limit for Sport Divers
• Put an end to mandatory trap reductions

We feel the Spiny Lobster Advisory Board was stacked in favor of the
commercial trappers. The board is comprised of 4 commercial trappers, 3
wholesalers, 3 recreational fishers (divers) and 3 NGOs. No dive
industry representative was appointed.

The meetings were held State areas, which were not populated with sport
divers or dive industry businesses.

Force-E believes the lobster resources should be protected and
sustained. We are not against a shorter season for all parties. We are
not against a larger license fee FOR ALL PARTIES (slotted for
enforcement). We welcome any suggestions leading to a sustainable
lobster fishery resource.

PLEASE ATTEND THE MEETING THIS TUESDAY EVENING

Lobster Workshop:

Date: Nov. 6th, 2007 (Tuesday)

Time: 6:00 pm

Location: IGFA Hall of Fame
For directions click on IGFA Directions
Florida Considers New Lobster Regulation

Directions:

I-95 to Griffin Road Exit in Dania (Just South of Fort Lauderdale)
Go west on Griffin two blocks to Anglers Dr and turn left.
Follow Anglers Dr. to IGFA Hall of Fame.

You can computer map:
IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame
300 Gulf Stream Way
Dania, FL 33004, US

See you there at 6:00 pm.

If you cannot attend and would like to send in your comments or need
additional information go to:

http://myfwc.com/marine/workgroups/index.html#Spiny_Lobster

Reply to this Message

Lee Bell - 07 Nov 2007 02:54 GMT

> The Florida State FWC is about to adversely change the Lobster catch laws
> to favor the Trap Fisherman and reduce the sport diver’s opportunity to
> enjoy their sport . . .

So why didn't I see you there?

Here's the skinny on some of what Skip reported.

> • Lengthen the season for Commercial Trappers.

Correct. They want to allow trappers to put their traps in the water the day
after the two day mini season, about a week earlier than before. They are
allowed to pull them for the first time on August 6, the start of the
regular lobster season. Somehow, the committee failed to notice that putting
the traps in two weeks before the season starts, is fishing for lobster two
weeks before the season starts.

I found one speaker's observation that early in the season, there are still
a lot of egg bearing females, to be interesting. I also realized that her
observation matches my own. She suggested the season be moved back rather
than being moved forward. Not a bad idea.

> • Require State issue catch tags for Sport Divers

Not only that, but raise the cost of recreational lobster permits to pay for
the tags.

> • Reduce the limit for Sport Divers

That was discussed, but apparently did not make it through the system.

> • Put an end to mandatory trap reductions

Make that put a permanent end to them. They also have a buy back program
that includes sales of the purchased traps to new entries in the industry
and incentives for new lobster fishermen, all instead of continuation of an
established trap reduction plan.

Please note that they eliminated provisions that allowed recreational people
to put out 5 traps each several years ago. It was important to reduce the
number of recreational traps to zero, but it's not important to reduce the
number of commercial traps.

A more interesting claim was that protected Goliath Grouper might be part of
the problem. I can tell you that there are a lot more of them than ever
before in my life and that they are a hell of a lot bigger than they were
when it was legal to fish for them. They're sure eating something. Other
grouper are known to eat lobster. Apparently some people believe Goliaths
don't. Go figure.

The fact that lobster traps, including ghost traps and trawler traps
(multiple traps attached to a continuous line) are all over the reefs was
mentioned, but was not included in any of the board information. Imagine
that.

Also, Florida has approved plastic traps, which last much better than the
traditional wooden ones. Of course when they lose their floats, they last a
lot longer on the reef too. It's ironic that is is illegal for me to
discharge any plastic at all, of any type, in the ocean, but it's a good
idea for lobster trappers to deploy plastic traps.

> We feel the Spiny Lobster Advisory Board was stacked in favor of the
> commercial trappers. The board is comprised of 4 commercial trappers, 3 >
> wholesalers, 3 recreational fishers (divers) and 3 NGOs. No dive industry
> representative was appointed.

It's more than a feeling. Basically, 7 out of 10 non governmental
representatives on the board are commercial fishermen of one kind or
another. I think it's fair to say that the board is stacked and biased,
particularly as the quotas, discussed as guaranteed quotas, are 72%
commercial trappers, 22% recreational users. Interesting how closely the use
numbers match the make up of the board.

Here it is another way. The 500 Commercial trappers take approximately 10.1
million pounds of lobster per year or about 20, 200 pounds of lobster each.
We know this because it's what the commercial interests report and we know
they would never, ever, under report their catch. The 131,000 recreational
users, on the other hand, account for about 3.9 million pounds or roughly 30
pounds each. Not exactly what I'd call an equitable division of the
resource.

The terrible recreational poachers were mentioned. The increased fees and
tag system recommended for recreational is to deal with this terrible
problem. What was not said by the officials, but certainly was said by me,
is that the worst of the recreational poachers, does not take as many
lobster in the whole season as one perfectly legal commercial trapper takes
in a single day.

Lee

Reply to this Message