Saltwater Fishing News
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- Published: Tuesday, 12 January 2010 08:10
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In the midst of a six-month shutdown of the black sea bass
recreational fishery, science advisors to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council have concluded that they underestimated the size of
the black sea bass population, and now say 2010 catch limits can safely
be increased by about 50 percent,
"It's not final, but it's a big hurdle," said Chris Zeman, a New Jersey representative on the council. "I was very happy. I remember looking at those (earlier) numbers back in October and thinking, 'This can't be right.' "
Black sea bass is the latest issue to divide government managers and the recreational angling community which is banned through March from fishing for the species in federal waters outside three miles. Several New Jersey and New York party boat operators could face civil fines over trips in November when customers kept the bass they caught.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials imposed the emergency ban in October, based on survey results that indicated the recreational sector would overshoot its share of the catch in 2009. Meanwhile, the Mid-Atlantic council lowered catch limits for 2010 at the recommendation of its science and statistical committee, despite a reassessment of black sea bass that showed the stock was not overfished as previously thought. Read More Here on app.com
