Maryland to shorten 2024 rockfish season

[joppaj]

MD Proposes Emergency Action to Cancel Spring Trophy Rockfish Season | Chesapeake Bay Magazine

Prompted by slumping striped bass reproduction in Maryland waters, the state Department of Natural Resources is moving to limit fishing for the popular Bay rockfish during its spawning run next spring.

www.chesapeakebaymagazine.com

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/12/02/rockfish-population-shrinks-md-shortens-fishing-season/

Looks like the population is dropping again.

 

[joppaj]

Public comments welcome

https://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/6542756cAtlStripedBassDraftAddendumII_PublicComment_Oct2023.pdf

 

[Uncle Duke]

I remember well the rockfish moratorium that started in 1985, and lasted 5 years. I expect we'll see that again, and for recreational and commercial fisheries both.

 

[Jim12]

I remember well the rockfish moratorium that started in 1985, and lasted 5 years. I expect we'll see that again, and for recreational and commercial fisheries both.

IIRC, that rockfish moratorium brought on an overabundance of rockfish spawn that decimated the young blue crab population and led to a crisis in the blue crab population.

Funny how we sometimes don't foresee the foreseeable results of our actions.

 

[Doco Overboard]

I hear lots of tickets get written for undersized rock.

 

[Uncle Duke]

IIRC, that rockfish moratorium brought on an overabundance of rockfish spawn that decimated the young blue crab population and led to a crisis in the blue crab population.

Funny how we sometimes don't foresee the foreseeable results of our actions.

I heard that also. Now as then though, cause and effect are oftentimes hard to determine.

Odd times then as you may recall. Salinity levels were high then, which was said to have brought tide runner bluefish much further north than usual. I never really missed the rockfish. We knocked hell out of BIG bluefish of 12-16 pounds as far north as Hacketts Bar. They were a blast on spinning rods. Big fish were also being caught north of the Bay Bridges. Then they were gone.

I'm not sure they truly know oftentimes, just what causes what. Guess we'll see what they come up with this time around.

 

[outrider58]

IIRC, that rockfish moratorium brought on an overabundance of rockfish spawn that decimated the young blue crab population and led to a crisis in the blue crab population.

Funny how we sometimes don't foresee the foreseeable results of our actions.

I don't believe that to be true.
AND, the moratorium revived the fishery.
I'd like to see the moratorium reinstated.

 

[Slackdaddy]

I don't believe that to be true.
AND, the moratorium revived the fishery.
I'd like to see the moratorium reinstated.

Yup,,
I can see who DNR gets their marching orders from.
Those dang sport fisherman with their one fish limit are the problem!!

 

[Jim12]

I don't believe that to be true.
AND, the moratorium revived the fishery.
I'd like to see the moratorium reinstated.

OK, Meanwhile, I'll buy blue crab futures! Oh, wait. Nowadays, most of them come from more reliable sources, down south.

 

[Baldheaded]

I don't believe that to be true.
AND, the moratorium revived the fishery.
I'd like to see the moratorium reinstated.

I agree. The moratorium needs to be reinstated. If not, they should close the season during the hot summer months. Those fish don't stand much of a chance when it is 90 out. I can't tell you how many people are out there in the summer hammering them and all of them that end up floaters. Sad. I will catch crap for saying this too but the charter boats are just as much to blame if not more.

 

[tjiann]

IIRC, that rockfish moratorium brought on an overabundance of rockfish spawn that decimated the young blue crab population and led to a crisis in the blue crab population.

Funny how we sometimes don't foresee the foreseeable results of our actions.

The blue crab population issues were in the past and still are due to overfishing (recruitment overfishing to be exact). The rockfish recovery was a convenient explanation in order for the fisheries councils and politicians to try and appease the watermen and ignore the truth.

 

[outrider58]

OK, Meanwhile, I'll buy blue crab futures! Oh, wait. Nowadays, most of them come from more reliable sources, down south.

True, but game management is a very involved notion.
On a side note, ever watch underwater cams of Maine lobster fisherman culling their catch? The stripers follow the boats and gobble down lobster bi-catch.

Yup,,
I can see who DNR gets their marching orders from.
Those dang sport fisherman with their one fish limit are the problem!!

Not saying that. I want to see a coastal moratorium.
If you don't understand that, then I can't help you.

 

[Muleskinner]

I hear lots of tickets get written for undersized rock.

Yep at one point NRP was writing 300 tickets per week on the Bill Burton pier alone. Most to illegals who gave false info to the officers and then of course never showing for court. Eventually it got so bad they closed the pier to night fishing and removed the lights. They said it was because the lights posed a hazard due to their age but I am a close friend to one of the NRP officers writing the tickets and he said that was just a cover story because the state didn't want to let it get out that their sanctuary state was importing crime...

 

[Melnic]

Once again, the problem is not the fisherman, but the Omega company taking all the baitfish.
And as said, poaching.

 

[Doco Overboard]

Yep at one point NRP was writing 300 tickets per week on the Bill Burton pier alone. Most to illegals who gave false info to the officers and then of course never showing for court. Eventually it got so bad they closed the pier to night fishing and removed the lights. They said it was because the lights posed a hazard due to their age but I am a close friend to one of the NRP officers writing the tickets and he said that was just a cover story because the state didn't want to let it get out that their sanctuary state was importing crime...

Ask him the real reason.

 

[rbird7282]

DNR seems to always be behind the curve. They’ve said the rockfish spawn numbers have been low for the last five years and all of the sudden they’re passing emergency regulations. A quicker more gradual approach might work better but it seems like they wait until the circumstances are more dire before they act


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[LAC_MD]

With the way man harvest every natural resource many species are in trouble from crabs to weakfish to bass to menhaden… technology is making it so much easier and the amount of waste is astounding. We need to find a better balance. The bass stocks are not in dire straits yet. But more restrictions are on the horizon. There was a recovery target set that we are not meeting and it requires drastic cuts to achieve. Personally I think we should restart the hatchery program we had during the moratorium..

 

[John from MD]

Once again, the problem is not the fisherman, but the Omega company taking all the baitfish.
And as said, poaching.

I go with this. Sport fisherman don't take enough fish to make a difference and the sport fisherman numbers have been dropping for years.

 

[dist1646]

All that money to "save the bay" hasn't done all that much, except line some pockets.

 

[Sundazes]

All that money to "save the bay" hasn't done all that much, except line some pockets.

This 100%.