Senior Member 
Join Date: Jun 2003 Location:
Posts: 382
|  4/19 L.I Newsday Article on Size Limits-Fluke and Porgy
A fight over limits
BY JAMIE HERZLICH
STAFF WRITER
April 19, 2004
Whoever said size doesn't matter hasn't talked to a party boat captain lately.
The party and charter boat industry is up in arms over proposals that could potentially limit the size and take of fluke and porgies this season.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is trying to come up with a plan to meet federal guidelines regarding the amount of fluke and porgies that can be caught this season by recreational fishermen.
Some of these proposals would increase the minimum size of the fish or reduce the catch per angler and establish a closed season setting limits on when fluke can be fished.
While the DEC hasn't set new regulations yet in New York, federal regulations require a 48 percent reduction in summer flounder, or fluke, and a 58 percent reduction in scup, or porgies, taken from New York's waters.
"It's going to hurt us," said Capt. Jack Passie of The Windy, a charter boat that sails out of Star Island Yacht Club in Montauk. "People aren't going to spend $800 to catch three fish."
That's how much Passie, president of the Montauk Boatman's and Captain's Association, charges for a full day trip including bait and tackle, for a charter of up to six people. He said he heard of one proposal that would limit recreational anglers to three fluke per day, compared to the current seven allowed, and increase the minimum length of 17 inches to 18 inches.
"If it's only three fish, that would be a rip-off for us," said Dennis Ferlin, 53, an angler from Wantagh who booked The Windy for a July trip. "I book it only once a year because to me it's a big expense."
Passie estimates that such limits per angler could mean the loss of a third or more business for the local fishing industry.
The sport fishing industry in the marine district, which includes New York City, has an estimated economic impact of $1.33 billion, according to Ken Gall, seafood specialist with the New York Sea Grant program.
Although federal regulators acknowledged the importance of the industry on the local economy, they say there is a good reason for the limits.
"The 2003 National Marine Fisheries Service landing estimates for scup and summer flounder showed the New York recreational community overharvested their targets," said Toni Kerns, fisheries management plan coordinator for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, a group formed by the 15 Atlantic Coast states to assist in managing and conserving their shared coastal fishery resources. The commission co-manages the fisheries, along with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, which represents state and federal agencies and the public.
In 2003, New York was allowed 1.9 million porgies, and about 5 million were landed; for flounder, New York recreational fisherme were allowed 726,000, and they landed 1.5 million, Kerns said.
But captains such as Tom Marconi, who owns the Pilot II, a 65-foot party boat out of Sheepshead Bay, don't agree.
"Last year, our boats didn't start until the second week of June because of the rainy weather," said Marconi, who charges $38 per person. "How could we have overfished?"
In general, also, captains say that most anglers abide by the regulations and the boats are marked to help keep them in compliance.
The local industry challenges the data used to determine that the region was overharvested. The conclusion was based on the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey under the National Marine Fisheries Service, which did not return a call for comment.
"New York got hit the hardest," said Capt. Ken Tokar of the Angler, a 47-foot party boat docked at Capt. Mike's Marina in Howard Beach. For instance, Connecticut got no reductions this year on fluke and a 53 percent reduction on porgies.
The United Boatmen of New Jersey and New York, which represents more than 300 party and charter boats, has suggested that New York sue the federal government "on the data and how it is collected," says one of the group's board members, Dennis Kanyuk, who owns a charter boat and party boat at the Town of Hempstead East Marina in Point Lookout.
"A major concern is quotas based on surveys," said Assemb. Fred Thiele (R-Sag Harbor), who has been trying to help the fishing captains by delivering their concerns to the state. "I think we need to force the issue that this whole thing is based on faulty data."
DEC officials say they have not made any decisions yet. "Staff has been meeting with recreational anglers to assist in the development of options that the agency is considering," says Maureen Wren, a DEC spokeswoman. She said the DEC has written to the National Marine Fishery Service to get more details on the data that was used.
The DEC is examining proposed changes in minimum size limits of fluke ranging from the existing 17 inches to 18 inches and possession limits ranging from seven to three fish, she said. For porgies, they are looking at size limits ranging from 10 to 11.25 inches and possession limits from 10 to the current 50.
"It's all up in the air," said Capt. Tom Weiss of the Captain Al, a party boat that docks in Point Lookout. He said the size restrictions on recreational anglers seem unfair compared with those for commercial fishermen, who are allowed to take fluke as small as 14 inches, or three inches shorter. "We're ready to fight as soon as they sign a bill."
|
