njdiver
09-19-2005, 08:06 AM
LEGISLATIVE ALERT - Spearfishing Tuna
9/16/05
National Marine Fisheries Service is giving the sport diving community an opportunity to make spearfishing for Tuna legal again in federal waters in the Atlantic. There is a proposal in "The Draft Consolidated HMS FMP And Proposed Rule" under 2.3.3 , Alternative H2 that would "Authorize speargun fishing gear as a permissible gear type in the recreational Atlantic tuna fishery."
If my memory is correct, it was in the early nineties that the HMS Committee proposed banning spearfishing for Tuna. That committee never asked anyone involved in spearfishing for Tuna to testify before the committee regarding the matter, and no one in the sport diving community knew about the proposal as few people read the Federal Register everyday for fun. No warning was ever given to the sport diving community about the proposal.
Although it is likely that few tuna will be taken by spearfishermen in this area, it is important that this proposal passes as it could help open doors for the spearfisherman/sport diver, who also has problems with other federal fishery management plans that do not recognize spearfishing equipment as authorized gear.
Please write to:
National Marine Fisheries Service,
Highly Migratory Species Management Division,
US Department of Commerce,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Silver Spring MD 20910.
Label it "Comments - Draft Consolidated HMS FMP" and support 2.3.3, Alternative H2 (Authorize speargun fishing gear as a permissible gear type in the recreational Atlantic Tuna Fishery).
Remember that unlike other fishing methods, the spearfisherman can see the fish and does not take unwanted species or undersized fish. There is no bi-catch in spearfishing, and the spearfisherman leaves no lines on the bottom to snag other fish, lobsters or turtles.
We need everyone to write because one of the other proposals is to make no changes to authorized gear. The statement is made that speargun landings would be deducted from the Angling category quota. This could cause some people to write in to oppose it, although it should not really have any impact because the number of Tuna taken would be insignificant. The deadline for comments is the middle of October.
Jack Fullmer
Legislative Committee Chairman
NJCDC
9/16/05
National Marine Fisheries Service,
Highly Migratory Species Management Division,
US Department of Commerce,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Silver Spring MD 20910.
Comments Draft Consolidated HMS FMP
The following testimony is submitted by the New Jersey Council of Diving Clubs (NJCDC) regarding the proposed rule and draft consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishing Management Plan. The NJCDC is a regional council of 20 sport diving clubs, some of which are New York and Pennsylvania clubs.
In Chapter 2 (Summary of the Alternate Management Program Structure of the DEIS for the Consolidated HMS FMP) under 2.3.3 (Authorized Fishing Gear), the NJCDC strongly supports alternative H2 (Authorize speargun fishing gear as a permissible gear type in the recreational Atlantic Tuna Fishery - Preferred Alternative).
The NJCDC applauds NMFS for this proposal. This will help right a wrong that was done to the sport diver fishery a number of years ago. If my memory is correct, it was in the early 90s that the HMS Committee proposed banning spearfishing for tuna. That committee never asked anyone involved in spearfishing to testify before the committee regarding the matter, and no one in the sport diving community knew about the proposal, as few people read the Federal Register everyday for fun. No warning was ever given to the sport diving community about the proposal, and I only heard about it months after it passed. At that time, I got the impression that the sport diver fishery was targeted just because it was small and used different equipment.
The number of tuna taken by spearfishermen at that time was very few (an insignificant amount), and was primarily located in areas of the south mid-Atlantic and Florida. It is very difficult to get within range of a tuna, so the number of fish taken will be negligible.
Unlike other fishing methods, the spearfisherman can see the fish and does not take unwanted species or undersized fish. There is no bi-catch in spearfishing, and the spearfisherman leaves nothing on the bottom to snag other fish, lobsters or turtles. Blue-water spearfishing is legal and highly regarded on the West Coast. A number of documentaries have been made on this physically demanding sport.
The NJCDC would also like to see other Highly Migratory Species eventually open to spearfishing. Again, the number of fish taken would be negligible.
The NJCDC wants to clarify that "recreational" would include charter dive boats that support the recreational sport diver and spearfisherman. There is some confusion in Federal regulations that considers charter boats commercial. If "recreational" only means diving from private boats, then we would support Alternative H3 in order to include charter dive boats. However, our organization represents recreational sport divers and we are not pushing commercial spearfishing. We prefer Alternative H2 provided the recreational diver will be allowed to be transported to the site by a charter dive boat.
Sincerely
Jack Fullmer
Legislative Committee
New Jersey Council of Diving Clubs
9/16/05
National Marine Fisheries Service is giving the sport diving community an opportunity to make spearfishing for Tuna legal again in federal waters in the Atlantic. There is a proposal in "The Draft Consolidated HMS FMP And Proposed Rule" under 2.3.3 , Alternative H2 that would "Authorize speargun fishing gear as a permissible gear type in the recreational Atlantic tuna fishery."
If my memory is correct, it was in the early nineties that the HMS Committee proposed banning spearfishing for Tuna. That committee never asked anyone involved in spearfishing for Tuna to testify before the committee regarding the matter, and no one in the sport diving community knew about the proposal as few people read the Federal Register everyday for fun. No warning was ever given to the sport diving community about the proposal.
Although it is likely that few tuna will be taken by spearfishermen in this area, it is important that this proposal passes as it could help open doors for the spearfisherman/sport diver, who also has problems with other federal fishery management plans that do not recognize spearfishing equipment as authorized gear.
Please write to:
National Marine Fisheries Service,
Highly Migratory Species Management Division,
US Department of Commerce,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Silver Spring MD 20910.
Label it "Comments - Draft Consolidated HMS FMP" and support 2.3.3, Alternative H2 (Authorize speargun fishing gear as a permissible gear type in the recreational Atlantic Tuna Fishery).
Remember that unlike other fishing methods, the spearfisherman can see the fish and does not take unwanted species or undersized fish. There is no bi-catch in spearfishing, and the spearfisherman leaves no lines on the bottom to snag other fish, lobsters or turtles.
We need everyone to write because one of the other proposals is to make no changes to authorized gear. The statement is made that speargun landings would be deducted from the Angling category quota. This could cause some people to write in to oppose it, although it should not really have any impact because the number of Tuna taken would be insignificant. The deadline for comments is the middle of October.
Jack Fullmer
Legislative Committee Chairman
NJCDC
9/16/05
National Marine Fisheries Service,
Highly Migratory Species Management Division,
US Department of Commerce,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Silver Spring MD 20910.
Comments Draft Consolidated HMS FMP
The following testimony is submitted by the New Jersey Council of Diving Clubs (NJCDC) regarding the proposed rule and draft consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishing Management Plan. The NJCDC is a regional council of 20 sport diving clubs, some of which are New York and Pennsylvania clubs.
In Chapter 2 (Summary of the Alternate Management Program Structure of the DEIS for the Consolidated HMS FMP) under 2.3.3 (Authorized Fishing Gear), the NJCDC strongly supports alternative H2 (Authorize speargun fishing gear as a permissible gear type in the recreational Atlantic Tuna Fishery - Preferred Alternative).
The NJCDC applauds NMFS for this proposal. This will help right a wrong that was done to the sport diver fishery a number of years ago. If my memory is correct, it was in the early 90s that the HMS Committee proposed banning spearfishing for tuna. That committee never asked anyone involved in spearfishing to testify before the committee regarding the matter, and no one in the sport diving community knew about the proposal, as few people read the Federal Register everyday for fun. No warning was ever given to the sport diving community about the proposal, and I only heard about it months after it passed. At that time, I got the impression that the sport diver fishery was targeted just because it was small and used different equipment.
The number of tuna taken by spearfishermen at that time was very few (an insignificant amount), and was primarily located in areas of the south mid-Atlantic and Florida. It is very difficult to get within range of a tuna, so the number of fish taken will be negligible.
Unlike other fishing methods, the spearfisherman can see the fish and does not take unwanted species or undersized fish. There is no bi-catch in spearfishing, and the spearfisherman leaves nothing on the bottom to snag other fish, lobsters or turtles. Blue-water spearfishing is legal and highly regarded on the West Coast. A number of documentaries have been made on this physically demanding sport.
The NJCDC would also like to see other Highly Migratory Species eventually open to spearfishing. Again, the number of fish taken would be negligible.
The NJCDC wants to clarify that "recreational" would include charter dive boats that support the recreational sport diver and spearfisherman. There is some confusion in Federal regulations that considers charter boats commercial. If "recreational" only means diving from private boats, then we would support Alternative H3 in order to include charter dive boats. However, our organization represents recreational sport divers and we are not pushing commercial spearfishing. We prefer Alternative H2 provided the recreational diver will be allowed to be transported to the site by a charter dive boat.
Sincerely
Jack Fullmer
Legislative Committee
New Jersey Council of Diving Clubs