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Why This Is Ridiculous!
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Offshore tournaments bring in a lot of money to local communities.
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I have
never killed a fish because I was trolling bait.
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I have
never killed a fish because I was trolling a bait / lure
combination.
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Offshore tournaments or so called
Billfish tournaments also have many different categories other than
Billfish and the circle hook does not work well on them while
trolling which is the best means to catch them…Wahoo, Mahi-Mahi,
Tuna.
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There are many other areas of concern, like commercial longlining
that are responsible for more the 98% of Billfish mortality!
Comments on Proposed Billfish Circle Hook Rule
The following information is a follow up to the notice we sent
to you yesterday regarding the Atlantic Billfish Tournament
Circle hooks issue.
SUMMARY: NMFS proposes to
temporarily suspend circle hook requirements for anglers
participating in Atlantic billfish tournaments. The final
rule implementing the Final Consolidated HMS Fishery Management
Plan (FCHMS FMP) published in the Federal Register on October 2,
2006, and
restricted anglers fishing from HMS permitted vessels and
participating in Atlantic billfish tournaments to deploying only
non-offset circle
hooks when using natural baits or natural bait/artificial lure
combinations, effective 12:01 am, January 1, 2007. The purpose
of the
final rule was to reduce post-release mortality of Atlantic
billfish and other species with which billfish tournament
anglers may interact.
NMFS has continued to receive public comment since publication
of the Final CHMS FMP regarding the perceived impacts of the
billfish
tournament non-offset circle hook requirement. The objective of
this proposed rulemaking is to increase post-release survival of
Atlantic
billfishes by improving long-term compliance with billfish
tournament non-offset circle hook regulations.
DATES: Written comments on the proposed rule
must be received by March 30, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the proposed
rule or the Draft
Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) may be submitted to Russell
Dunn or Randy Blankinship, Fisheries Management Specialists,
Highly Migratory
Species Management Division, using any of the following methods:
E-mail:
0648-AV25@noaa.gov Please include the
following in
the subject line: ``Comments on Proposed Billfish Circle
Hook Rule.''
Mail: NOAA/NMFS HMS
Management Division, 263 13th Avenue
South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. Please mark the outside of the
envelope ``Comments on Proposed Billfish Circle Hook
Rule''.
Fax: 727-824-5398.
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal:
http://www.regulations.gov
The hearing locations are:
1. March 27, 2007 from 7 - 9 p.m. Worcester
County Library, Snow Hill Branch, 307 North Washington Street,
Snow Hill, Maryland, 21863.
2. March 28, 2007 from 7 - 9 p.m. Broward
County Library, Main Library, 100 South Andrews Avenue, Ft.
Lauderdale, FL 33301.
3. March 29, 2007 from 7 - 9 p.m. Carteret
Community College, Joslyn Hall, H.J. McGee, Jr. Building, 3505
Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC 28557-2989.
Copies of the
Draft EA, the 2006 FCHMS FMP and other relevant documents are
available from the Highly Migratory Species Management
Division website at
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms or by
contacting Russell Dunn or Randy Blankinship (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Russell Dunn
or Randy Blankinship, by phone: 727-824-5399; by fax:
727-824-5398.
Keeping
You Informed
National Association of Charterboat Operators (NACO)
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