DFW Commission and lobster recomendations

[Saba Slayer]

THIS IS MY OPINION AND DOES NOT REFLECT THE OPINION OF THE DFW OR OTHER LAC MEMBERS...!!!
The conical net phase out was presented at the last meeting...90% of the LAC and the Department is made up of divers and they all backed this proposal. The two hoopnet reps were made aware that this proposal would be brought up at the last meeting and we were warned about it only a few days before the meeting. 4 hoopnet reg changes were proposed by the ALTERNATE diver rep at the last meeting and he did not give any of the other recreational reps a heads-up about his proposals, nor did he propose any viable restrictions on the divers...?!?! Not very good politics if you are really looking for some constructive ways of cutting the recreational consumptive effort.
If you are upset about this STUPID proposal please step up to the mic and say so at the Commission Meeting.
An old creel survey was being used as proof of the excessive number of hoopers compared to divers...80% hoop 20% dive.
This number is way off...a creel survey only questions the folks returning to a boat launch area...This is ridiculous as most hoopers launch a boat then go out and set their nets, while most divers i know walk out from shore or have a boat in a slip. These divers would never come in contact with a DFW creel survey.
If you look at the report card returns for the last few years you'll see that the real ratio is closer to 60% hoop and 40% dive.
This years report card data should be the best yet with the new seasonal card and the new non-return fee (32% RETURNS last season and this season should be well over 50%) ...IF THE DFW staff AND the COMMISSION IS SMART, they will wait until the new data comes out before they make any new regulation proposals.
Just as a reminder...if any of these regulation changes are adopted, I believe they won't go into effect until the 2016-17 season.
During the two years of meetings there were many recreational and commercial reg. proposals brought forward and they were voted down for various reasons...yet the so called "independent" moderater hired by the DFW felt it was important to include this bit of info on the seasonal limit and the conical nets..."A broad majority of the LAC supported a proposal to set a seasonal limit (70) for the recreational fishery and a proposal to ban the use of conical hoop nets. Opposition from two recreational members prevented consensus on each of these proposals. Of note, neither of these members offered an alternative proposal to address commercialization (the intent of the seasonal limit) or to address problems associated with the rapid rise in the use of hoop nets in recent years."
He also failed to mention that 2 Commercial Reps abstained from the vote on the seasonal limit...INHO he was a biased moderator and is looking out for his own welfare and another FMP job with the DFW...If the Department has their act together on the next FMP they will find someone who is open minded and has a neutral position.
THE WHOLE DAMN THING SMACKED OF THE MLPA process and left me with a bad taste for the whole DFW political system...no one argued the commercial reg changes except the commercial guys, yet all the LAC felt they had to jump on the hoop netters and help reduce our effort or numbers.
Jim / Saba Slayer