In Massachusetts, we mange our summer flounder fishery to be fished primarily during the summer months, which is different than other states, who mainly catch their fluke farther offshore in winter months. This summer fishery is conducted in state waters, primarily in Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds. There’s also a Nantucket run and some boats fish, mainly draggers, out of the island during the season. The directed summer season is traditionally, June 10 and it is open 5 days per week, Sunday – Thursday, no fishing on Fri or Sat, until the summer quota is reached.
In Vineyard Sound, where the majority of our fluke are caught, the fleet is mixed, a dozen or so day boats and a fleet of fifty – seventy five boats, commercial rod and reel fishing and another fifty recreational fishing along side, mostly on Lucas Shoal, there are party boats some days and a handful of six pack charters too, most days. Vineyard Sound is a busy place on a nice summer day, it’s the main drag between NY and points East, like Nantucket, mega yachts and pairs of big sports are running one way or another all day long.
The commercial fishery regulations for fluke in Massachusetts, took their biggest change with respect to the summer fishery, in 1999, when the landing limits for hook fishing was reduced to 200 pounds to protect the interest of trawl fishermen, who in 1997 had petitioned for a reduction to 25 pounds pounds which MA DMF would not support but later (99)supported a reduction to 200 and also to limit entry to the fishery. Since this time there have been no new entrants to the fishery. By regulation fluke permits may be transferred if they are endorsed to a CAP (net) permit, or also to a lobster permit, but not allowed for hook gear permits. By default, there are less hook permits today than there were in 1997, but net permits numbers have stayed nearly the same, because they can be transferred and have been.
This year, fluke landings are going to be liberalized coastwide. This means more fluke for everyone. Fluke are close to being declared restored and soon we will be allowed to harvest much more than we have in recent years. All things considered, this is great news, the last ten years have been a rough road and many of us didn’t make it. The last ten years have seen access to fisheries on the whole reduced to a fraction of what they had been. This years increased fluke quota as well as the news that sea bass is to be doubled are both a ray of hope in what looks to be a dimming future. Catch shares for ground fish begin May 1 and boats with coastal access permits for fluke will likely fish in greater numbers, saving their groundfish share for when fluke will be closed., so the larger quota we are getting, may yield the same or even less days fishing for the fluke. I hope not, but I have to wonder. I know that if I had a trawler and I had a fluke permit, I’d save my groundfish weight for the fall and the spring.
Sure, fluke is restored, but how many more folks will want to fish for them who ordinarily wouldn’t, but will have to now to make up for not a large enough catch share? I wonder about that too. Not just fluke either, but squid, sea bass and scup could also be impacted from displaced groundfishermen, looking for other incomes from the loss of the ones they previously had before catch shares. Most fishermen who rely on fishing as their main or sole source of income will do anything they can to remain fishing, who can blame them? Catch shares are coming, like a train that’s going somewhere most of us don’t want to go and most of us probably aren’t going to come back from.
A summary of the fluke regulations and the various regulatory changes 1996-2007 is here-
http://capecodfisherman.net/frhs.html
Last 5 posts by Cape Cod 19
- Cape Wind....a 10 out of 1 - 10 0n the sleaze factor........ - September 6th, 2010
- My Name Is Earl........ - September 2nd, 2010
- I had to put on a long sleeve shirt this AM...... - August 7th, 2010
- This summer is just slipping away...... - August 4th, 2010
- We need a new governor - July 31st, 2010
