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Old 01-27-2004, 12:16 PM   #1
biggsy
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State to lift lobster trap limits

This is an article in todays Fort Myers News-Press. The first paragraph summarizes it:

State wildlife officials plan to soon suspend limits on the number of lobster traps allowed in Florida waters as lobstermen struggle from declining catches in recent years.

I always thought, once your rights are taken away, they are never given back. It seems that commercial fisherman/lobsterman live by a different set of rules.

Am I the only one bothered by this? Does this mean recreational bag limits go up? Maybe I am off here, but I hate to see the commercial guys catered to, too much, in light of what is going on with what we as recreational fisherman can take as a bag limit. I think all of these issues tie together hand in hand.

The article is below.

http://www.news-press.com/news/local...apsupdate.html

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Old 01-27-2004, 12:24 PM   #2
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I don't understand this. If they are only getting two or three lobsters per trap that are legal, how is setting out more traps going to preserve the lobster population?? You would think they would further decrease the amount of traps until the catch increases.
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Old 01-27-2004, 12:33 PM   #3
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What a load of crap, six months after they lowered the limit on the recs. Bullshit!!
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Old 01-27-2004, 01:12 PM   #4
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That is absolutely unbeleivable. The catches are declining so the solution is to put out MORE TRAPS?! A half a million in a single county is not enough. I guess 5 traps in every 10 square feet just aint doing the trick.
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Old 01-27-2004, 01:53 PM   #5
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Stone crab traps

On my way out for our gulf trip Sunday, I noticed an extreme amount of floaters on top of the water. I asked the captain what those were for and they were for stone crab, which to be honest with you I had no idea the stonies were even found that far out in the gulf. I thought the only lobster you got on this coast were shovelheads. You are right though, the traps seemed to be set every 50 yards or so, even if it was just for stone crab.
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Old 01-27-2004, 02:16 PM   #6
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Hell there are so many traps out there that they are becoming navigational hazzards. Coming back from Anclote is like making your way through a minefield.
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Old 01-27-2004, 02:51 PM   #7
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Breeding problems are part of the issue

"legal" spineys have not all had a chance to breed before capture.

Several years ago I suggested to the fla fisheries folks to CLOSE the commercial bug season for 3 years, and raise the minimum legal length by about 1/8" to 1/4" per year to re-establish the breeding population lost in the season of '76-'77 when the Bahamas closed their waters to non-Bahamian commercial fishing.

Before the '76-77 season a diver could be pretty certain of finding a limit if he looked long enough in the correct places between WPB and MIA. After the first 3 weeks of the '76 season legal bugs were simply GONE!

I also suggested they use the tax stamp revenues from the rec fishery to pay the commercial guys their claimed past 3 or 5 year average profits for the privledge of fishing for something else for 6 months a year.

At the end of 3 years reopen the commercial fishery with all using the larger size limits.

Strangly enough I believe the proposal went directly to the waste bin as I never even got a retun letter or e-mail.

Of course the reality that may skew the data is that you can have bugs or jewfish, but not both, in the same habitat.
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Old 01-27-2004, 03:13 PM   #8
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Thumbs down I hate traps

And that not to mention the effect of these row upon rows of heavy wooden boxes dropped onto the reef constantly and dragging along the bottom. Has the effect of these traps on the dilicate soft and hard corals they scrape from the rocks they live on? after a storm the scars from the traps are clearly visible all along the reef and sand, maybe they have something to do with the reason that 90% of the reef is dead rock.
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Old 01-27-2004, 03:14 PM   #9
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"We're catching less and less, our costs are going up, everything creeps up," said Toby Kight, a second-generation lobsterman. "But the thing I'm most worried about is the lobster, what's happening to them."

How can anybody think that increasing the number of traps will have any positive effect on lobster populations? Where's Ault when you need him
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Old 01-27-2004, 09:43 PM   #10
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I remember about 12 years ago my father would go to the grounds and bring home so many dam lobsters that we would get tired eating them. Now your lucky if you can get one in a trip.
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Old 01-28-2004, 06:47 AM   #11
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That IS bullshit. They lower limits on the sector that has the least impact and then tell the commercial folks to go nuts?!? Shit, enjoy catching lobster while you can, 'cause they're going to get wiped out.
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Old 01-28-2004, 09:44 AM   #12
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Inaccurate News Article

I checked with Bill Teehan of the FWC and he has assured me that this story is inaccurate and the FWC is only suspending the trap reduction program for three years. This only means they are not going to reduce the number of traps allowed for three years. During this three year period they will also be undertaking an intense study to determine why lobster populations are on the decline.

FYI -



FWC SET TO MEET AT AMELIA ISLAND FEB. 4-6

Agenda (with links to attachments)

January 20, 2004
CONTACTS: (marine issues) Lee Schlesinger (850) 487-0554
(aquatic and wildlife issues) Henry Cabbage (850) 488-8843

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will meet at Amelia Island Plantation Resort, near Fernandina Beach, Feb. 4-6.



On Thursday, Commissioners will take final action on proposed rules for spiny lobster to fully implement the licensing program for commercial divers in the spiny lobster fishery, establish a moratorium on issuing new commercial dive permits from Jan. 1, 2005 until July 1, 2010, create an appeals process for the commercial dive permit, and specify that the commercial dive permit is for vessel saltwater products licenses only.

Other provisions up for consideration Thursday create a statewide daily harvest and possession limit of 250 lobsters for commercial divers and also for commercial bully net lobster fishermen, establish commercial dive vessel marking requirements, and prohibit harvest of lobsters by commercial divers within 25 yards of artificial habitats. Another proposed rule suspends the lobster trap reduction program for three seasons to allow completion of a comprehensive study of the commercial lobster fishery.
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Old 01-29-2004, 01:01 PM   #13
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lobster trap limits

Yes, the trap limits remain in place, the Miami Herald reporter misunderstood what FWC's John Hunt was saying. Needless to say you can not believe everything you read. Stone crab and lobster trap fisheries are two of our major commercial fisheries so there will always be alot of traps in the water even as the reductions continue (stone crab is also under a trap reduction program).

Recent studies have shown that traps do only minor damage to seagrass and hardbottom communities largely because the habitat is so vast but also because traps (other than lost ones) do not remain in one spot. Trappers seem to avoid the main reefs here in the Keys but sometimes do set traps on top of patch reefs where the water is murky. Typically, the good fishermen like to put traps near the reefs to catchthe lobsters while they come and go to feed at night. Traps on top of reefs don't catch because the reef corals and ledges offer better quality dens for daytime refuge.
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Old 01-29-2004, 09:22 PM   #14
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Wait and see

The stats may show an increase in trap robbing...LMAO
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Old 01-30-2004, 07:43 PM   #15
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Thumbs down traps

Dgregory, whos data is that Dr ault's. what you said is BS, maybe not on the west coast, but anywhere in dade-county, belive me the impact is huge on the hard bottom. Anchors also play a role, but the traps are the main reef grinders at least where I dive.... Keep in mind who likely sponsored the study you mentioned.
Non-reduction sounds like increase to me
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