Can someone tell me bout the blackseabass closure

[inshorebasher]

Is it true that on February 12th, 2011 they are going to close it or limit the harvesting of BLack Sea bass? This is just getting out of hand, first snapper and grouper. how do we carnivores supposed to get any meat on the table if all these regulations are being put in affect or effect? either way we're just fishing for fun now it seems but not for game, or sport or even a meal. For shame this is my first post of the new year back on the site

[ripnlips]

www.news-journalonline.com/news/outdoors/fishing/2011/02/01/black-sea-bass-close-feb-12.html

Black sea bass close Feb. 12
By JORDAN KAHN, Staff writer

Starting Feb. 12, recreational anglers will no longer be allowed to keep black sea bass caught in South Atlantic federal waters.

For charter and head boats and guides required to hold South Atlantic snapper-grouper federal permits, the closure also applies in state waters.

Local charter boat owner Barry Freeman, owner of Sea Spirit Deep Sea Fishing in Ponce Inlet, met the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's announcement with concern.

"There won't be anything else to catch here pretty soon," Freeman said.

Red snapper harvest is also closed in federal waters. And the state's seasonal closures on all grouper species (Jan. 1 to April 30) and vermilion snapper (Nov. 1 to March 31) are currently in effect.

Freeman said in March he sold the Sea Spirit II, one of his two head boats, and that the Sea Spirit I is for sale, too.

"Between the economy and the closures, business has dropped off enough that it really didn't warrant having both boats," Freeman said.

The earliest date the black sea bass fishery could reopen is June 1.

Under normal circumstances, the annual recreational black sea bass season will open June 1 and close May 31 the following year.

The closure is part of new a regulation to prevent overfishing that sets annual catch limits for black sea bass, vermilion snapper, gag grouper, red grouper and black grouper.

The recreational sector's limit for black sea bass was set at 409,000 pounds per season for the 4.2 million recreational anglers in the South Atlantic region, the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.

The council estimates that in the 2009-2010 season, recreational anglers in the South Atlantic caught 574,332 pounds of black sea bass, which typically weigh around 2 pounds.

The recreational sector has exceeded its limit by an average of 29 percent since 2006, according to council numbers.

Under the new law, the limit for the next season will be reduced by an average of the preceding overages.

Tom Swatzel of Murrells Inlet, S.C., who sits on the council as a recreational angling stakeholder representative, said exceeded limits could bring early closures and delayed season openings.

"This could cause some extremely short recreational black sea bass fishing years," Swatzel said.

Swatzel said the council is considering reducing the 15-black sea bass daily bag limit as a way to avoid routine early closures.

[inshorebasher]

Thank Marrio!

[montylfl]

it says south atlantic. Does that mean Gulf waters too?

[ripnlips]

negative ghost rider, just the east coast.

[bcc]

unfortunatly all the clousers are way to late to accomlish anything real fast. I believe the red snapper clousres did help. Closeing everthing at the same will just kill recreational boat fishing. I wish they had done something about the black sea bass many years ago. when i was a kid back in the late 80,s in clearwater i was able to go on the party boats and catch them up to 3 lbs and it dident take to only catch real small omes. The 8" limit on them was a total jke. The limit should have been 12" to 15" for many years now. Just my 2 cenys cause thats all i got left.