Re: Bad News for Atlantic Shark Managment -- Archive

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Subject: Re: Bad News for Atlantic Shark Managment

Author:
Jim Morris

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Date Posted: 930954721PDT
In reply to: Jim Morris 's message, "Re: Bad News for Atlantic Shark Managment" on 930842182PDT

Forwarded:

In a message dated 7/2/99 3:43:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
abush@zoology.zoo.hawaii.edu writes:

<< NMFS made a mistake by promoting shark fishiries in the 1980's, and it's
time for us all to realize that. If effective management policies aren't
implemented, then the commercial shark fishery will collapse without
pressure from NMFS or any other group, and the collapse will probably be
permanent.

If you have a right to exist, then so do the species that shark fisheries
are threatening with extinction. (With unknown ramifications for other
species and fisheries.)

And many people feel that no one group of people have the reight to destroy
part of the natural heritage of our planet. >>

To: Aaron Bush

Yes, NMFS promoted the utilization of sharks in the 1980s and caused a
massive cut to the directed shark fishery catch (@ 60%) when NMFS implemented
the Atlantic Shark FMP on April 26, 1993. Finning was banned at that time and
logbook reporting became required.

Starting January 1994, NMFS began a 4000 pound dressed weight (dw) trip limit
for large coastal sharks (LCS) like Sandbar sharks (C. plumbeus) and Blacktip
sharks (C. limbatus) to slow the effect of having sold over 1500 shark
permits to any vessel with $10. Historically, this was a 50 to 250 boat fleet
with no trip limits before the FMP began. The trip limit reduced the economic
benefit to the larger vessels who mostly moved out of the fishery at that
time.

To be precautionary, NMFS broke away from their 1993 LCS rebuilding plan
around May 1995 when they chose not to implement the 1.3 million pound dw LCS
increase. After the 1996 Shark Evaluation Workshop (SEW), NMFS chose to cut
the LCS commercial quota by 50% around April 1997. The legal problems arose
when we were told by NMFS that this cut "would not cause a significant
impact." We filed our lawsuit on May 2, 1997, and litigation continues to the
present day.

In the US EEZ for the Pacific Ocean region, finning is still legal in most
places and very little management exists currently for sharks. It would be
best if NMFS and others would get the rest of the areas managed correctly.
Time will tell.

I have dealt with the catch of sharks since the early 1960s. I have been part
of the market for shark since the early 1980s. I lost my shark business after
the 1997 LCS 50% quota cut that wasn't supposed to hurt the small business
entities who depended upon the resource. CPUE for these sharks species that
we target are shooting through the ceiling the past five years. Large, old
adult animals mixed with younger adults and juveniles. Something is going on.

I have always welcomed the merits of good scientific debate based upon the
facts. My desire is for honest, open and productive interaction between all
parties concerned. If you or anyone else believes that these huge highly
migratory species LCS populations are really going to go extinct in our
Atlantic regions then they need to take a boat ride to visit these sharks
domain and see what we have seen these past several years. These Atlantic
sharks are on a robust rebuilding pattern. Shark attacks in the Florida
waters were my family has lived and worked since the 1870s have mostly lead
the world in total bites reported during the past several years. Check out
the international shark attack file that George Burgess maintains out of the
University of Florida. Quite revealing.

Thank you for your interest.

Rusty

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Russell H. Hudson
320 Cavanah Drive
Holly Hill, FL 32117

Independent Fisheries Consultant
HMS AP Member
ALWTRT Member

(904) 239-0948 Voice
(904) 253-2843 Fax

RHudson106@AOL.com

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Replies:

Subject	Author	Date
Re: Bad News for Atlantic Shark Managment	Jim Morris	930955110PDT
Re: Bad News for Atlantic Shark Managment,.. 7 posts combined into 1 -- Jim Morris, Rusty & others, 931202769PDT