Mr. Colvin presented and discussed with the Council possible emendations to the regulations governing harvests of crabs and lobster that are being considered by DEC.  He cautioned that note all items on this list would necessarily be included in the final regulatory package, which is still some months away.  Most of these proposed changes dealt with issues that had been raised in discussions between DEC and individuals in the commercial crab and/or lobster fisheries.

• Define “designated navigation channels”

• Prohibit setting lobster pots within 200ft of designated navigation channels

• Change circular lobster pot vent size to 2 5/8” effective 01 June 2006

• Change requirements for hinges on lobster pot escape vents so they fall outward, not inward

• Revise lobster trap tag allocation provisions to comply with ASMFC’s most restrictive rule requirements

• Provide that when a lobster license is transferred to an immediate family member, the trap tag allocation of the transferor is also transferred with the license

• Allow a lobster license holder to authorize another license holder to fish his/her gear under specified emergency conditions

• Provide that applicants for lobster licenses or lobster landing licenses must specify the Lobster Managemenbt Area(s) they will fish in and that they must comply with the most restrictive regime of size and possession limits in such areas

• Allow horseshoe crabs taken for biomedical use to be sold as bait and reported as such

• Allow DEC to close areas to horseshoe crab fishing if they are in use as public recreation or education areas or are areas in active use by shorebirds

• Legally define a crab pot

• Require marking/identification of crab pots equivalent to lobster pots

• Specify size and visibility requirements for crab pot markers and require the use of sinking line to attach markers to pots

• Prohibit setting crab pots within 200 feet of a designated navigation channel

• Require biodegradable escape panels in crab pots

• Allow DEC to require terrapin excluders in crab pots in water bodies in which DEC determines that mortality of terrapins in crab pots is causing a decline in the terrapin population

• Establish blue crab minimum size limits: hard shell 4.5”; soft shell 3.5”; peeler/shedder 3.0”

• Clarify crab harvest reporting requirements

Mr. Colvin stated that DEC would also be adding language that would allow someone other than the owner of lobster traps to works the traps for a certain amount of time due to a medical emergency on the part of the actual owner.  This will be at the discretion of the DEC.

Several in the audience and on the Council felt that prohibiting the setting of crab pots within “200 feet” of a designated navigational channel would put many areas in the South Shore bays off-limits to crabbers; these waterways were often quite narrow and to be more than 200 feet from the channel would put you on dry land.  It was suggested that DEC look again at this potential impact and come up with an areal exclusion around channels that left boats free to navigate and crabbers enough area to set their gear. Mr. Colvin responded that the Department would pursue this and will initially talk to the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to get that agency’s input to how best resolve the boater/crabber navigation issue in and around coastal state parks.

It was pointed out that some lobster gear in Long Island Sound is intentionally set blind (i.e., with no surface buoys) in an effort to keep the gear from being displaced/lost by passing vessels.  It was acknowledged that current state regulation requires buoys and that the buoys be appropriately marked.  However, lobster gear in federal waters is routinely set blind and it was suggested that this approach be also condoned in nearshore/inshore areas.

 

 

Page last modified Saturday, December 24, 2005 by George E. Carroll