Chairman Wise read a letter from Mr. Gary Grunseich, proprietor of the Silly Lily Fishing Station, who expressed concern about the sustainability of the inshore marine recreational fishing industry due to the recent regulatory limits imposed on winter flounder and fluke.  In his view, these regulations have had a tremendous effect on recreational fishing businesses, especially those that are dependent upon in-shore species.  A 20.5” minimum size limit for fluke will result in a drastic reduction in the number of keeper-sized fish available to the angler confined to Long Island's bays.  This, coupled with a 60-day winter founder season from 01 April – 31 May means that anglers confined to the bays have a very limited opportunity to catch anything that they can keep.  Mr. Grunseich would like the 60-day winter flounder season begin in mid April and extend the season to mid-June so the bay-bound anglers can get an opportunity to fish under more favorable weather conditions.  Chairman Wise started that he has received similar correspondence from other members of the fishing community as well.

Mr. Gilmore said reported winter flounder landings are so low that to increase the season would be suicidal for the stock.  The fishery is in sorry shape and a strong argument can be made that we should be looking at a moratorium on harvests of this species to try and recoup the fishery.  Even researchers are having a hard time landing winter flounder for their research.  Councilor John Davi, Jr. said that the current lack of winter flounder is not due to overfishing.  He feels the environment plays a much larger role than fishing in constraining the recovery of this species; many of audience members agreed.  Mr. John Mihale suggested more research to find out the true reason for problem with winter flounder; don’t penalize the fishing industry for something they are not responsible for.  He believes that predation and habitat loss play a major part.  Another audience member thinks that catches by commercial fyke nets in the shallow bays ringing Long Island should be looked into as well. 

Councilor Charlie Witek said that recent winter flounder recruitment has been awful.  Unfortunately for the fishing industry, fishing (as opposed to natural) mortality the one thing that can be controlled (lowered). The spawning stocks are not fungible stock.  A flounder is similar to the salmon, in that it returns to the same area to spawn and once you wipe out the spawning population and it will never return.  Mr. Witek suggested that we could possibly be looking at extinction of specific local winter flounder stocks.  He believes it is imperative to do what is best for the stock.  Councilor House agreed that more research into the causes of the low abundance of winter flounder was needed; it might be that Long Island's bays are no longer able to sustain large winter flounder populations because of fundamental shifts in the ecology of these systems. 

Mr. Gilmore reassured the Council that DEC is NOT intending to close the winter flounder fishery in 2008. 

Councilor Thomas Jordan said that Mr. Grunseich's suggested was tantamount to tailoring the timing of the open season to the availability of the fish.  This is not necessarily the best way to achieve stock conservation goals.  He then made a motion to keep the recreational winter flounder season in 2008 the same as it was in 2007.  Councilor Davi seconded the motion.  Councilor Dearborn advocated keeping the winter flounder season with an early opening (01 April), saying that most of the people she spoke to (about 70%) wanted this a the season opening date.  The Council adopted Mr. Jordan's motion.  The vote was 10 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstention.

 

Page last modified Tuesday, April 1, 2008 by George E. Carroll