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RSA Suspended

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#1 ·
suspends controversial research set-aside program
Originally published: August 12, 2014 5:54 PM
Updated: August 12, 2014 10:09 PM
By MARK HARRINGTON mark.harrington@newsday.com
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A federal fisheries council voted Tuesday to suspend for at least a year a controversial program that allows fishing boats to pay to extend their catch beyond legal limits.
The move follows a year of criminal enforcement actions on Long Island related to the program that have resulted in five guilty pleas, and 70 subpoenas issued to other New York fishing interests in an ongoing federal probe.
At a meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in Washington, D.C., members voted 12-6 to suspend the research set-aside program in 2015 as they attempt to overhaul it.
The program allows commercial and for-hire recreational fishing boats to bid for the right to catch fish beyond state and federal quotas. Opponents and even some participants have called it a "license to steal," if fishing vessels fail to properly report their set-aside catch.
In a briefing before the vote, Mid-Atlantic chief scientist Richard Seagraves said the "costs probably outweigh the benefits" of the program, which funds fisheries research. The auction is held in Riverhead.
Supporters of the program, which Seagraves said has raised $16.3 million since the early 2000s for fisheries research and funded 41 projects, said the research it pays for is vital.
"If we gave up this program even for a year, we're taking away a million and a half dollars of needed fisheries research money," said Emerson Hasbrouck, a senior fisheries educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension and New York's representative on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Long Island fishing ports have been a chief target of federal and state enforcement actions that found illegal fishing and underreporting of hundreds of thousand of pounds of fluke by program participants. Some say New York is a ripe location for abuse because the state has such a low portion of federal allotments for fluke, and other vital species, compared to other Atlantic fishing states.
In briefing documents presented Tuesday, regulators reported that the "known illegal harvest" of fluke exceeds 50 percent of New York's annual quota allocation. And "the illegal harvest estimate is likely to increase substantially as the investigation in that state continues to unfold," noting the 70 subpoenas served in mostly Long Island fishing ports, according to the report.
Hasbrouck said those who pleaded guilty in the criminal cases have received prison sentences, heavy fines, loss of boats and their businesses.
"I'm guessing these actions have gone against the most egregious violators," said Hasbrouck, who worked on four research projects funded by the program. "I think it's gotten the most egregious violators out of this program. It's also a very, very strong deterrent
 
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#2 ·
suspends controversial research set-aside program
Originally published: August 12, 2014 5:54 PM
Updated: August 12, 2014 10:09 PM
By MARK HARRINGTON mark.harrington@newsday.com
Travel deals

"If we gave up this program even for a year, we're taking away a million and a half dollars of needed fisheries research money," said Emerson Hasbrouck, a senior fisheries educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension and New York's representative on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

What about the $millions from the rec license? Or do they not collect that in NY?
In Ma. they took in $9 million and spent $600K on a launch ramp (on already owned state property) that should have cost $50K. ANY MONEY the Government takes in is a tax and it gets wasted/stolen/misappropriated (choose one).....JC
 
#11 ·
Once again, here is a quote from a previous post:

"Landings that pay for RSA research are allocated by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils (NEFMC and MAFMC, respectively).From 2000 through 2011, roughly $67.7 million worth of RSA allocations provided support for 119 research projects valued at approximately $19 million, and an estimated $47 million in RSA harvesting vessel compensation.At 19 million for research,that works out to an annual contribution of RSA funding for research of 1.6 million dollars.
The NEFMC is comprised of 5 states- Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The MAFMC is comprised of 7 states- New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina(will remove North Carolina because they are also included in the South Atlantic Council) So in total you 11 states benefiting from research funded by the RSA. 11 states divided by 1.6 million a year equals a little less than 150,000 a year..."


When you consider what it will cost to prosecute the perpetrators and additional enforcement if the RSA is reinstated, it would be far more cost efficient to ask each state to contribute the $150,000.
 
#15 ·
I never thought rsa was fair .did the comercials really think that they would not get caught?I cant stand dumb criminals.ITs 2014 not 1965 everyone gets caught now a days it just a matter of time.
I dont belive the state would put all the money back into research!
 
#20 ·
Im always perplexed by the lack of knowledge on the part of people posting on this topic.

like or dislike of rsa aside

Pay attention
the RSA program was in effect long before party boats secured the limited access they got

party and charter boats service the RECREATIONAL COMMUNITY

Party and charter boats secured the small percentage of RSA not at the expense of recreational fisherman but to the benefit of at least a portion of recreational fishermen

the percentage of fish that the party charters got came directly from the Commericial fishing community ( as for years they got it all) and they got it all at their size limits )

The 3 percent of the TAC came right off the top no matter if it was all commericial or split between comm amd party charter .
To the best of my knowledge The 3 % taken off the top in years past has not and will not be added back in to the qoutas for this coming year
SO the portion of the RECREATIONAL COMMUNITY that uses party and charters lost access the commericials lost access and the rest of you gained nothing

That's not a win in anyones book
 
#90 ·
Im always perplexed by the lack of knowledge on the part of people posting on this topic.

like or dislike of rsa aside

Pay attention
the RSA program was in effect long before party boats secured the limited access they got

party and charter boats service the RECREATIONAL COMMUNITY

Party and charter boats secured the small percentage of RSA not at the expense of recreational fisherman but to the benefit of at least a portion of recreational fishermen

the percentage of fish that the party charters got came directly from the Commericial fishing community ( as for years they got it all) and they got it all at their size limits )

The 3 percent of the TAC came right off the top no matter if it was all commericial or split between comm amd party charter .
To the best of my knowledge The 3 % taken off the top in years past has not and will not be added back in to the qoutas for this coming year
SO the portion of the RECREATIONAL COMMUNITY that uses party and charters lost access the commericials lost access and the rest of you gained nothing

That's not a win in anyones book
All these points are dispassionately correct and should be notated for future reference. But there is another aspect of this that befuddles me. What IS IT with the hostility to charters and party boats. Fishing isn't just for the super rich and the ultra wreckless. Party boats allow access to fishing to the largest segment of the population and citizenry. What? We don't own our own boats and have small children? Or we have bad eyes and need help with professional mates and captains who can find fish? When the RSA was given access to recreational commercial fare paying passengers, that opened up Sea Bass and Fluke, two species that are not in trouble, BTW, in our waters, to the MAJORITY of the people of NYS.... not just a few rich spoiled 'people'
 
#21 ·
The day charter , partyboat and commercial fisherman realize they make their living off of a natural resource that belongs to all of us then they may get some respect. So tired of hearing about guys numbers. You all don't own the sea. If I beat you to a spot that has structure and is holding fish then tough luck move on and go to one of your other spots that you claim to own. so tired of these guys and their small Johnsons attitudes.
 
#23 ·
The day charter , partyboat and commercial fisherman realize they make their living off of a natural resource that belongs to all of us then they may get some respect. So tired of hearing about guys numbers. You all don't own the sea. If I beat you to a spot that has structure and is holding fish then tough luck move on and go to one of your other spots that you claim to own. so tired of these guys and their small Johnsons attitudes.
Wut? :)

I agree, but what's that gotta do with RSA?:confused:
 
#30 ·
Since we are using economic theories to describe RSA, I propose RSA was more of a "tragedy of the commons".

Tragedy of the commons- individuals(partyboats, charters and commercials), acting independently and rationally according to each one's self-interest, behave contrary to the whole group's long-term best interests by depleting some common resource.
 
#34 ·
I don't think its a stretch at all

the point you by passed is that only in fishing was the was the public given access to a portion of what the commericial sector had


the portion of fish in question were solely allocated to industry for years
like oil , timber

the 5.00 fishing tag sounds like a great idea to raise money until you add in the following
government overhead
government waste and abuse
you 1.6 million would be down to 1.52 in a heart beat

the RSA money was all paid directly to the research facility so they got it all for the simple cost of running the auction and that's minimal
I don't believe its legal to have a research facility collect a mandatory 5.00 from every recreational angler and to do so would also add a big expense to your proposition.

I understand the program was abused and that some people feel slighted by the program in general
what I don't get is why you feel so cheated
the 3% that was allocated would not ever have changed the recreational regs by much if anything
the recreational sector never had and would never get the entire 3%
and the small percentage that the party charters were able to get enabled boats to sail , men to work and anglers to fish all while taking nothing from the rest

and don't give me that bull crap about blah blah taking all the fish before you could get to them
fluking was ok during the rsa period its better now and has been for a while
seabassing was ok preseason its as good or better now

unless of course the limit of your fishing knowledge is to go to one of the many blue boxes on your gps. if that's the case your issues not with rsa
 
#38 ·
I don't think its a stretch at all

the point you by passed is that only in fishing was the was the public given access to a portion of what the commericial sector had

the portion of fish in question were solely allocated to industry for years
like oil , timber

the 5.00 fishing tag sounds like a great idea to raise money until you add in the following
government overhead
government waste and abuse
you 1.6 million would be down to 1.52 in a heart beat

the RSA money was all paid directly to the research facility so they got it all for the simple cost of running the auction and that's minimal
I don't believe its legal to have a research facility collect a mandatory 5.00 from every recreational angler and to do so would also add a big expense to your proposition.

I understand the program was abused and that some people feel slighted by the program in general
what I don't get is why you feel so cheated
the 3% that was allocated would not ever have changed the recreational regs by much if anything
the recreational sector never had and would never get the entire 3%
and the small percentage that the party charters were able to get enabled boats to sail , men to work and anglers to fish all while taking nothing from the rest

and don't give me that bull crap about blah blah taking all the fish before you could get to them
fluking was ok during the rsa period its better now and has been for a while
seabassing was ok preseason its as good or better now

unless of course the limit of your fishing knowledge is to go to one of the many blue boxes on your gps. if that's the case your issues not with rsa
I disagree with your numbers Tony. If the state charged a fee of $5 and raised $1.6 million- they'd undoubtedly have an administrative cost of collecting said fee of $3million for a net loss. :(
 
#49 ·
one hand
sorry kids we cant go fluking in the tin boat today but we can go on the xxxx is what you had yesterday

on the other hand
sorry kids we cant go fluking at all
and bye the way dads not working tonight because the boat cant sail and we will be having ramen noodles again for diner

is what you now have

I guess you like the first one better
 
#50 ·
one hand
sorry kids we cant go fluking in the tin boat today but we can go on the xxxx is what you had yesterday

on the other hand
sorry kids we cant go fluking at all
and bye the way dads not working tonight because the boat cant sail and we will be having ramen noodles again for diner

is what you now have

I guess you like the first one better
Unfortunately I have seen PLENTY of Commercial guys ,Partyboat Capts and their families eating ramen noodles in the past 15 years or so , due to Gov policies .
Protecting dogfish while proud fishing families fall apart somehow never made sense to me .
 
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