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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 36 Number 5
January 2009
Mid-Atlantic honors Ruhles, tackles mackerel
MONTAUK, NY – The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met here Dec. 9-12 to finalize recreational fishing measures for several species, discuss a new amendment to its squid, mackerel, and butterfish plan, and to honor two very special members of the fishing community.
The council recognized Jimmy Ruhle of North Carolina and, posthumously, his brother Phil Ruhle of Rhode Island with its 2008 Fisheries Achievement Award (FAA).
According to the council, the FAA is given to individuals who exhibit “outstanding professionalism, diligence, and effort to protect living marine resources.”
Jimmy Ruhle, an active commercial fisherman who, until recently, served on the council, was honored for being “an outstanding advocate for sustainable fishing practices, sustainable marine fisheries, and viable fishing communities,” the council said.
Among his many accomplishments, the council singled out two: his work in 2005 to encourage and organize the donation and delivery of food and funds to Gulf of Mexico fishing families impacted by Hurricane Katrina; and his efforts that resulted in the modification of the federal monkfish plan to allow six fishermen to regain entry to the fishery after they had been wrongfully excluded by an administrative change in the fishery’s southern boundary line.
“He has made a positive difference in the fishing community,” the council said.
Phil Ruhle
Phil Ruhle, who was lost when his Newport, RI-based 80' Sea Breeze went down on July 23, was posthumously recognized for his contributions to the preservation of marine fisheries.
In 2006, Ruhle assisted in the creation of the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation of Rhode Island.
In November 2007, the World Wildlife Fund honored him for his role in the development of a net called “The Eliminator,” which has since been renamed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as the “Ruhle Trawl.”
And, in 2003, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration named Ruhle an “Environmental Hero” for his work to improve NMFS trawl survey practices.
“All of Mr. Ruhle’s hard work and dedication to fisheries merited this recognition,” the council said.
The council also presented Phil Ruhle with the Ricks E. Savage Award, which is intended to honor “individuals who add value to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s process and goals through significant conservation and management activities.”
Phil’s widow, Donna, accepted the awards.
Amendment 11
During the council meeting, the squid, mackerel, and butterfish committee met to go over a discussion document for Amendment 11 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan.
Among the primary purposes of the amendment is to “limit capitalization” in the mackerel fishery, which basically means to not let the capacity for fishing effort exceed what the stock can sustain over the long term. At the same time, the council does not want to impede “optimum utilization” of the fishery by US fishermen.
To achieve this complex goal, the council is considering developing a tiered limited-access system and then various alternative proposals to: allocate quota to limited-access tiers based on landings histories; specify different trip limits for vessels in different tiers; and prohibit permit stacking.
Other purposes of the amendment are to: “minimize gear impacts on Loligo egg essential fish habitat (EFH) by evaluating fishing-related impacts on Loligo egg EFH and, to the extent practicable, minimize any adverse effects; update EFH descriptions as required by law; establish and/or clarify annual catch limits and accountability measures as required by law; and “avoid at-sea processing problems.”
This last purpose has to do with addressing concerns that significant amounts of at-sea processing could lead to a reduction in the effectiveness of area closures, localized prey depletion, and disruption of the mackerel supply to shoreside users.
It’s still early in the Amendment 11 development process. The council is scheduled to select preferred alternatives in February and adopt a public hearing document in April. Public hearings will be held after that.
For more info, contact Rich Seagraves at (302) 674-2331, ext. 16.
Rec limits
The council adopted 2009 recreational fishery management measures for federal waters as follows:
Summer flounder – A 7.16-million-pound harvest limit with state-specific possession limits, minimum sizes, and seasons;
Scup – A 1.74-million-pound harvest limit with a 25-fish possession limit, 12" minimum size, and Jan. 1-Feb. 28 and Oct. 1-Oct 31 split season; and
Black sea bass – A 1.17-million-pound harvest limit with a 25-fish possession limit, 12.5" minimum size; and Jan. 1-Dec. 1 season.
All measures are consistent with NMFS proposals, according to the council. /cfn/
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