The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has determined that the annual catch limit of 341,747 pounds of recreationally caught black sea bass has been reached. The result is a closure of the black sea bass fishery in all east coast Florida federal waters.
The decision to close the fishery is based on a survey that has been called "fatally flawed" and inadequate data for making fishery management decisions by the National Research Council in 2006. he closure includes all federal waters from Cape Hatteras Light in North Carolina to Key West, FL. The ruling is effective October 17 at 1 minute past midnight.
One activist fishing organization says the NMFS decision to close down another fishery is more damning evidence against a rogue agency and severely broken fisheries law. "This is the train wreck that the RFA has been talking about, this is what happens when Congress votes for a law that doesn't get time for debate in Committee, and this is exactly what should be expected when you put a fisheries czar in place who refused to work with the coastal fishing community," said RFA executive director Jim Donofrio.
For more information on black sea bass click here.
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