THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 5, 1994 TAG: 9406050236
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB HUTCHINSON
DATELINE: 940605 LENGTH: Long
And it's an extremely rare example of success when a government agency, state or federal, gets involved in fishery management.
{REST} After more than a decade of restricted catches by both sport and commercial fishermen, rockfish stocks have recovered from their depleted levels of the late 1970s and early 1980s, according to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
It marks the first time fishery officials have shown what can be done with severe measures when economics are not allowed to interfere with what is best for a public resource.
The recovery's official announcement comes from a coalition of 13 East Coast States.
You can't help but wonder how complete the recovery would have been had not the federal government threatened to ban striper fishing in those states that didn't adhere to the overall rules.
Virginia, in fact, did not comply with the limitations until so threatened. The state's Marine Resources Commission then buckled under. It had no choice.
Anyway, officials now say that striper populations are back to where they were during the historic high levels of the late 1960 and early 1970s.
But don't expect a return to the unlimited catches allowed in those halcyon days of rockfishing. Fishery managers say that will never happen, otherwise we would once again witness gross overfishing and, too soon, a depleted supply.
Officially, we will not know until 1995 just how many and what size stripers recreational and commercial fishermen will be allowed to catch under the ``fully recovered'' designation. For this year, pretty tight controls will remain in place, giving the fish one more much-needed chance to reproduce.
In fact, Virginia is still waiting to see if its proposals for increasing the 1994 catch will be approved. The commission has requested lengthening the rod-and-reel season from 32 to 45 days and increasing the commercial catch from 211,000 to 317,000 pounds.
The 13-state commission is not expected to rule on Virginia's request until early this summer. But initial reaction has not been good. That means the Marine Resources Commission may have to return to the drawing board to design a shorter season and a smaller commercial quota.
BLEAK PICTURE: A bleak picture of fishery resources of the Northeastern United States is painted by the federal government's 1993 survey.
The bottom line is that virtually every surveyed species has declined since 1978, and most have reached the lowest levels in recorded history.
Most surveyed species are considered ``groundfish,'' caught by ocean-roaming trawlers that drag their nets across the bottom of the Atlantic.
The two most notable exceptions to the decline are spiney dogfish and skates, which are near all-time-high levels. Many scientists believe that these two low-value fish have thrived because the other species have declined so sharply.
Surveyed species include several kinds of flounder, including the summer flounder so popular with Virginia's inshore fishermen, as well as cod, pollock, sea bass, tilefish, herring, shad, bluefish, and common or Atlantic mackerel, species important to recreational fishing.
The report did say, however, that the summer flounder population has increased in the past couple years, since severe restrictions have been in effect. However, the fishery still remains well below 1978 levels.
The picture is no better in Virginia. With the exception of striped bass, virtually every species of finfish and shellfish found in the state's waters is less abundant than in 1978.
Additionally, not a single species, except striped bass, is as abundant as it was 16 years ago. And that includes oysters, clams and crabs.
Certainly other factors, including pollution and loss of habitat, have contributed to the decline. But, officials say, excessive harvesting remains the No. 1 culprit.
The bottom line is that current management plans, on both the state and federal levels, are not producing the resource renaissances that all fishermen, sport and commercial, would like to see.
If present philosophies aren't changed, commercial fishermen may become extinct and recreational fishermen may have to learn to play golf.
There's no way to predict just how long it will take fishery managers and their rule-making commissions to see the failures of their approaches.
We can only hope that by the time it happens, there are still some worthwhile fish around to manage.
BERMUDA-BOUND: If you've always dreamed of sailing your own boat to Bermuda but have been afraid to go it alone, hold onto your life preservers.
The Bermuda Cruising Rally will leave for the island June 20, starting from Taylor's Landing Marina at Little Creek in Norfolk, with the trip over and back expected to end around July 10.
It'll be open to all experienced sailors, with a minimum of 30-foot boats. The rally is being staged by the Cruising Rally Association of Newport, R.I., and is being underwritten by West Marine, which has offices in Newport and in Hampton.
This will be the rally's first year and follows a ``passagemaker seminar'' in Norfolk in April, when participants received a cram course in long-distance ocean sailing.
You can get additional information on the event by calling Steve Black at 1-401-848-0302 in Newport.
A REAL RELEASER: John Bayliss, who skippers the charter boat Tar Heel out of Pirate's Cove Marina at Nags Head, has been honored by the International Game Fish Association for his conservation efforts.
In 1993, when he sailed from the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center at Nags Head, Bayliss tagged an released 175 fish, including 80 white marlin, tops in the nation. It was Bayliss' second year in a row for the honor.
HEARINGS SET: Dates of five hearings aimed at resolving some conflicts between recreational fishermen and commercial gill-net fishermen have been set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
Public hearings are scheduled for June 16 at Eastern Shore Community College, Melfa; June 20, Rappahannock Community College, Glenns; June 21, Quality Inn Lake Wright, Northampton Boulevard, Norfolk; and June 23, Northampton County Circuit Court, Eastville. These four hearings all will start at 7 p.m.
A final public hearing is set for noon June 28 at the commission's regular monthly meeting at its headquarters, 2600 Washington Ave., Newport News. The commission is expected to vote on several gill-net proposals at that time.
It appears that the commission will not make a final decision until July on whether commercial rod-and-reel fishermen will be allowed to exceed bag limits established for recreational fishermen.
``It's possible that a decision will be made at the June meeting,'' said Wilfred Kale, VMRC spokesman, ``but I believe it won't happen until the July (26) meeting.''
The idea of excusing licensed commercial hook-and-line fishermen from recreational bag limits is a controversial subject which the commission has been studying for several months.
SHORT CASTS: Between 175 and 200 boats, some from Virginia, are expected for the 36th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament June 11-18 at Morehead City, N.C. More than $500,000 in cash will be up for grabs. You can get details from Kim Bennett, tournament director, at 1-919-247-3575. . . . Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach will celebrate National Fishing Week with a Kids Fishing Day next Sunday. It will be open to those age 12 and under, and hours will be 1-4 p.m. The anglers will be supplied with bait, rods, reels and educational materials by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Izaak Walton League. Refuge admission fees will be waived. Additional details are available by calling the refuge at 721-2412. . . . John Newbold of Virginia Beach has been elected president of the 4,000-member North Carolina Beach Buggy Association. Other officers include David Wilcox of Richmond, Claire Bullington of Nags Head and Heidi C. Leo of Manteo, N.C. . . . Nicholas Ball of Virginia Beach has the Virginia lead in the nationwide Big Bass Junior Championship. His Indian Lakes largemouth weighed 8.82 pounds. Brian Bondari of Georgia is the overall leader at 12.31 pounds. In the senior division, the Virginia leader is Roger Beaver of Portsmouth at 8.31 pounds, and the national leader Raymon Diaz of California at at 16.06 pounds. . . . Jeff Hawkins of Virginia Beach recently released a white marlin from the Rhythm, fishing out of Pirate's Cove Marina. by CNB