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Chairman Woodfield called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. He gave an addition to the agenda requested by Commissioner J.R. Gross and Mike Edwards regarding the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and their sampling practices.
Crabs:
Lynn Fegley, of the Fisheries Service, gave the Commissioners an update on Blue Crabs in the Chesapeake Bay. The 2005 dredge survey showed excellent recruitment and good abundance. The preliminary landing numbers (through November '05) were 24 million pounds for hard crabs, which is off by 6 million from last year and one million pounds of peelers for a total of 25 million pounds.
Commissioner Larry Simns made the observation that the data could be low due to the confidentiality problem that was discussed at the October TFAC meeting. This mistrust has definitely affected the number of watermen that are reporting their catches to the Department. Ms. Fegley explained that lack of accurate data causes the Department to make guesses for management purposes, which will ultimately affect the watermen. Commissioner Simns promised that the Maryland Watermen's Association would work with the Department to increase reporting, but felt that it may take an independent survey to accomplish this. Commissioner Russell Dize suggested that the Department take buyers' reports and match them to sellers' reports to find out where problems are and to check with dealers to make sure they are reporting correctly.
Maintenance of Historical Catch Records:
Harley Speir, of the Fisheries Service's Legislative and Regulatory Programs, read a letter to the Maryland Watermen's Association dated October 17, 2005 on the subject of confidentiality that outlined certain procedures necessary to obtain catch records. To further aid confidentiality, names will be deleted from individual records at the end of each year. Since some watermen prefer that their names not be removed, a letter will be sent out so that each waterman can make that decision. Old records will be deleted beginning with 2003 and working back. Mr. Speir stressed the importance of this data; he pointed out that in previous years it has been used to qualify for various fisheries, and also for disaster assistance.
Kenny Keen, Deputy Director of the Fisheries Service, told the Commissioners that 83 people were on the list for non-renewal of their licenses due to reports not submitted to the Department. He promised that each one on the list would receive a call in mid-February regarding this matter. Commissioner Simns felt that lost records is part of the problem. Many license holders send in their records, but the Department doesn't seem to receive them. He suggested that a new book with carbon copies would solve this problem, since the watermen don't make copies before they send the records in.
Legislative Update:
Sarah Widman, of the Legislative and Regulatory Programs, went over a handout of pending legislation and regulations. She also told the Commissioners that two public hearings on Yellow Perch would be held: the first will be on January 25 at the Tawes State Office Building in Annapolis; the second will be on February 8, in Cambridge. Commissioner Simns told Howard King, Director of the Fisheries Service, that he thought the eight-day opening in March was taken out of the proposed regulation. Mr. King said that he inserted it himself to help with enforcement. The intent is to include in the regulation that the yellow perch must be released from commercial nets before the beginning of the yellow perch season. Sgt. Avery, of the Natural Resources Police, asked if the Department had considered a time limit on when the commercial watermen can check their nets. He felt that could help considerably with enforcement. Mr. King told him that the Department had not considered that time limit.
ASMFC Update:
Howard King gave the following update on the latest ASMFC meeting:
Summer flounder : Due to the rebuilding effort, the stock should be fully restored by 2010. In order to reach a 40 million pound recreational and commercial harvest, quotas must be reduced this year. The quota for the Coastal Bays can remain the same, since the limit is seldom caught. On the Atlantic Coast, quota will be 2400 pounds less in 2006; the Chesapeake Bay is primarily by-catch and the quota will remain the same.
Black Sea Bass: There will be a modest reduction of 7% on commercial catch.
Striped Bass: The Committee reviewed and approved the plan; the stock size has increased and the commercial quota will be up slightly, except for the trophy/charter boat quotas. For spring quota the payback provision will be either 10,000 fish, or 25,000 fish. Two ways to do this: 1) increase the minimum size for the first 30 days, or 2) use a slot limit of 28" - 34". This could be coupled in 2007 with the elimination of the spring cap on 28" fish.
Commissioner Glenn James indicated that he would prefer option #1 with a 33" minimum size. He asked Mr. King what size is more likely to reproduce; Mr. King said the 8 lb. To 30 lb. fish are. He also said the charter boat captains would like to keep the 36" fish in the fall; Mr. King told him that shouldn't be a problem.
Striped Bass Update:
Carrie Kennedy, of the Fisheries Service, gave a handout of the reallocation of commercial striped bass quotas. The pound net quota was rolled over to the gill-netters; 58,000 pounds were left. Commissioner Russell Dize said that quite a few watermen were complaining about the slow receipt of striped bass tags. Ms. Kennedy told the Commissioners that there was a problem with the supplier in December, but it should be resolved and tags should be going out on time.
Commissioner Simns suggested that quotas be weekly, instead of daily, for the entire season; he asked Mr. King if that change could be made. Mr. King indicated that there was no reason this couldn't be done.
Kenny Keen told the Commissioners that the Department is still working on getting the Striped Bass fishery certified. This certification would open up new markets for commercial catch.
Black Drum:
Larry Powley asked if the Department had found money for catch reimbursement that was discussed at the last TFAC meeting. He asked if the Joint Commission (TFAC/SFAC) decides that is what they want to do, would the Department find the money? Mr. King promised to put the issue before the SFAC at their January meeting.
Oyster Update:
Chris Judy, of the Fisheries Service, went over a table of oyster harvest numbers that was given to the Commissioners. As of the first of January, 64,000 bushels had been reported, although the actuals would be higher since tickets are still coming in. This is already more than was reported in the entire last season; but oscillations are expected, they follow patterns of rainfall, disease, etc.
Mr. Judy reported that the Oyster Steering Committee met October 31, 2005 and will submit a permit application that would allow a shell program this summer. He gave a handout of the proposed areas. Commissioner Dize said there was a problem with one of the areas, Poplar Island oyster bar - it no longer exists. The Poplar Island rebuilding project has covered the bar. He felt that the State should take the Army Corps of Engineers to court to force them to restore the bar. Mr. Judy said he had spoken to the project's Corps liaison, but got nowhere. Commissioner Simns insisted that the State verify that the bar is covered. He indicated that rebuilding the island has changed the hydraulics of the tidal flows, causing the bar to silt over. Kenny Keen told the Commission that he spoke with Mark Mendelson, who felt that something could be done about it in the next stage of rebuilding.
Commissioner Dize made a motion that the State of Maryland and the TFAC look into recovering the inside and outside bars of the Poplar Island oyster bar; requiring the Army Corps of Engineers to restore them in a location that will be acceptable to the user groups. Commissioner Larry Simns seconded the motion. The motion passed.
Mr. Keen asked that the oystermen think about ways to rehabilitate the oyster bars in the bay. Commissioner Dize suggested that they dredge non-producing areas to bring up the shells; let the watermen work these bars to clean them up. One observer suggested that each county MWA organization tell the Department where they would like to have the bars work and the Department allow the watermen to work them.
Addition to the Agenda:
Commissioner J.R. Gross and Mike Edwards brought a problem to the Commission. They feel that the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is not adhering to Department regulations as they should, and that the Department should hold them to the same standards they do the watermen. Many watermen feel that the CBF boat destroys the oyster bars. Commissioner Gross understood that their permit would be pulled this year. NRP Lt. Chip Vernon thought that 2 to 3 samples per day should be sufficient, but they take much more than they need from the tonging bars. Commissioner Simns suggested that there are plenty of dredging areas they could work instead. Mr. Judy offered to supply coordinates to CBF for more acceptable areas to take their samples. Mr. King suggested that it would help if the TFAC drafted a letter stating their position.
Commissioner Simns made a motion to send a letter from the Commission directing CBF to certain allowable areas to take power dredge samples. Commissioner Gross seconded. The motion passed.
Power Dredge update:
Kenny Keen told the Commission that there were meetings held on the Power Dredge Study Plan on January 9 th and January 11 th . Chris Judy said that the sites will be finalized and legislation started for next year. Commissioner Gross asked him to get data on the South River to possibly add that area to the study.
Other Business:
• Noreen Eberly will discuss the Marketing Bill at the next TFAC meeting.
• Commissioner Simns said the Maryland Watermen's Association would probably put forward some sort of legislation on confidentiality.
• The next meeting week of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is January 20 -23, 2006.
• Commissioner Gross brought to the Commission a concern with the number of licensed sport crabbers. He said that there are 4,372 non -resident and 36,000 resident licensed sport crabbers and the commercial trot-liners are having problems with them. Sgt. Avery advocated the reporting of these problems to the NRPs and to include the areas where the incidences occur. Commissioner Gross asked if the Department would consider limiting the number of recreational licenses. Mr. King told him that there would have to be legislation to make any changes.
Commissioner Simns made a motion that the Department look into a cap on the number of licenses sold, and in raising the price of the non-resident recreational crab licenses. Commissioner Glenn James seconded. The motion passed. • Commissioner Richard Webster asked Marty Gary, of the Fisheries Service, about the status of the material from the Woodrow Wilson bridge project. He said that Somerset County would be interested in some of it for the Tangier Sound. Mr. Gary told him that three contractors are working on disposition of the material, which consists of steel and concrete. They are working on cost estimates; currently, the cheapest disposal is to use it onsite. Using the material for reefs will be very costly, around $800,000 -- $1,000,000. The Department is looking for funding to move it; the time frame will mostly likely be the Spring of 2007.
• The Next TFAC meeting will be March 9th, 2006.
Chairman Woodfield adjourned the meeting at 9:20 p.m.
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