Watermen Charged for Oyster Sanctuary Violations

     Annapolis, Md. -- On January 10 at 9:30 am, the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged three people for oystering with in the Tangier Sound Oyster Sanctuary. The officers were on patrol in an 18-foot Boston Whaler in the fog on Tuesday morning and found five commercial workboats in the oyster sanctuary. The foggy conditions enabled the officers to get within about 200 yards of the vessels before the officers were spotted. Upon seeing the patrol boat, the five vessels attempted to flee the area. Officers were able to stop two of the vessels and identify the occupants.

     Officers identified the two occupants of the commercial vessel Lady Victoria as Thomas L. Ford, 51 and Ryan S. Ford, 32 both from Princess Anne. The second vessel was identified as the Miss Emily II and was operated by Albert Hoffman, 37 from Princess Anne. All three individuals were charged with oystering within an oyster sanctuary and face a $3,000 fine and a suspension of their tidal fish license. Five bushels of oysters were seized from each vessel and returned to the sanctuary. A trial date of March 13 has been set in the District Court of Maryland in Somerset County.

River Herring Harvest Moratorium in Effect in Maryland

     Annapolis, Md. -- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed that there is now a statewide moratorium on the harvest of river herring ─ including blueback and alewife herring.

     “This fishery closure was implemented on December 26, 2011, in response to a coast-wide concern regarding the depressed stock levels of blueback and alewife herring,” said DNR Fisheries Service Director Tom O’Connell. “This is evident by a 93 percent drop in commercial river herring landings along the Atlantic Coast since 1985.”

     The Maryland commercial harvest of river herring has been falling since the early 1970s when the yearly average was about 700,000 pounds. Between 1990 and 1999 the yearly average was roughly 164,000 pounds. From 2005 to 2010 the average was just 35,200 pounds.

     River herring contribute greatly to the dynamics of food chains in freshwater, estuarine and marine habitats, and at one time supported fisheries of significant socio-economic value. Maryland is not alone in taking action to restore river herring.

     River herring and other fish species that travel between Atlantic Coast states from Maine to Florida are managed cooperatively by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Every state from Maine to Florida was required to implement a harvest moratorium by January 1, 2012, unless sustainability of their fishery was demonstrated through State-specific management plans.

     “With few exceptions, it is now illegal to possess river herring in Maryland,” said Mike Luisi, DNR Fisheries Service Assistant Director for Estuarine and Marine Fisheries.

     Bait shops with leftover river herring in storage that were harvested prior to December 26, 2011 may possess the fish until June 30, 2012 by notifying DNR and having their inventory approved by February 6. Dealers wishing to declare their river herring inventory should contact DNR river herring coordinator Harry Rickabaugh at 410-643-6801 ext. 2109 or Karen Capossela at 410-643-6801 ext. 2116.

     Anyone in possession of river herring as bait will need to have a receipt indicating where the herring was purchased. This will allow bait shops to sell, and fishermen to possess, river herring for bait that was harvested from a State whose fishery remains open, as an ASMFC approved sustainable fishery. States with open river herring fisheries include New York, Maine, New Hampshire, South Carolina and North Carolina.

     For more information, visit dnr.state.md.us/fisheries.

Hinckley Yachts Announces Winter Open House, Sunday, February 26

     Easton, Md. -- The Hinckley Company has announced a Winter Open House to showcase Hinckley Yacht Services and the Hinckley pre-owned yacht collection on Sunday, February 26 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at their Easton storage facility, 8600 Brooks Drive, Easton, Maryland.

     Approximately 50 Hinckley Yachts will be available for viewing and several pre-owned sailboat and jetboat models will actually be open for boarding at the Hinckley Yacht Services storage facility in Easton.

     “Our Winter Open House presents a rare opportunity to see practically every Hinckley model built” commented Jennifer Richards, Brokerage Director for Hinckley Yachts Annapolis. “In addition, our Hinckley Yachts Services craftsmen will also be on hand to give you a bird’s eye view into their world class projects and refits at our upcoming Open House.”

      The family event will include face painting and bounce houses for children and grilled food and refreshments for all.

Coastal Conservation Association Announces New Pickerel Tournament

     Annapolis, Md. -- The Coastal Conservation Association Maryland (CCA MD) today announced its first CCA MD Pickerel Tidal Fishing Championship, which begins Saturday and runs through March 15. The catch and release event is being held in conjunction with four local tackle shops—Alltackle, Anglers, Shore Tackle and Custom Rods, and Tochterman’s.

     “Pickerel reside in many of the tidal streams feeding the Chesapeake Bay during the winter,” said Tony Friedrich, CCA MD executive director. “They also provide exciting light tackle and fly opportunities for recreational anglers.”

     Anglers can register for the event at any of the four shops. They will then compete for awards for themselves and the shop they represent in two categories, most total inches and biggest individual fish. Anglers must take photos of their fish on approved CCA MD rulers which will be available at the shops. Photos should be submitted to pickerel@ccamd.org, and complete rules can be found at http://www.ccamd.org/?p=1043. There is a $25 entry fee which includes a one-year CCA membership. Fishermen under 16 years of age and CCA life members are free.

     Questions can be answered at info@ccamd.org or 410-280-8770.

Ferry Bar Channel Buoy to be Relocated

     Baltimore, Md. -- According to the Coast Guard, on or about January 21, Ferry Bar Channel Lighted Buoy 3 (LLNR 21215) will be relocated to approximate position 39-15-16.198N, 076-34-59.917W.  Chart:  12281.

Junkin Lecture, Film Screening Wednesday at CBMM

     St. Michaels, Md. -- On Wednesday, January 11 at 12:30 p.m., Midshore Riverkeepers Conservancy Executive Director Tim Junkin will show the short film “Let Our Rivers Flow,” followed by his commentary in the Steamboat Building at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) in St. Michaels. The lecture and slide presentation are open to the public and free to CBMM members. Other participants can attend the lecture with regular museum admission, which includes entrance to the museum’s waterfront campus and 12 exhibit buildings.

     The Midshore Riverkeepers Conservancy is an Easton-based non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration and protection of the Choptank River Watershed, Eastern Bay and the Miles and the Wye Rivers. The Conservancy is also a part of the Waterkeepers Alliance, an international group of conservation guardians who advocate for the bodies of water they represent.

     The film was shot by Tom Horton and is narrated by Tim Junkin. Junkin is an attorney and the author of three books,Good Counsel, The Waterman and Bloodsworth. He is a graduate of Easton High School, The University of Maryland and the Georgetown University Law Center.

     The lecture is sponsored by The Garden Club of the Eastern Shore. For information, please call Samantha McCall at 410-770-9695.

Recreational Fishing Group Says Survey Indicates Striped Bass Fishery in Distress

Statement from Brad Burns

President of Stripers Forever

2011 Striped Bass Anglers Survey

January 7, 2012 –Stripers Forever 9^th Annual Angler Survey. 

“The results of our survey completed by more than 1000 anglers and guides from all along the East Coast were not good.” said Brad Burns, President of Stripers Forever. “The reports on striper fishing in 2011 were even a little more negative than the responses we received in 2010.  Once again, 74% described the quality of fishing as worse or much worse, and 77% - up from 76% in 2010 – reported catching fewer, or many fewer fish per hour of fishing.” 

“Perhaps most distressing,” says Burns, “is the reality that guides in some areas along the coast are losing their jobs due to the poor fishing.  Striped bass are a school fish, and there have been hot spots here and there along the coast where the quality of fishing for large fish is good during peak periods.  For the most part, though, the poor spawning years that stripers have experienced since 2003 have taken their toll, and there are very few small or “schoolie” stripers to be found, and this does not bode well for the future.”

In November a deeply divided Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission bowed to commercial interests and voted to continue unabated the recreational and commercial harvest of striped bass. 

 

Stripers Forever is a non-profit, internet-based organization advocating for the conservation of wild striped bass by designating them as game fish and managing the resource for the estimated 3 million recreational striper fishermen and the vast industry that they support on the Atlantic coast. In-depth studies show that the game fish approach would yield the greatest financial and social benefit for everyone involved in the fishery.  Stripers Forever has more than 16,000 members.

The complete survey results are available on the Stripers Forever website at this address: http://www.stripersforever.org/Info/Stripers_BBoard/I01913948

For further information, contact Brad Burns at stripers@whatifnet.com.