Stripers, Reds, Albies, Menhaden & More.

Yeah, we are busy.

It is times like this that you are grateful for the team you get to work with.  ASGA is firing on all cylinders.  This blog began as an afterthought.  We were going over timelines on various efforts and two questions arose. First, how the heck are we going to do all this?  Second, how the heck are y’all going to follow along with all of this?  It was time to take a step back and prioritize education and awareness.  There is a lot on the horizon for our fisheries and we are going to need everyone to help conserve our resources, whether in your backyard or down the coast. This blog provides a brief update on all your favorite fish and notable timelines for their management.

The catalyst for ASGA was an idealistic vision that there was a conservation community out there that didn’t have a voice. We have problems with stripers, redfish, snook, forage fish, and the list grows every day.  We try to teach everyone about science and policy with the goal of developing and empowering advocates for a lifetime of positive impact.  It isn’t a one-and-done approach.  We are in it for the long haul, and hopefully, you are too. 

The endgame is when all of you advocates rise and help each other out, acting as one impactful community. The fish might look different between two regions, but the problems are the same.  Imagine a world where the striped bass community steps up for redfish in the Gulf of Mexico.  Think about both coasts coming together for menhaden.  Think about albies, snook, and who knows what else. Do you think anglers in Louisiana don’t want to catch a striper on Cape Cod? How many folks in Montauk think about sight casting to a slob redfish in 12” of water?  We are all cut from the same cloth and driven by the same passions. At the absolute minimum, all of us want to pass down great fishing to the next generation. We must find unity through this desire to ensure a bright fishing future for our children and grandchildren.

Sometimes things don’t work out the way you want.  It has been my experience that they rarely do. We might not get everything we want. If we did everything in our power, we can sleep well at night regardless. And if we all continue to improve as advocates, learn more about our fisheries and become more connected in our communities along the way, what’s the worst that can happen? Let’s light this candle and see what we can accomplish together…

STRIPED BASS

The Striped Bass Management Board is going to meet on August 1 at 1:45PM.  The Board will assemble Addendum II.  This is the motion from the May meeting that began this process:  

Our team attended every striped bass meeting since this motion passed.  All we can say is hold on to your hats because this one will be a doozie. If Addendum II is approved, it will go out for comment a short time after the meeting on August 1^st .  We will publish an update blog next week for meeting prep. We have some serious concerns that we will detail later this week.   Expect ASGA to do our usual blitz with supporting documents and cheat sheets after the addendum is approved.

Timeline:

The meeting for Addendum II will be August 1st. If approved, public comment will run from the end of August through September.  The ASMFC Annual Meeting will be held on the week of October 16 in Beaufort, NC.  This meeting has the chance to be the biggest in a decade. We should also expect to see 2023 spawning success numbers by then.  Another bad spawning year would be unprecedented. If incomplete, Addendum II will be kicked to the October meeting and public comment will occur through the holidays. New regulations will be put forth for the 2024 season. We should see a Stock Assessment update sometime in 2024 as well. If you enjoy participating in the madness of striper management, the next 12 months will offer some undoubtedly dramatic moments.

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REDFISH

In case you missed it, conservation won a titanic victory in Louisiana for our beloved redfish on July 6^th. There is a long way to go in this process. LDWF just released the Redfish Notice of Intent.  The comment period ends on October 5^th.  The next State Commission meeting will be in November and the comments will be reviewed.  If approved, the suggested changes will go to the state legislature.  This is followed by another 30-day period where it will be reviewed. If it passes, the new regulations will provide a much brighter future for redfish. We are working on our comment letter, which you can expect in the next few weeks.  The national community of redfish anglers needs to participate. Whether you love redfish in your backyard, love fishing for them in Louisiana or still hold these hallowed grounds high on your angling bucket list, we need your voice. We all know that half measures are a terrible fate for a fishery. We need to see these regulations across the finish line.

Timeline:

The NOI comment period ends on October 5th.  Those comments will be discussed at the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission on November 2^nd. The final approval then goes to the state legislature. 

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MENHADEN

We’ve been monitoring the menhaden situation on both coasts ever since ERPs were passed at ASFMC.  It isn’t getting better.  We aren’t sure how we are going to have the capacity to take this on, but that has never stopped us before.  Louisiana and the Chesapeake face the same issues with menhaden. This campaign will bring the two communities together as a voice for conservation.  

Our decision matrix for involvement is not complex.  Do fishermen and the resource need our help? Can we move the needle?  If “yes”, then continue. Our menhaden experience is multi-decadal.  We can’t wait any longer.  Expect our menhaden campaign to launch in the next few months. It will be a different angle and one we believe will move the needle.  

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SNOOK

In the spring, FWC proposed a new regional management structure for snook in Florida. This proposal also included the addition of new management metrics to better shape the conversation around the major issues affecting these fisheries, including but not limited to fishing effort, habitat, relative abundance, spawning potential and stakeholder feedback. We recognized and appreciated FWC undertaking a structure that would be significantly more work on their end but provide more appropriate management for regions that have unique populations and issues plaguing them. ASGA worked directly with a group of captains in southeast Florida to develop a simple, productive platform for management reform for snook in the Southern Indian River Lagoon. We look forward to continuing these discussions as this new management structure is finalized between now and the end of the year.

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FALSE ALBACORE

As data continues to pour in from our tagging efforts, we are working out the details for the Albie Project 2023 campaign.  We will continue to chip away at albie management as well. The second year of this dynamic project will include telemetry tags, spaghetti tags, and (fingers crossed) more DNA work.  We are also hoping to provide some data on the economic impact of albies. 

We launched new, limited-edition hats to support the project on Friday.  Our entire inventory sold out in under 3 business days. We won’t be making any more of this design, so congratulations to all of those who secured a piece of history! Make sure to pay attention to social media and sign up for the ASGA newsletter so you don’t miss future opportunities for exclusive apparel and artwork. As always, we appreciate your trust and support.

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RECREATIONAL FISHING DATA

Recreational data is a hot topic these days.  In order to better understand the state of our fisheries, we must provide better information to scientists. Likewise, they have to effectively use the data we provide.  Throughout the last year, ASGA has been working towards a viable solution to improve this pain point for our fisheries.  In that time, we have created a platform as well as developed new partnerships to take massive steps towards accomplishing a difficult goal together.

It is our hope that guides and anglers will be able to make fundamental advances in data collection for the betterment of the resource. There will be much more on this to come…

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There’s a lot going on along the East Coast and the Gulf. Now you know why we want everyone to fight for each other. We aren’t going to say, “We can’t do it on our own”. Becasue we have never done it on our own. You have always been right there with us. Imagine the power of all these angling communities with a unified voice focused on protecting these incredible but finite resources? We can – and that’s why we exist.

Striped bass will always be our foundation. As we continue to grow and expand our influence, more species will come under our tent.  While they might look a little different, the problems are almost always the same.  Hopefully, we will continue to find efficiency, effectiveness and inspiration through communication and collaboration across borders. We will continue to fight for better business through conservation and we know you will too.