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'AJs' Need Help To Ease Commercial Harvesting

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By Frank Sargeant, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 9, 2007

Amberjack used to be the 'easy' big game fish, with clouds of the huge, muscular fighters found around every offshore wreck. 'AJs' as they are affectionately known to many anglers, have a reputation of being pound-for-pound one of the strongest fish in offshore waters. And until the mid-1980s they were abundant to a fault. There were often so many of them around some wrecks and reefs that getting a live bait past them to catch a big gag or red grouper was a real struggle. AJs of 30 to 40 pounds were common, and occasionally were decked at double that size - a nice 'problem' to have.

That is rarely the case any longer. Though amberjack are still a common catch, it's rare to get a big one. And recreational fishing interests say that the reason is a familiar one; excessive commercial harvest that began about 20 years ago when a market was found for the meat.

'There was no management plan on this species until 1990,' said Ted Forsgren, spokesman for the Coastal Conservation Association. 'But when the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council put their plan into place in that year, the allocation was set at 86 percent recreational, 14 percent commercial based on landings prior to the regulation.'

However, Forsgren points out, while sportfishers got a defined limit, three fish daily 28 inches or larger, commercial fishermen got no catch limit at all, but a 36-inch minimum size.

The rule was supposed to create a 45 percent reduction in catch for both sectors, reducing the pressure on the fish and allowing more to survive long enough to spawn.

And, according to GMFMC reports, the rule worked almost perfectly for recreational anglers, dropping the take 42 percent. But for commercial fishermen, the reduction was only 22 percent, down from 1.65 million pounds to 1.29 million pounds.

In 1997, regulations changed to drop the recreational catch to one fish per angler per day. And the months of March, April and May were closed to commercial take.

Forsgren says again, this set of rules cut into the recreational catch but had minimal impact on the commercials.

Now, the Gulf Council appears ready to readjust the allocation of the AJ catch based on more current catch data, which they say shows a 'natural adjustment' of fishing effort.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has a staff member who provides the state's input into fishery rules affecting the Gulf of Mexico, and Forsgren is concerned that the representative supports the Gulf Council's reallocation plan.

'This is not a decision that should be made by a staff member, but by the entire commission,' said Forsgren, who has asked the commission to consider a stated position on the amberjack rules at a meeting this week in St. Petersburg.

'If there's no change and the Gulf Council goes ahead with their rule changes, it likely would result in a bag limit that would amount to a half a fish per angler per trip,' Forsgren said. 'And we would have this severe limit on recreational take while there is still a directed commercial fishery for the species - it just makes no sense.'

The FFWCC meeting is Wednesday through Friday at the St. Petersburg Hilton, 333 First St. S., in downtown St. Petersburg. Sessions begin at 8:30 daily.

BERMAN CUT BACK: Sad news for those who enjoy the 'double dose' of captain Mel Berman on Saturday and Sunday on Tampa Bay area radio - as of today's show, WDAE, 620 AM, has decided to discontinue the increasingly popular Sunday program. Berman said the company cited a lack of advertising for the change.

BOAT SHOW: The Tampa Boat Show opens at 10 a.m. today at the Tampa Convention Center downtown off Franklin Street. It features regular fishing seminars, plus special deals on boats and accessories. Admission is $9 adults, $5 juniors, free to kids under 12; www.tampaboatshow.com.

BOATING CLASS: Apollo Beach Sail and Power Squadron safe boating class begins at South Shore Regional Library, Ruskin, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Classes meet for four weeks. The $45 fee includes textbooks. Call (813) 684-5063.

MEETING: The Brandon Coast Guard Auxiliary holds its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at 3006 South Kings Ave. in Brandon; call 800-704-4216 or go to http://cgaux74.org.

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