Letter - American Sportfishing Association

DorothyLowman,Chair
PacificFisheryManagementCouncil
1100NEAmbassadorPlace,#101
Portland,Oregon97220
RE:AgendaItemF.3–DeepSetBuoyGearAmendmentScoping
DearChairLowmanandCouncilmembers,
Sportfishingisthebackboneofourindustryandsportfishermenarethelifebloodkeepingour
businessesrunning.Wewritetostandwiththethousandsofsportfishermencallingforchange
intheWestCoastswordfishfishery,andencourageyoutobegintheauthorizationprocessfor
deep-setbuoygearinMarch.
TheWestCoastcommercialfisheryforswordfishneedsalternativegeartypestodriftgillnets.
Thesemile-longnets,setforhoursatatimeovernight,ensnarefinfishsuchasstripedmarlin
andmanyotherspeciesofmarineliferesultingin64%ofthecatchbeingdiscardedoverboard,
ofteninjuredordead.
Lastyear,thePacificFisheryManagementCounciltookseveralpositivestepsindevelopinga
comprehensiveSwordfishManagement&MonitoringPlanwiththegoalofreducingbycatchin
theWestCoastswordfishfishery.WecommendtheCouncilforitsapprovalofhardcapson
protectedandvulnerablespecies,aswellas100percentmonitoringinthedriftgillnetfishery,
asinterimmeasuresuntilatransitiontocleanergearoccurs.
Additionally,weapplaudtheCouncil’sdecisiontoleaveauthorizationofshallow-setlongline
gearoutsidetheExclusiveEconomicZoneoffoftheCouncil‘s2016agenda.Wehopethis
deletionispermanent,asanyWestCoast-basedlonglinefisherywouldnotachievethe
Council’sgoalofreducingbycatchandarenotasustainablealternativetodriftgillnets.
Deep-setbuoygearprovidessuchanalternative,andwestronglyencouragethePacificFishery
ManagementCounciltoauthorizethisgearinatimelymanner.Buoygearisactivelytended,
usingahook-and-buoysystemthatenablesfishermentodroptheirhooksasdeepas1,200feet
toreachswordfishandrespondtoabitewithinminutes.Scientistsandcooperatingfishermen
havetestedthegearextensivelyfornearlyfiveyearsanditmaintainsa94percentmarketable
catchrate.
Webelievetheworktoimplementhardcapsand100percentmonitoringcancoincidewith
authorizationofdeep-setbuoygear.Pleaseensurethatauthorizationofthisimportant
innovationisapriorityin2016.
ThankyouinadvanceonbehalfoftheInternationalGameFishAssociation,Coastal
ConservationAssociationCalifornia,theAmericanSportfishingAssociation,andtheoverone
hundredsportfishingbusinesseslistedbelow.
Sincerely,
Wetheundersigned
AmericanSportfishingAssociation
MikeLeonard-OceanResourcePolicyDirector
Alexandria,VA
DaiwaCorporation
TerryPederson-VPofSales/Marketing
Cypress,CA
FredHallShows,Inc.
BartHall-Producer
Camarillo,CA
Pelagic
ColinSarfeh-MarketingDirector
CostaMesa,CA
TowBoatUS&VesselAssist
BenScanlan-GeneralManager
Avalon,CA
DanaWharfSportfishingandWhaleWatching
DonnaKalez-VicePresident
DanaPoint,CA
NorthwestSportfishingIndustryAssociation
LizHamilton-ExecutiveDirector
OregonCity,OR
HobieCatCompany
MorganPromnitz-FishingProductManager
Oceanside,CA
Westernbass
WayneWasulko-President
Sacramento,CA
OFBoutdoors
MichaelTapocik-Founder/President
DanaPoint,CA
SalmonKingLodge
BillDivens-Owner/Guide
RedBluff,CA
BobSandsFishingTackle,Inc.
SalVallone-President
VanNuys,CA
AmericanFishingTackleCompany(AFTCO)
BillShedd-President
SantaAna,CA
WestMarine
RandyRepass-Founder
Watsonville,CA
ShimanoAmericanCorporation
PhilMorlock-Director,EnvironmentalAffairs
Irvine,CA
BDOutdoors,LLC
AliHussainy-President
SanDiego,CA
WesternOutdoorNews
BobTwilegar-President
SanClemente,CA
PacificCoastSportfishingMagazine
DrewLawler-President&EditorialDirector
NewportBeach,CA
CousinsTackle
CharlieAlbright-CustomerServiceManager
HuntingtonBeach,CA
BetterFishtrap/TheQuicklineSystem
AdamCarlebach-President
Oakland,CA
QualiaReels
DoshMcClendon-Owner
Novato,CA
AAWorms
MatthewPaino-GeneralManager
Temecula,CA
TackleWarehouse
RichardZeilenga-COO
SanLuisObispo,CA
SeaGuide
RickHall-GlobalSalesManager
Missoula,CA
Aguadrone,LLC
DanielMarion-Owner
SanDiego,CA
PerformanceTackle
MarcHigashi-Owner
LosAlamitos,CA
TheRustyHook
AlexMasumoto-Owner
SanPedro,CA
Let’sTalkHookup
PeteGray-President
SanDiego,CA
RinseKit
EliseWalker-AssociateMarketingDirector
Carlsbad,CA
MarshallMadrugaBrands
MarshallMadruga-Owner
SanDiego,CA
SunrizeTackle,Inc.
PeteWolf-Owner
Goleta,CA
OkumaFishingTackle
DouglasLasko-President
Ontario,CA
WesternFishingAdventures,Ltd.
BradStaples-Guide
WestLinn,OR
Sky’sGuideService
SkylenFreet-Owner
Sandy,OR
PoulsonCascadeTackle,LLC
TomHester-Owner
Clackamas,OR
OregonRiverTrailsOutfitters
BillKremers-Owner
Corvallis,OR
Fin&Field
RobertMurphy-CEO
SantaBarbara,CA
PacificRecreationalProducts
JimStewart-Owner
Tigard,OR
ParadiseGuideService
PhilParadis-President
Canby,OR
Michael’sGuideService
MichaelShearer-Owner
Glide,OR
SteveHuberGuideService
SteveHuber-Owner
DouglasCity,CA
TotalFishermanGuideService
KevinNewell-Guide
Portland,OR
TomPoseyCo
RonHiller-President
Tigard,OR
FightClubGuidedFishing
JayDaly-Captain
St.Helens,OR
LittleStoneFlyfisher
BobTriggs-Owner
PortTownsend,WA
DoubleGGuideService
GaryGeis-Owner
BattleGround,WA
LeisureSales
DanParnelL-President
Auburn,WA
BluewaterBaitSystems
RandyWood-Owner
CostaMesa,CA
SaltWaterBassAnglers
EricBent-Director
Whittier,CA
SeaTowNewportBeach/LA
ChrisMcCarthy-Owner
NewportBeach,CA
AllFishWear
ElenaYuja-Owner
HuntingtonPark,CA
PhenixRods
AlexCampos-OperationsManager
Bellflower,CA
ReliableFishingProducts
PaulRobbins-Owner
OrangeCounty,CA
PicanteSportfishing
TonyCraig-SalesManager
ChinoHills,CA
WhopperStoppers
EdRobison-Owner
Riverside,CA
ConvictLakeResort
CharlesPorter-MarketingManager
MammothLakes,CA
SoCalReels-PulliamEnterprise
PaulPulliam-Owner
SanDiego,CA
ProTowers
MikeByrum-Owner
Lakewood,CA
SoCalReels
RobbLeTourneau-Captain
SanDiego,CA
GetSomeSports
JohnAnderson-President
SanClemente,CA
ThresherBoats
BrandonWesselink-Owner
SanClemente,CA
WestCoastTrailers
WayneRedmond-Owner
HuntingtonBeach,CA
KetchamTackle
JasonKetcham-Owner
CostaMesa,CA
SportfishingFinancial
RickJensen-Owner
SanJuanCapistrano,CA
SeasonsSportfishing
JamieThinnes-Owner
SanDiego,CA
NewFishallBaitCo
KentWilliams-Owner
Gardena,CA
CowbuoySportfishing
ScottWilson-Owner
SanDiego,CA
CharkBait
MarkSmith-Owner
HuntingtonBeach,CA
ToroTamer
NadiyaSmith-Owner
HuntingtonBeach,CA
SpearAmerica
PetrosYiannikouros-Owner
Irvine,CA
TheBoardroomCharters
ToddMansour-Captain
DanaPoint,CA
SanDiegoTackleTraders
DaveNichols-Owner
SanDiego,CA
HarborBoatRentals
LandonYacobucci-Captain
DanaPoint,CA
Fisherman’sAccess
JackKaneoka-Owner
Brea,CA
FPSConsulting
RonWade-Owner
OrangeCounty,CA
FreedomBoatClub-ParkerBoats
PeterAxelrod-MembersExecutive
OrangeCounty,CA
ShannonRoseSportfishing
ErikCarmack-Captain
DanaPoint,CA
SOSMarine
ChrisSpillers-Owner
SantaAna,CA
FIAInsuranceServicesInc
TimManaka-President
Pasadena,CA
PacificPropertiesService
MichaelFarrior-CEO/Founder
SanDiego,CA
BanzaiJerky
BenAoki-Owner
FountainValley,CA
BungalowBayCo
JosephSabina-CFO
LongBeach,CA
BajaFishGear
EdTschernoscha-Owner
Lomita,CA
BlueWaveJewelry
PaulHansen-Owner
NewportBeach,CA
GMCSports
GreggChow-Owner
Fullerton,CA
RichardDRossConstructionInc.
RichardRoss-President
Concord,CA
HottStuffSports
RichErwin-Owner
Riverside,CA
BomboyFishingLures
BomboyLlanes-Owner
KailunaKoa,HI
YesBayLodgeAlaska
NickyMartinez-Chef/GeneralManager
Ketchikan,AK
KatmaiLodge-Alaska
BobKantor-OperationsManager
KingSalmon,AK
NautilusReels
KristenMustad-Owner
Miami,FL
SalmonCatcherLodge
TerenceJohnson-Owner
Kenai,AK
TiborReels
MariannePapa-VicePresident
DelrayBeach,FL
FishologyAlaska
MarkWackler-Owner
Soldotna,AK
DuncanbyLodge
DaveLogan-RegionalManager
BritishColumbia,Canada
ScentBlazerLures
MikeRennie-ProStaff/Distribution
Sydney,Australia
HalcoTackleCompany
KNeilPatrick-Chairman
Fremantle,Australia
JenWrenSportfishing
MarkRayor-Owner/Captain
BajaCalifornia,Mexico
BajaFishingConvoys
OrchidMartinez-Owner/President
BajaCalifornia,Mexico
Pro-Cure
PhilPirone-President
Salem,OR
BobRees’GuideService
BobRees-Owner
Tillamook,OR
100+ Sportfishing Businesses
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