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The drop in slot range protects the 2015 year class which, if I remember correctly, was the last good YOY index in the CB. There was discussion to setting a slot for commercial, but it was just that, discussion. The reason for the com regs to be as they are, from what I remember from when the slot was enacted, is to streamline enforcement as essentially any fish being harvested over 35" must come with a commercial license. Fair and equitable? Perhaps not, but if anglers could just be trusted to do the right thing in the first place, then it wouldn't be an issue
With the rec cut being in the range of 60% (I heard that number being thrown around but do not have it verified so do not hold me to it) there is good argument for commercial to take some sort of a cut in the near future, but this action does more good right now for the population. The emergency action is only in place for 180 days and therefore will be revisited at the summer meeting in August. At that time they can extend for 1 year, drop or modify it.
I am and have always been 100% recreational angler, but as is always lost in these discussions, commercial does not take the big piece of the striped bass harvest pie. It is us (or most of use in here anyway) the private recreational anglers who do the lion's share of the damage. You literally need to quintuple (multiply by 5) the annual commercial harvest to eclipse the annual recreational harvest, and even then you only do so by 4%. I know this is going to ruffle some feathers, and I am not trying to start a pissing match with anyone, I just feel there is a need to point out some facts when all the finger pointing goes elsewhere. Would a moratorium help? Sure, but it is not the magic bullet to fix all problems.
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