SPORTS

NOAA seeks input on U.S. conservation initiative

Posted 11/4/21

Last week the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administraion (NOAA) announced two public listening sessions to garner input on ways they can advance goals outlined in the  “Conserving and …

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SPORTS

NOAA seeks input on U.S. conservation initiative

Posted

Last week the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administraion (NOAA) announced two public listening sessions to garner input on ways they can advance goals outlined in the  “Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful” repot (see below link). The public comment period will be open for 60 days, through Dec. 28, 2021.

On Jan. 27, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The order directed the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and the heads of other relevant agencies to produce a report to the National Climate Task Force that recommends steps for conserving at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. It also directed NOAA to “solicit input from state, local, Tribal, and territorial officials, agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, and other key stakeholders in identifying strategies that will encourage broad participation in [this] goal.”

In response, to this order U.S. Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce, and CEQ released the Report as a preliminary step. The Report recommends a decade-long national initiative to advance locally led conservation and restoration in public, private, and Tribal lands and waters to address three threats: disappearance of nature loss, climate change, and inequitable access to the outdoors. To guide implementation, the Report includes eight core principles and six areas for early focus and progress.  Instructions on how to submit a comment as well as the specific topics on which NOAA is seeking input, are available at https://www.noaa.gov/america-the-beautiful.

Public Listening Sessions

are scheduled for Monday, Nov. 8, 2-4 p.m., and Tuesday, Nov. 16, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dial in (REQUIRED for audio): 888-324-2609, Passcode: 727-5932.  Webinar (optional to view slides): visit above web address the day of meeting--no advanced registration. (Conference number: PWXW2474478, Audience Passcode: 727-5932).

National Seafood Month… recipes for fish we catch

NOAA’s celebration of National Seafood Month in October would not have been complete without highlighting the fish we catch, cook and eat ourselves. In 2019, recreational and non-commercial saltwater anglers took 187 million fishing trips and caught 950 million fish.

Catch-and-release angling plays an important role in U.S. fish conservation — more than half the fish caught are released. But there are plenty of opportunities around the nation for anglers to keep the fish they hook. Plus, a dinner featuring seafood you caught yourself adds a delicious capstone to an exciting day on the water.

Visit NOAA Fisheries for an east coast haddock recipe that can use just about any other white fish like cod, as well as recipes for fish caught in other regions. Visit or Google Fishing for Sport and Seafood | NOAA Fisheries .

 

Where’s the bite?

Striped bass, bluefish and false albacore.

East End Eddie Doherty said, “Terrific Canal fishing continues as Jack Barton of Berkley landed a 48-inch, 40-pound striper with a handmade four ounce jig on an early fast moving east tide and Fred Creager of Plymouth caught a 43-inch on a white FishLab. The heavy presence of bait fish continues to draw predators into the ditch.” Steve Anderson of the Saltwater Edge, Middletown, said, “The pipeline is still loaded with stripers, reports have been coming in from as far north as southern Maine of sizeable schools of stripers from 20 inches to 20 pounds, come a little further south to Plum Island and there are 30-pounders in the mix, by the time you get to Plymouth Rock, 40-pounders are in play. Closer to the shop we’re seeing a broad mix of sizes and good numbers throughout Rhode Island. Surfcasters seem to be leading the way again — no one seems to be boat fishing after dark. But the night crew surf guys are doing very well from Newport to Narragansett to Napatree with great reports of fish that are mostly slot-size and above.” 

Peter Nilsen, president of the Rhody Fly Rodders, said, “Last week the striped bass and shad bite was pretty good at Narrow River, Narragansett.  Anglers were hooking up with shad as large as 22 inches as well as school and keeper striped bass mixed in at Sprague Bridge as well as at the mouth of the River off the sand bar.”

Tautog fishing.

The tautog bite was still good when angers got out to fish in between high seas and stormy weather. Aquidneck Island shore angler John Migliori said, “The fall tautog bite has been really hot in Newport. It does not take long for one person to go through a quart of green crabs as I have been doing, of course there are many missed bites and undersized fish, but I have been doing very well. This weekend I caught a good sized fish close to 8 pounds. All of my fishing has been from shore on Aquidneck Island in the Rivers on both sides of the Island on green crabs.” 

Sam Toland of Sam’s Bait & Tackle, Middletown, said, “The tautog bite has been outstanding this week. Customers area catching them everywhere in bays, rivers and out in front along the ocean coastal shore. Both conventional rigs and jigs are work.  Anglers are catching a lot of shorts to get their limit but overall everything is working.”

Freshwater fishing

has been fair. “Freshwater fishing for largemouth bass continues to be good, top water lures as well as shiners are still working for anglers,” said Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box, Warwick.

Dave Monti holds a captain’s master license and charter fishing license. He serves on a variety of boards and commissions and has a consulting business focusing on clean oceans, habitat preservation, conservation, renewable energy, and fisheries related issues and clients. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verison.net or visit www.noflukefishing.com

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