[capt.george]

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-Intresting Tit Bit , covering Licencing, from Commercial to homeoner --WOW--

Annapolis
DentonBy PAMELA WOOD, Staff Writer
Published February 05, 2009
About 100 crabbers packed into a meeting in Annapolis last night to send a message to the Department of Natural Resources: Don't take away the licenses of part-time watermen.
DNR officials are pushing a proposal to temporarily freeze the licenses of certain watermen who didn't catch any crabs in the past five years.

Most of the affected watermen are part-timers who haven't crabbed for a variety of reasons: illness, caring for family, commitments at their full-time jobs, the rising cost of bait and fuel.

The only watermen affected are those who hold a limited commercial crabbing license, a type of waterman's license that only permits a certain amount of crabbing.

"Why would you pick on us guys? We're not hurting the crabs at all," said crabber Charles Phillips of Salisbury. "It seems like a cheap trick to me and it breaks my heart."

Between 600 and 800 crabbers would have their licenses frozen indefinitely, starting

Sept. 1. If crab populations rebound after a few years, then the DNR would consider allowing them to crab again.

DNR officials said they are worried about the number of people who hold watermen's licenses that allow crabbing, but don't actually crab. They're concerned that many of them could jump back into the crabbing business and further stress the already-depleted blue-crab population in the Chesapeake Bay.

The freezing of the licenses is just one of several measures state officials are considering for the 2009 crabbing season, but it's the one getting the most attention.

Of the dozens who spoke during the meeting at Calvary United Methodist Church last night, nearly every one raised concerns about the license freezing.

Some said they felt it was illegal, or at least immoral. Others wondered if this opens the door to taking away more licenses in the future.

Still others said they didn't like that there were only a few exemptions, and they particularly didn't like the exemption for watermen on Smith Island, the only inhabited off-shore island in the bay, which has a strong crabbing tradition.

"Smith Island, as you all know, is a special area," said DNR's Mike Luisi. "There are limited opportunities for people on Smith Island to have a job on the mainland .... We put that in there because of those limited opportunities."

His explanation was met with an angry murmur that rippled through the crowd and one comment of, "That's wrong."

Bob Evans of Churchton, head of the Anne Arundel County Watermen's Association, said he thinks the freezing of the licenses isn't based on science, as DNR's other measures are.

"This is some sort of political thing," he said.

Other measures that were reviewed last night included making all recreational crabbers who currently don't need a license - such as those who crab from bridges or at their waterfront homes - to sign up for free registration with the state. Commercial watermen will face periodic closures and bushel limits for female crabs.

Officials in Maryland and Virginia are trying for the second year now to reduce the harvest of females by 34 percent in order to stop the backsliding of the crab population and spur more reproduction.

Another public hearing is planned for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Kent Island Library. Comments will be accepted through Feb. 17. The DNR plans to have the regulations in place before crabbing starts in April.

More information is posted at Maryland DNR's Fisheries Service Home Page. The Department of Natural Resources is accepting comments at [email protected].

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[Scott McGuire]

I was at this hearing, and I've never seen so much complaining in my life.

There are up to 900 licenses that haven't reported catching a single crab in 5 years. These licenses will likely be frozen until the crab stock reaches 200M adult crabs for 3 years in row (according to the WDS). The reg is set to take effect in March, but the licenses won't be frozen until August 31, 2009.

Most speakers said they were being punished for not catching crabs - and trying to help the crab population. Some said they were being discriminated against because of age or disability. Other's said there needed to be a hardship exemption appeal process, or that this was in their retirement plan. Some said that this was unconstitutional, and there was no notice, but they would have given the license back if DNR had asked nicely. Others still said they'd be happier to sell the license (that they haven't been using) back to DNR - at 2k per.

I believe the real reason this caused so much debate is because freezing the licenses reduces their value. Lately, LCC's have been selling for serious money 2-4K. While there may be a few cases of people who have had real hardship - overall I think the department is doing the right thing to address latent effort. Although, I would argue that the department is being too soft. Freezing the licenses isn't enough. Unused licenses should be canceled - and taken out of the pool.

To me, for those license holders that are young enough - if your license is frozen you are sitting in the catbird seat. You get to keep your license when it is frozen and you don't have to pay for something you weren't using - then when it is unfrozen, it will probably be worth more $$$ - and there will actually be crabs to catch.

 

[tksmitty]

You don't think that some of these "license holders" might be using their commercial license to use more gear and catch more crabs than what is allowed by a rec. license do you? And just not reporting their catch?..... Say it tisn't so....

 

[Chumbucket]

This statement is an absolute joke, "Bob Evans of Churchton, head of the Anne Arundel County Watermen's Association, said he thinks the freezing of the licenses isn't based on science, as DNR's other measures are."

Like opening up the Pax to the Comms for yellow perch, Bob? Just exactly what "science" was that based upon?

Yeesh...

The only science DNR recognizes is political science, playing softball with them -- as history has shown -- is a losing proposition...

 

[GABBY GIRL]

Then Commercial net, fishing guide , and hook and line licenses should follow!

 

[Black Irish]

This is exactly the reason why the DNR has avoided the crab decline for so many years. They knew the battle would reach epic proportions for the last crab. The bay is a public resource, not owned by 8,000 license holders, but by all 5.6 million Maryland citizens.

 

[capt.george]

This statement is an absolute joke, "Bob Evans of Churchton, head of the Anne Arundel County Watermen's Association, said he thinks the freezing of the licenses isn't based on science, as DNR's other measures are."

Like opening up the Pax to the Comms for yellow perch, Bob? Just exactly what "science" was that based upon?

Yeesh...

The only science DNR recognizes is political science, playing softball with them -- as history has shown -- is a losing proposition...

--Well, Well , A Helligermite was loosened by lifting a Rock , this Morning , I guess I was Trolling with the Right Bait , Good to see ya Back, Chum --

---Bob Evens , AAWA, Seldome Jokes about things that Effect people's Livelyhood , He May be Smiling when he testifies , but like Myself he speaks from the heart --Lord Knows , in this time of Reccesion , Many, many , understand the loss of Jobs & livelyhood's--The days of going out for a 15.00 lunch with a brew or two are over ---" Walk in Another Mans Moccasions"-geo.

 

[Scott McGuire]

Capt. George - you're deflecting.

NOBODY will lose their livelihoods (you spelled it wrong) unless they were not reporting their catch.

The LCC freeze effects people that have not reported as little as A SINGLE crab from 2004-2008. These people are not in business.

 

[Chumbucket]

--Well, Well , A Helligermite was loosened by lifting a Rock , this Morning , I guess I was Trolling with the Right Bait , Good to see ya Back, Chum --

---Bob Evens , AAWA, Seldome Jokes about things that Effect people's Livelyhood , He May be Smiling when he testifies , but like Myself he speaks from the heart --Lord Knows , in this time of Reccesion , Many, many , understand the loss of Jobs & livelyhood's--The days of going out for a 15.00 lunch with a brew or two are over ---" Walk in Another Mans Moccasions"-geo.

Cap? He speaks from his self-interest....He speaks from his wallet....We don't need to romanticize it...The guy has a vested interest in selling that point of view and getting that quote in the newspaper, simple as that...

And ya know what? He did good, Bob did his job, that's what he should be doing...Somebody, or organization, should be countering that nonsense...That should be their job. But in the absence of that at least I can enjoy getting my blood going first thing in the morning with a helpful dose of the absurd courtesy of Bob Evans...

 

[Chumbucket]

Here Cap, look at this...See this?

Bob Evans says this: "Bob Evans of Churchton, head of the Anne Arundel County Watermen's Association, said he thinks the freezing of the licenses isn't based on science, as DNR's other measures are."

This is factually incorrect...

And thus spake Chum: "The only science DNR recognizes is political science, playing softball with them -- as history has shown -- is a losing proposition..."

This is factually correct...

Bob Evans recognizes that truth, that's why he says things like this: "Bob Evans of Churchton, head of the Anne Arundel County Watermen's Association, said he thinks the freezing of the licenses isn't based on science, as DNR's other measures are," at meetings "packed" in Annapolis with "about" 100 crabbers....Those boys get it...