Blue Crab Industry Design Team

[jack1747]

A dealers license is $150 and another report would be required every month.

 You guys need to come work for me for a week... 150 a month..   Try 10,000+ a week.   Man you guys need to grow up....  If you do it cause ya love it.. So be it.  If ya do it to make a living, then get like Maddox and the big guys... [curd]. They run 1000's of pots. 150 bucks. 

[Mr. Ray III]

What are they spending $10,000 a week on? 

[reds]

 You guys need to come work for me for a week... 150 a month..   Try 10,000+ a week.   Man you guys need to grow up....  If you do it cause ya love it.. So be it.  If ya do it to make a living, then get like Maddox and the big guys... [curd]. They run 1000's of pots. 150 bucks. 

Memo to self. Don't be sarcastic. Even if he is.

Jack.
The $150 is the cost of a dealers license per year. Which allows a person to buy and sell others seafood in Maryland.
Maryland requires a monthly report on transactions. Have a good day.

[Dip Master]

What a joke, I sure hope catch shares dont come here. Seems to me that you would have to be full time or no time. Does not seem right to me. Just because part time crabbers who hold a LCC have another mean of income does not make them any less then a full time.

[Mr. Breeze]

Rich, how did it go with the representation letters, and what happened at the Aug. meeting?

Mikie, at the August meeting time was spent discussing how the design team could become more representative of the industry, and not just represent those who choose to be a member of the association.  The design team has decided that two at large seats will be created and that a postcard is to be sent to all licenseholders asking for the name of the person that each would like to represent thier interests at the meeting.  The postcard is to go in the mail this week sometime and will require entering the name on the card and returning it.  The two people with the most write-ins will be seated at the table.  Any other votes of confidence will not be accepted, so it looks like I wasted the time of everyone who sent the authorizations of representation.  Thanks, everyone, and I'm sorry for the waste of time.  I would ask that those who returned the authorizations  also return the postcard with my name written in.
I am active in other areas of the crab fishery management, (TFAC and Blue Crab Industry Advisory Committee), and would like to further my involvement with a seat on the design team.

[Mr. Breeze]

come on now, you are using some of the same tactics the DNR uses when talking about crabbing lic....you dag on well there are not 6000 commercial waterman crabbing on the bay, I would be willing to bet there aren't 600 out of 6000 lic.   that are commercial crabbers if there are more where are all of these commercial crabbers at......

another number that would be interesting to know is just how many active commercial crabbers does the MWA actually have as members...I think it is much lower than they are willing to admit....so who is the MWA actually representing??


In order to be a full member of the cbcfa you have to have a comm lic, which i think is a great idea

A healthy debate on a public forum is one of the best ways to get the word out...all commercial waterman should be on the same side not divided into many different groups

Big red,  Are you saying that those who do not crab regularly, but hold a commercial license, should not be represented?  I'm of the opinion that a commecial license holder should continue to be authorized to harvest an amount of crabs that will allow him/her to be profitable, and not be subject to restrictions and regulations which would put him/her out of the fishery, whether or not they have crabbed actively in the past.  The part timers make up the larger portion of the fishery, whether the full timers like it or not.

My 6000 number may have been flawed.  I didn't account for the licenses that were bought back by the department.  If I remember, I'll call and get an updated number today.  Don't hold me to it though, because I suffer from a bad case of CRS (can't remember shlt)

Yes, a healthy debate is good for the fishery.  I look forward to discussing your representation on the design team later.  Right now, I've got a boat to run and crabs to catch , and pots to clean

[jack1747]

What are they spending $10,000 a week on? 

oops... one to many 0's...  1000 a week on just advertising...

Memo to self. Don't be sarcastic. Even if he is.

Jack.
The $150 is the cost of a dealers license per year. Which allows a person to buy and sell others seafood in Maryland.
Maryland requires a monthly report on transactions. Have a good day.

That makes me laugh even more.  Sorry Red but hearing business men complain about having to spend money to make money is funny to me.   It's just the cost of doing business.  And... It's a deduction. I like deductions.

[Crabslayer]

Anyone wishing for me to represent the independent watermen, I would be willing to attend and represent your voices.

[rdbeard]

so the 2 seats to be filled should be breeze and slayer, sounds like a good combination for the independents.

[rdbeard]

both of you should post your full names and what ever other info this post card will ask for. please start with your credit card #s.

[genecrabman]

both of you should post your full names and what ever other info this post card will ask for. please start with your credit card #s.

And don't forget the 3 digit number on the back...

[genecrabman]

Anyone wishing for me to represent the independent watermen, I would be willing to attend and represent your voices.

I wish you were in North Carolina............I'd Hire you....

[big red]

what I meant to say is that there are 2 main methods of crabbing,,, pots trotline  these methods are being represented.....
I dont think the who or the where should make a difference

and my number of 600 may be a little low, you figure a lot of boats hve 2 or 3 lic per boat....ishould have said that there arent 600 commercial crabbing boats working the bay on any given day

I here you about the dirty pots    I think flexabar should refund some money  cause it hasnt done its job to keep the hair off this summer

[genecrabman]

what I meant to say is that there are 2 main methods of crabbing,,, pots trotline  these methods are being represented.....
I dont think the who or the where should make a difference

and my number of 600 may be a little low, you figure a lot of boats hve 2 or 3 lic per boat....ishould have said that there arent 600 commercial crabbing boats working the bay on any given day

I here you about the dirty pots    I think flexabar should refund some money  cause it hasnt done its job to keep the hair off this summer

The WHO and the WHERE will make a big difference if they shut Sook Crabbing down, the Upper Bay won't hardly give a [curd]....Lower Bay will be Hurting...You should know that if your a potter...

[Islander]

what I meant to say is that there are 2 main methods of crabbing,,, pots trotline  these methods are being represented.....

I dont think the who or the where should make a difference

Everyone that holds a commercial license should have had the same opportunity to be on the design team and to have a vote in who will represent them. If they choose not to participate so be it, but it should be their choice.

[reds]

And don't forget the 3 digit number on the back...

Expiration date also.

[Crabslayer]

So let's get something straight... there is 13 on the panel who represent 1,000 and only 2 seats available to speak for 4,500.  That seems logical. 

[Lordron]

Socialism at it's finest

[genecrabman]

Socialism at it's finest

[Islander]

So let's get something straight... there is 13 on the panel who represent 1,000 and only 2 seats available to speak for 4,500.  That seems logical.  

Look on the bight side, if it was up to the "good ole boys" there wouldn't be two more seats added to the team.  

BTW... I've attended the BCDT meetings since May and would be willing to represent independents in one of the two new seats. I speak up at every meeting trying to defend part-time crabbers that have been a favorite target for some members on the board. It would be nice to have a seat at the table so I wouldn't have to yell as loud...  

[Mr. Breeze]

Thanks to the many who sent the Authorization to Represent.  Those of you who also sent contact information will recieve a letter from me this week.  Some only gave name, and those who I knew how to contact on the net have recieved emails.  For those who I have no way of contacting, here is what I sent

   Thanks for your ‘authorization to represent’.  Sorry I haven’t gotten back to you sooner, but you know how time is during the crabbing season.  I hope you are catching well.

A quick update on the design team.  At the August meeting, considerable time was spent discussing how the team could become more representative of the fishery as a whole and not just represent the associations.

It was decided that EDF would send one of those nice postcards to every license holder, explaining that there will be 2 at-large seats added to the team, and asking for the license holders to write in the name of the person that they would like to see represent them on the board.  The two people with the most write-ins will fill the two openings.

The postcards will be sent out this week, hopefully.  I ask that you will write my name in and send it back.  I’d really appreciate it if you can recommend me to any other commercial guys that you happen to know or crab near.  I think it’s very important that the independent crabbers have some representation on the design team, to make sure that the little guy is not left out to dry.  I’m concerned that the associations may continue to try to ‘stack the deck’ by instructing their members to write in the name of an association member so that the team continues to be just association members, and does not represent us fairly.  The department has insisted that the new seats be opened to allow all license holders the opportunity to be represented, but did not go as far as to insist that those who filled the seats be independents.

I thank you for your continued support, and wish you a crab on every bait this fall.


Best Regards,
Richard

For those who have no idea about who I am,  I have attended and commented at every meeting of the design team.  I am a Tidal Fish Advisory Commissioner, sit on the TFAC/sfac penalty work group, sat on the crab pot buoy color work group, and have a seat at the Blue Crab Industry Advisory Committee.

I am a Baltimore County crabber who retails his own catch and limits his catch reports by harvesting only premium, rock solid hard crabs.  I am not affiliated with any watermen's association, and am concerned that I and other unaffiliated crabbers have no direct representation on the Design Team.
 

[Mr. Breeze]

So let's get something straight... there is 13 on the panel who represent 1,000 and only 2 seats available to speak for 4,500.  That seems logical. 

As of right now, that is the case. But 2 is better than none

[Big Liar]

I wish I was dumb enough to say part-time/weekend crabbers flood the market.  When the market was shut down in June due to the glut, it was shut down on Saturdays and Sundays from what was caught during the week and the local buyers specifically would not buy from anyone that was part time.  So if part-timers could not sell their crabs, who the he!! flooded the market.  

It must be nice to be able blame all of your problems on the other guy.  So when these guys are not crabbing in the winter, and doing carpentry work or what ever part time.  Do other carpenters give them [curd] for working instead of living off of the system.  I tell you one thing.  My wife b!tches about me working 7 days a week, but I better not hear anyone else do it in person.  Hard work never hurt anyone and it is what made this country great.  I'd rather have to deal with part timers in my profession than have to subsidize a bunch of lazy a$$es with my tax $'s.

[C-Hawk18]

I wish I was dumb enough to say part-time/weekend crabbers flood the market. 

In my opinion the exact opposite was happening from what "regulators" thought. While most thought that a majority of LCC's were in-active due to the reporting received, I think it was the opposite. DNR was getting many reports from LCC's at the beginning of the year with "WILL NOT CRAB THIS YEAR". What this did was allow the crabber to not have to file monthly reports. When checked by DNR on the water there was no way for the Officer to know that the crabber had submitted the report. So while it "looked" like 75% of licenses were in-active, they were actually being used.
I know this because about 7 years ago, when I got my license I would talk to people (Other LCC holders I knew) and this was the "suggestion" I was provided in order to not have to worry about filing reports, or forgetting to file.

Sure glad I did not listen to them.....I'm sure those who now have "In-Active" printed on their license wish they had filed the correct reports.

[Islander]

Big L. & C-Hawk, if at all possible you need to attend these BCDT meetings. I know it may not always convenient but your voices need to be heard. Like I said in my previous post, I have attended these meetings since May (as soon as I knew about them) and the deck is stacked against part-time guys. I'm willing to except one of the two at large seats to represent part-time guys, if enough people want me too, but either way more LCC license holders need to be at these meetings.