"RSA" Fluke comes to the Babara Anne Family in 2010:

As a follow up to the announcements portion of our 2009 newsletter, the following is a more in depth explanation of what RSA (research set-aside) means and what it means to you concerning requirements, cost, and finally, season openings and closings.


What is a RSA (Research Set Aside) Fluke permit?

The National Marine Fisheries Service sets annual quotas for most popular fish species. Up to 3% of the quota is allocated for research. This research set-aside is either used directly for research or auctioned off to finance research.

The Barbara Anne is a participant in the RSA (Research Set Aside) Permit program. The Barbara Anne will successfully bid on a portion of the Fluke quota which is set aside for research purposes. We will then have a permit from the New York State DEC to “collect and possess” Fluke. Under this permit we are allowed to fish for “RSA” Fluke outside the published Fluke Season in New York State with a different size and bag limit (We can’t use the permit during the open season). We are required to weigh the fish, clean the fish at the dock and report our catch to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and National Marine Fisheries Service. Our season will end when our portion of the quota we bid on is met

The Research Set-Aside (RSA) program is utilized to encourage cooperative research between commercial fishing vessels and scientific researchers to further the understanding of our nation’s fisheries. Different fishery management plans implement this program differently. Most fisheries, like Summer flounder, Scup, Black sea bass, Tilefish, Spiny dogfish, Illex squid, Loligo squid, butterfish, Atlantic mackerel, and bluefish, set aside portions of the annual fishery-wide quota to research. Other fisheries, like Atlantic Sea Scallop and Monkfish, set aside days-at-sea from the annual pool of days for research. Researchers and commercial fishing vessels participating in RSA activities often require special exempted fishing permits (EFPs) or other authorizations for scientific research.

****Please review the following table concerning all open and closed season RSA Fluke fishing:(reflects 2009 limits)

May 15 to June 15 2009
Regular Season 21 inches Total Length 2 fish Daily Possession Limit
June 16, 2009 to July 2, 2009
RSA 20 inches Total Length 4 Fish Daily Possession Limit
July 3 to August 17, 2009
Regular Season 21 inches Total Length 2 fish Daily Possession Limit
August 18 to End of Year RSA
20 inches Total Length 4 Fish Daily Possession Limit

What does this mean to you as our customer in the way of fishing and cost?

As a result of this permit, you will now be able to legally harvest fluke until portion of quota is used up. Very simply, you will be fishing when everyone else is at the dock.
As a result of this permit, we, the Barbara Anne, have incurred operational costs that will be subsidized in part by you and me.
The following is 2010 fluke charters prices reflective of RSA expense:

Full day fluke charters(1-4 passengers) will go from $525.00 to $565.00
Open boat pricing will go from $125.00 pp to $135.00 pp for full day