Comment from James Neronha

I believe I am one of the major players in the skate fisheries. I sell 50% less skate now then I did before the major pot reduction. There has already been major reductions in this fishery. NMFS is incorrect to think that there is a line at the door to do this job. If I cannot go out and put 60-80 barrels on my boat then it is not worth doing it. I believe that the wing industry should not be included in the bait fisheries because it is a different species. I have had many observers on my boat and every one of them has told me that it is the best fisheries there is due to the fact that there is very little bycatch, the endangered species that you speak of. If you put a daily catch limit on bait (skate), less than what I catch now, then I will have no choice but to use fine twine and kill everything that you are supposedly trying to rebuild. It makes no sense. All of the information in your report outlines that fact that the bait fisheries is not in trouble. So why kill two industries with one stone? In the state of the current economy, it makes no sense to put people out of business and into the unemployment line for no good reason at all. Why are you taking people's livelihood away without data and proof that it is needed? evidence to bac