Comment from Charles Goodman

I have read the pertinent interim rule regarding the GOM Haddock fishery for the 2012 year. I am a recreational fisherman who fishes off for hire vessels off the coast of Mass. As regulators you are required to use "the best available science" to put forth the fishing regulations. It appears that you are not privi to the scientific information needed to asess the volume of the available fishery. As a result, you appear to be working with can best be described as "an educated guess". The result is overly restrictive fishing regulations for the recreational fisherman. If this is truly a "public resource" and there is a deficit in the quantity of fish, the "public" (recreational fisherman)should not be the first ones to be penalized or restricted. A transfer of just several percentage points from the commercial fishermen quota to the recreational quota will go a long way to rectify any perceived shortage in the recreational allocation. I personally budget myself approximately $5,000. to $7,000. per year to fish off the for hire vessels. If these restrictive rulings become law, I cannot justify the expense of the travel, lodging, and charter costs, to fish for such a restrictive limit on Haddock. Sincerely, Charles Goodman