Fight Over Summer Flounder. Jersey Defends Key Summer Attraction.


Listen to audio > Own a home  at the shore? Make a living from seashore real estate? Have a pizza shop? Maybe you sell t-shirts or teach surfing lessons. You might even run a charter boat and sell bait & tackle. Summertime dune building & goofy fishing rules will affect your income.

Federal experts think more cuts are needed to slow a wrongly perceived decline in the flounder population. Heavily disputed data suggests that NJ has been experiencing over-fishing since 2008. That’s just NOT TRUE. The  Press of Atlantic City doesn’t help by publishing these highly questionable reports.

Click to listen: Dick Herb from the Marine Fishery Council, and Congressman Frank LoBiondo, as heard on the ‘Shep on Fishing’ radio show.

Relying on bad fishing data will have a devastating impact on the State of New Jersey. It could cost the economy as much as $750 million. It will slowly kill the recreational fishing industry.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross & Bob Martin from the DEP; Department of Environmental Protection, are busy behind the scenes…trying to work out a deal.

Congressman Frank LoBiondo has his ‘fingers crossed’ about the situation.

Note:

Current rules encourage throwing too many back. The larger flounder….we can keep….are likely female. The breeders.

Maybe New Jersey will be placed in it’s own region., and no longer be connected to New York & Connecticut. Maybe we’ll be keeping 16 inch fluke one day soon?

Fluke Regulations Compromise

The Council will either support or reject DEP Commissioner Martin’s compromise at that time as that is the only action available to them. The recommendation reached, after lengthy negotiations with the National Marine Fisheries Service, is a 3 fish bag limit at 18 inches with a 104 day season beginning on 5/25 and extending through 9/5. It includes a 17 inch size limit for Delaware Bay and a 16 inch size limit for the shore based anglers at Island Beach State Park with the same 104 day season.

These negotiations were entered into after the ASMFC voted for a 19 inch size limit with a 3 fish bag limit and a 128 day season that would have begun on 5/20 and ended on 9/24. It included an 18 inch size limit for Delaware Bay and a 17 inch size limit for the shore based anglers at Island Beach State Park with the same season. The negotiations were initiated by recreational fishing groups who went to Commissioner Martin and asked him to maintain the current 2016 regulations as status quo even though this could result in New Jersey going out of compliance. If we are declared out of compliance, the consequences may include a shut down the recreational fishery as well as the commercial fishery.

Earlier this year JCAA supported going out of compliance by maintaining the 2016 regulations. JCAA was represented in the conference calls with Commissioner Martin who kept us informed as to the negotiations. We were encouraged to offer our input. The final negotiated compromise was not released until Tuesday, May 9th. On May 10th this compromise was presented to ASMFC.

The New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council will vote on Wednesday. Given the short timeline, JCAA does not have adequate time for a formal meeting that would allow club representatives to poll their membership. JCAA’s commitment to a democratic process doesn’t allow us to change any position without prior approval from our members.

Our initial position to remain status quo with the 2016 regulations and support going out of compliance remains the only position of JCAA.

The next New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council meeting will be held at 4:00 PM next Wednesday, May 17th at:

Avalon Community Center
3001 Avalon Rd.,
Avalon, NJ 08202.

News & Info from Atlantic City