| CENTRAL NEW JERSEY FISHING NEWS - May 6, 2009
WINTER FLOUNDER FINALE:
Winter Flounder fishing is a thing of the past. Why is that you say? On May 5, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) approved Addendum I to Amendment 1 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for the Inshore Stocks of Winter Flounder.
And what does this
mumbo-jumbo mean? It means that in mid-June, states are required to submit proposals to meet the required Winter Flounder harvest reductions and you'll see new regulations by November 1, 2009.
Okay, more lousy regulations are in store, but why is Winter Flounder fishing a thing of the past? The Addendum establishes a two fish recreational bag limit
with current size limits and seasons maintained, and a 50 pound possession limit for non-federally permitted commercial fishermen. Ouch!
They estimate the two fish recreational bag limit will achieve approximately a 50 percent reduction in harvest, while the 50 pound commercial possession limit will achieve approximately a 65 percent reduction in harvest. These bag and possession limits are low enough to eliminate directed fishing for
Winter Flounder. Kiss that chum pot goodbye!
You can read more at http://www.asmfc.org/press_releases/2009/pr11WinterFlounderAddendumI.pdf
SEA BASS Surprise Department:
Surprise!!!! Mark N. Mauriello, the New Jersey Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, with the approval of the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council, has
increased the Black Sea Bass recreational size limit.
The 2009 New Jersey recreational size minimum for Black Sea Bass is now 12.5 inches (last year, it was 12 inches.) The season is open all year and the bag limit is 25 fish per day, which is unchanged from last year.
More WINTER FLOUNDER Mumbo-Jumbo:
Back in early February, the Winter Flounder Management Board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) announced they were considering options for rebuilding the Winter Flounder stock in the Mid-Atlantic and South New England regions. They estimate the stock is at an all time low and at only 9% of their rebuilding target.
In spite of the fact that recreational landings represent 10% of the total catch,
the range of proposed management measures includes zero possession limits; decreased recreational bag/size and seasonal limits; and measures to prevent an influx of effort in state waters.
You can read the full text of their "Draft Addendum I to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for the Inshore Stocks of Winter Flounder" Mumbo-Jumbo at:
http://www.asmfc.org/speciesDocuments/winterFlounder/fmps/draftAddendumIforPublicComment.pdf
As part of this horrible bureaucratic process, public hearings are scheduled and if you attend, you will have the opportunity to stand up and give them a piece of your mind.
New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation
7:00 PM April 9, 2009
205 North Belle Meade Road, Suite 1, East Setauket, NY
For more information, contact Steve Heins at 631-444-0436
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
7:00 PM April 16, 2009
Ocean County Administration Building, Room 119
101 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ
For more information, contact Tom McCloy at 609-292-7794
In Memoriam - Captain GARY L. BOUCHARD
 Captain GARY L. BOUCHARD of the South Amboy, NJ party fishing boat MISTY MORN passed away at
home on Friday, April 3, 2009 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Gary was the founder of the Oulde Spye Marine Corp. and captain and owner of the MISTY MORN, a family owned and operated business for over 20 years. An avid fisherman and hunter, he was a member of the United Boatmen, and a past president of the Bayview Rod & Gun Club.
Visitation will be from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and 7:00 to 9:00 PM Monday, April 6 at The Gundrum Service -
Home For Funerals, 237 Bordentown Ave., South Amboy, NJ. Funeral services will be held 8:45 AM Tuesday, April 7 from the funeral home, followed by a 9:30 AM Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mary's Church, South Amboy, NJ. A private cremation will follow. Memorial donations may be made to St. Mary's Church Food Pantry or the Sayreville Association for Brain Injured Children.
God grant that I may fish until my dying day.
And when it comes to my last cast, I then most humbly pray,
When in the Lord's safe landing net I'm peacefully asleep,
That in his mercy I be judged as big enough to keep.
The FLUKE THAT ROARED (in New York) Update:
As with all states within its jurisdiction, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council have mandated that New York reduce their Summer Flounder (Fluke) harvest from last year. The 2009 New York recreational Summer Flounder (Fluke) regulations were recently announced by New York Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete
Grannis for the upcoming recreational fishing season and they are as follows:
Size Limit - 21 inches minimum
Bag Limit - 2 Fluke
Open Season - There will be a split season with an opening from May 15 through June 15, and again from July 3 through August 17. (That's a total of 78 days.)
By comparison, last year's New York Fluke regulations were a minimum size limit of 20.5 inches, a bag limit of four fish, and an open season from May 15 through September 1 (110 days).
The Magnuson-Stevens Department:
On March 18, US Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and other lawmakers introduced H.R. 1584 entitled
'The Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009'. If passed, H.R. 1584 would amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) to include limited flexibility for fishery managers when setting annual limits on managed species including Summer Flounder, Black Sea Bass, Pacific Rockfish, Gag Grouper, Red Snapper and others.
Pallone said "This legislation is the best way to rebuild our fisheries without bankrupting tackle shops, party boats and commercial fishermen" "We should be using sound biology and science when deciding how best to rebuild fish stocks. Unfortunately, the current process of managing our nation's fisheries is based on arbitrary deadlines set by Congress, which has continued to negatively impact fishing communities." Co-sponsor, Congressman
Frank Adler (D-NJ) added "Fishing is a treasured family tradition for many residents, and for others, it is a source of their livelihood. I am proud to support a bill that recognizes the needs of recreational and commercial fishermen and implements environmental practices that promote healthy fisheries." Other co-sponsors of H.R. 1584 are Congressman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), Congressman Patrick Kennedy
(D-RI), Congressman Mike McIntyre (D-NC), Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC) and Congresswoman Virginia Brown-Waite (R-FL).
Language contained in H.R. 1584 amends the Magnuson-Stevens Act and essentially gives the U.S. Secretary of Commerce the discretion to adjust rebuilding timeframes if specific criteria are present to ensure that the conservation of such fish stocks continues to advance. Here are the criteria:
(I) The biology of the stock of fish, other environmental conditions, or management measures under an international agreement in which the United States participates dictate otherwise;
(II) The Secretary determines the timeframe should be extended because the cause of the fishery decline is outside the jurisdiction of the Council or the rebuilding program cannot be effective only by limiting fishing activities;
(III) The Secretary determines the timeframe should be extended to provide for the sustained participation of fishing communities or to minimize the economic impacts on such communities, provided that there is evidence that the stock of fish is on a positive rebuilding trend;
(IV) the Secretary determines the timeframe should be extended for one or more stocks of fish of a multi-species fishery, provided that there is evidence that those stocks are on a positive rebuilding trend;
(V) The Secretary determines the timeframe should be extended because of a substantial change to the biomass rebuilding target for the stock of fish concerned after the rebuilding plan has taken effect; or
(VI) the Secretary determines the timeframe should be extended because the biomass rebuilding target exceeds the highest abundance of the stock of fish in the preceding 25-year period and there is evidence that the stock is on a positive rebuilding trend.
Additional language in the bill states "in evaluating progress to end overfishing and to rebuild overfished stocks of fish, the Secretary shall review factors, other than commercial fishing and recreational fishing, that may contribute to a stock of fish's overfished status, such as commercial, residential, and industrial development of, or agricultural activity in, coastal areas and their impact on the marine environment,
predator/prey relationships of target and related species, and other environmental and ecological changes to the marine conditions."
If H.R 1584 is passed into law, it could be a very good thing... if we ever get a new Secretary of Commerce, that is. President Obama is on his third candidate for Secretary of Commerce, former Washington state Governor Gary Locke. His initial candidate, New Mexico Governor
Bill Richardson, withdrew in January amid a federal grand jury investigation over 'pay for play' allegations involving a campaign donor, while Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), removed himself from consideration in February, citing irreconcilable differences with Obama's fiscal policy. President Bush's Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez, did not have a great track record for supporting the small commercial fisherman or the recreational fishing industry. Sheesh!
Initially introduced in 2007 in a previous session of Congress, the bill never became law. Sessions of Congress last two years, and at the end of each session all proposed bills and resolutions that haven't passed are cleared from the books. Members often reintroduce bills that did not come up for debate under a new number in the next session, and this is the case with H.R. 1584.
Since the bill's original introduction, our economy has tanked, businesses have failed, and many folks have lost their jobs. H.R. 1584 would surely help the commercial and recreational fishing industries and coastal communities, and give anglers better access to the fish. To top it off, H.R. 1584 does not require pouring ungodly amounts of money down the drain. You can't beat this deal with a stick!
Hopefully, the bill will gain support in both the House and Senate and become law this time around.
 Longtime local angler, Mike Daniewicz combed through his extensive collection of vintage party boat photos, postcards and other neat stuff and picked out over 1,100 choice items for our enjoyment.
Depending on how long you have been fishing around the New Jersey and New York area, you (or your dad or granddad) will likely recall a few good memories.
Spring is around the corner, boatyards are bustling with activity, anglers are stirring, and we can finally shake off our winter doldrums. Our March update heralds the arrival of spring and spotlights party and charter fishing boats during haulout at neighborhood shipyards. Photos dating from 2007
to 2009 are in our March lineup.
You can see the March 2009 edition of Mike's Maritime Memorabilia on our Just Added
page.
UPDATES - The FLUKE THAT ROARED Department:
The 2nd annual SAVE THE SUMMER FLOUNDER FISHERY FUND Fund-Raising Dinner on March 6 was a BIG SUCCESS!
Close to two hundred folks attended the sold-out benefit held at the Crystal Point in Point Pleasant on Friday, March 6
- and that says a lot given our sagging economy. The weather was pleasantly mild for early March, the food and beverages were tasty, there were plenty of old friends and new acquaintances to meet, a boatload of fishing tackle was raffled off, and a nice chunk of change went into the SSFFF's war chest for their continuing efforts to keep us all fishing for Summer Flounder. The event was a successful and pleasant
interlude during an otherwise frustrating regulatory situation. Booyah!
  
Guest speakers included Tony Bogan and Ray Bogan representing the SSFFF, US Congressman Frank Pallone, NJ Assemblyman David Rible, Jim Hutchinson Jr., Managing Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance and Dan Furlong, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
  
March 9, 2009 - The 2009 New Jersey recreational Summer Flounder (Fluke) regulations were decided during the March 5 meeting of the NJ Marine Fisheries Council at Galloway, NJ. Option 5 from the table below was selected.
The 2009 New Jersey recreational regulations are as follows:
Size Limit - 18 inches minimum
Bag Limit - 6 Fluke
Open Season - May 23 through September 4
The 2009 regulations are lousy, but they would have been a lot worse if it were not for the work the Save The Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF) did during the past year. (The scientist hired by the SSFFF found previously missed data points that resulted in the Mid
-Atlantic council lowering the target biomass from 197 to 132 million pounds.) If it wasn't for that, we probably would not have a 2009 Fluke season at all. There is still a lot of work for the SSFFF to do, so be sure to send them a donation.
February 23, 2009 - According to Tom McCloy, the Administrator for the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Administration, the National Marine
Fisheries Service and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council Summer Flounder board have mandated that for 2009, New Jersey anglers must suffer a 4% REDUCTION in the SUMMER FLOUNDER quota. In addition, half of this reduction MUST come from a SEASON CLOSURE.
This disappointing news means that the 2009 Fluke season will NOT be long enough to include both Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends
unless there is a mid-season closure. This also means that simply increasing the minimum size from 18 inches to 18½ inches will likely not be a viable option.
Our angling fate will be decided by a meeting of the Summer Flounder Committee in March. There are eleven options being considered and they are listed in the table below. The word from the docks is that boatmen who operate full-day boats prefer option four, and those that
operate half-day boats prefer option five.
Option | Size Limit (inches) | Bag Limit | Open Season | Reduction from Season Closure | Total Reduction | 1 | 18 | 8 | June 6 – September 7 | 4% | 4% | 2 | 18 | 6 | June 1 – September 7 | 2% | 4% | 3 | 18 | 4 | May 31 – September 7 | 2% | 6% | 4 | 18 | 8 | May 23 – September 1 | 4% | 4% | 5 | 18 | 6 | May 23 – September 4 | 2% | 4% | 6 | 18 | 4 | May 23 – September 4 | 2% | 6% | 7 | 18 | 8 | May 15 – July 20 & August 3 – September 13 | 4% | 4% | 8 | 18 | 6 | May 13 – July 20 & August 3 – September 16 | 2% | 4% | 9 | 18 | 8 | May 20 – July 19 & July 30 – September 11 | 4% | 4%
| 10 | 18 | 6 | May 18 – July 19 & July 30 – September 13 | 2% | 4% | 11 | 18.5 | 8 | May 9 – October 4 | | 9% |
|
For reference, Memorial Day 2009 is Monday, May 25 and Labor Day 2009 is Monday, September 7. The 2008 Summer Flounder regulations were an 18-inch size limit, an 8 fish possession limit, and an open season from May 24 to September 7.
It Could Happen To You Department:
Sean Goldman is a victim of parental kidnapping. In June 2004, 4½-year-old Sean was surreptitiously taken from his father, David Goldman,
by his wife. She took Sean to her native Brazil and then called and told David that she was not coming back, and if he ever wanted to see Sean again, he would have to go to Brazil and sign legal papers to relinquish custody of Sean. David's wife then filed for divorce in Brazil, remarried, and then, tragically passed away.
Repeated attempts to bring Sean back to New Jersey were unsuccessful and the Brazilian government
has since turned the situation into a travesty of existing international law. After more than four long years, young Sean is still in Brazil, but the tide may finally be turning. Recently, the US House of Representatives unanimously approved a resolution calling the Brazilian government to fulfill its obligations
under the Hague Convention and immediately return Sean to his New Jersey dad. Sean's grandfather is Captain Barry Goldman, formerly the owner and operator of the charter boat OL' SALTY from Belmar, NJ. You can find out more at www.BringSeanHome.org.
Where, Oh Where, Has JOHN GEISER Gone:
 In December 2008, long-time fishing columnist John Geiser was forced to leave his job at the Asbury Park Press. For
many decades, John's articles graced the APP's Hook, Line & Sinker fishing column and his articles championed the cause of recreational fishing. He was an intelligent voice in an otherwise chaotic world of horrible fisheries management and radical environmentalism.
His unceremonious dismissal is a loss for a multitude of New Jersey anglers, and a loss for the Asbury Park Press.
We hope John is doing well and that his articles will again appear in another venue.
WINTER FLOUNDER Mumbo-Jumbo:
Here they come again! In early February the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission announced the specter of tightening the already onerous recreational fishing regulations for Winter Flounder.
Check out this Mumbo-Jumbo...
"The Commission's Winter Flounder Management Board approved the development of Draft Addendum I to Amendment 1 the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for the Inshore Stocks of Winter Flounder. The Draft Addendum will propose a suite of management measures to reduce fishing mortality on the inshore stocks of winter flounder (0 - 3 miles). The range of management measures will include zero possession limits; commercial trip limits; recreational bag/size and seasonal limits; and measures
to prevent an influx of effort in state waters for Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic (SNE/MA) and Gulf of Maine (GOM) stocks."
If approved, the Draft Addendum will be released for public comment and review in March/April, with state public hearings to be conducted in April. The Board will meet again in May, to review public comment and advisory panel input, and consider final action on the Addendum.
SCUP Are Fed Up:
In early February, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved an increase to the 2009 Scup total allowable landings limit from 7.84 million pounds to 11.18 million pounds, with the commercial quota revised to 8.4 million pounds and the recreational harvest limit revised to 2.6 million pounds. This action is based on the
results of a recent review of the scup stock assessment which indicates that the scup resource is rebuilt (population estimated to be 130 percent of its target biomass) and overfishing is not occurring.
However, the Board recommended that state fisheries managers consider a cautious approach in setting increased quotas. Given this advice, the states chose to maintain their recreational management measures for the 2009 fishery. What does this mean? It means that
even though the Scup stocks are more than rebuilt, recreational anglers will likely not see any benefit this year.
THE FLUKE THAT ROARED Department:
Summer Flounder (Fluke) stocks are in good shape and the biomass is at the highest levels ever recorded. However, we cannot say the same thing for the fishery. In spite of great progress in rebuilding Summer Flounder stocks, another round of federal quota cuts are on the
way for 2009 and the National Marine Fisheries Service has threatened to ban fishing for Summer Flounder.
In 2005, the federal Summer Flounder quota was 30.3 million pounds; for 2006, the National Marine Fisheries Service cut the quota 22% to 23.6 million pounds and for 2007, they cut the quota 38% to 17.11 million pounds.
The proposed 2008 federal quota for Summer Flounder is 15.77 million pounds, an 8% reduction from this year's 17.11 million pound quota. This doesn't sound too bad, but when you consider that environmental zealots are urging the fisheries managers to reduce the Summer Flounder quota to 11.7 million pounds, it is a whopping 46% reduction!
This bizarre situation is yet another example of a fisheries management system that is rigid to a fault, unrealistic, filled with incorrect assumptions, bad science, inaccurate and conflicting fisheries data, and influenced by a small, but powerful and well-endowed group of national environmental zealots who are more interested in preservation instead of conservation.
We all want sustainable fisheries so that we can continue to enjoy fishing and ensure that our kids can do likewise when they grow up, but this situation is ridiculous and the time has come to stop it. Make no mistake... changing the government juggernaut will be a very difficult task, but we can win if we speak out and put our money where our mouths are.
You can help by supporting the SAVE THE SUMMER FLOUNDER FISHERY FUND.
It is a non-profit organization made up of party and charter boat owners, tackle and bait shop owners, tackle distributors, bait wholesalers and others whose livelihoods are dependent on a healthy and vibrant recreational fishing industry. For plenty of additional information, visit the organization's web site at
www.SSFFF.net
.
The SAVE THE SUMMER FLOUNDER FISHERY FUND has two important goals:
1. Support HR 4087, which is an emergency legislative intervention that will enable fisheries managers a reasonable level of REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY. The organization will work with existing angling lobbying organizations and public sport fishing advocacy groups such as the
Recreational Fishing Alliance who have the structure and contacts already in place, along with the proven ability to get things done in Washington.
2. Generate private funds for a COMPREHENSIVE SCIENTIFIC STOCK REVIEW. The organization will hire independent marine scientists to generate the data needed to prove that the current summer flounder population targets and stock rebuilding deadlines are dangerously punitive, ridiculous in their intention and truly unnecessary.
 Right now, the organization needs your financial support to fund these political and scientific goals.
Please send your donation to:
SAVE THE SUMMER FLOUNDER FISHERY FUND
PO Box 86
Brielle, NJ 08730
YOUR BUCK$ AT WORK:
The SSFFF has hired internationally recognized fisheries biologist Mark Maunder, Ph.D
. His research specialties include the development of statistical methodology for fisheries stock assessment, protected species and ecological modeling, and he is a recognized leader in the development of methodology for fisheries stock assessment and population dynamics modeling. Dr. Maunder will review the current Summer Flounder Stock Assessment and methodologies, and attend the upcoming Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW) for Summer Flounder in June 2008.
Mels-Place.com supports the SAVE THE SUMMER FLOUNDER FISHERY FUND and we encourage you to make a donation.
More Fallout from the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act:
Here comes the National Saltwater Angler Registry! Saltwater recreational anglers fishing in federal waters would be required to register with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) under a proposed rule issued June 11,
2008. In addition, anglers fishing in state waters where anadromous species, such as striped bass, shad, or herring are found would also be required to register. The registry purportedly would help fill gaps in recreational fishing data.
Anglers in states that have a state-issued saltwater recreational fishing license could be exempt from the requirement under a waiver from NOAA Fisheries, but some state license programs may not be accepted for the exemption.
A blanket license for charter boats and headboats exempts anglers on for-hire vessels from the registration requirement. (However, the fine print of the proposed rule indicates that some for-hire boats operating in New Jersey may not be covered by the exemption.)
Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine do not have a saltwater license and the
proposed National Saltwater Angler Registry may be a strong incentive to adopt a license.
NOAA Fisheries has proposed that the registry requirement take effect for the 2009 fishing season. Beginning in 2011, the federal agency would charge a registration fee, estimated at between $15 and $25.
Sardonic commentary - Yet another bureaucratic tour-de-force from NOAA Fisheries and their bosses at the federal Department of
Commerce to better our angling experience. I wonder if mug shots and fingerprinting are included?
For more information and to give NOAA Fisheries a piece of your mind, see
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/mrip/aboutus/organization/anglerteam.html
THE ROGUES GALLERY
"Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer."
These are the environmental groups, foundations and trusts who claim that they are working for the good of commercial fishermen, recreational anglers and the public, and that flexibility in the fisheries management process will make things worse. Baloney! They and their deeply funded activists are responsible for the lawsuits forcing
the National Marine Fisheries Service and other governmental groups to rigidly adhere to arbitrary and unrealistic stock rebuilding goals and schedules.
PEW CHARITABLE TRUST
This is the 900-pound gorilla of the rogues gallery and it bankrolls the rest of the groups listed below and many others not shown. The Pew Trust was established by the children of Sun Oil Company founder Joseph N. Pew and his wife, Mary Anderson Pew and has over $5 billion in
assets. In 2004, the Pew Trusts changed from a foundation into a nonprofit organization. As such, it can now raise funds freely and devote up to 20% of its budget to lobbying the public sector. The Pew Trust also funds the Pew Research Center, the third-largest think tank in Washington DC. In 2006, the Pew Trust had over $670 million in revenues, dispensed nearly $150 million in grants and spent about $50
million to administer their programs. They are indeed a well endowed and powerful adversary.
2005 Market Street, Suite 1700, Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-575-9050
http://www.pewtrusts.com/
MARINE FISH CONSERVATION NETWORK
Suite 210, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003
866-823-8552
http://www.conservefish.org/
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE
257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010
212-505-2100
http://www.edf.org/ or http://www.environmentaldefense.org/
THE OCEAN CONSERVANCY
2029 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006
800-519-1541
http://www.oceanconservancy.org/
CONSERVATION LAW FOUNDATION
62 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02110
617-350-0990
http://www.clf.org/
Ask them some hard questions on how they are spending your donations. They wrongfully portray fishermen (YOU) as greedy and uncaring about the future of any fishery. Fishing is an environmental issue to them and they don't want you to
fish. Treat them accordingly.
 SUPPORT OUR TROOPS Department:
You can help support our brave troops that are far away from home. Steer your browser over to the USO (United Service Organizations) web site at www.USO.org.
A nonprofit, congressionally chartered, private organization, the USO relies on our generosity to deliver its
special brand of comfort, morale and recreational services to service members and their families during the last sixty-five years. Stop on by and spread some cheer. We wish our troops a speedy return to their homes, their families, and their fishing poles.
Contribute to Operation USO Care Package
www.usocares.org
THE BIG QUESTION Department:
Is our fisheries management too important to be left to fishermen? It must be so, since we continuously suffer the consequences of the decisions made by our federal fisheries bureaucrats. Unfortunately, these non-elected fishery managers control the federal system
and through their mandates, indirectly control the state systems too. Most importantly, they are not required to directly report to our elected officials and apparently can do what they want without consequence or culpability.
The federal fisheries management system is broken or in bureaucratic vernacular, fatally flawed. The system is rigid to a fault, unrealistic,
filled with incorrect assumptions, bad science, inaccurate and conflicting fisheries data, and influenced by a small, but powerful and well-endowed group of national environmental zealots who are more interested in preservation instead of conservation.
By now, it should be clear to all recreational fishermen, party boat operators, charter boat operators, marina operators, tackle shop owners,
tackle distributors, bait wholesalers, tackle manufacturers and anyone else that makes a livelihood directly or indirectly from recreational fishing activities, that WE ARE THE ENDANGERED SPECIES! The only goal fisheries management bureaucrats have is to eliminate recreational fishing. They are unfairly picking on the fishing community by mandating ever-harsher regulations that reduce fishing seasons,
increase minimum sizes and reduce possession limits for an ever-increasing variety of fish.
Unfortunately, as a group, recreational anglers are splintered and fragmented, and are always in a reactive mode; we jump up and down and scramble every time we hear that a new regulation is coming (and new regulations are arriving with alarming frequency.) We meet with the
bureaucrats to explain our case, we show them contrary data, and we let them know that they are affecting our quality of life. Alas, our plea falls on deaf bureaucratic ears.
The federal fisheries management system has created debacles with Winter Flounder, Fluke, Striped Bass, Blackfish and Tuna fisheries, and will soon wreak havoc with Weakfish, American Eel, Croaker, Herring and Bluefish. Enough already!
The fisheries bureaucrats are running amok all across the country and the crazy thing about this is that we have not heard a peep from any of the TACKLE MANUFACTURERS! You would think that they would be very concerned; if we cannot fish, they will not be able to sell us their fishing rods, reels, lures and all of the other goodies. Where are you Shimano, Penn, Calstar, Accurate, Berkley, Loomis,
Plano, Eagle Claw, PowerPro, Mustad, Ande, Braid, Jinkai, Quantum, Sampo, Abu Garcia, Owner, Momoi, Spro and Daiwa???
SEA GULL DROPPINGS (or Why The Tops Of Pilings Are White) Department:
Hunting and fishing are our rights - they are NOT environmental issues. If you think you are being cheated by unfair regulations, let your elected representatives know.
Here are some links, addresses and telephone numbers for the elected officials in our region. Please note that the United States Postal Office irradiates snail mail for security reasons and this delays delivery by a minimum of two weeks. Most of the following links connect you to the representative's e-mail contact page. Give them a piece of your mind!
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine • Office of the Governor, PO Box 001, Trenton, NJ 08625 • (609) 292-6000
New York Governor David A. Paterson • State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224 • (518) 474-8390
US Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ) • 324 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 • (202) 224-3224
US Senator Robert Menendez (NJ) • 502 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 • (202) 224-4744
US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) • 531 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 • (202) 224-4451
US Senator Charles E. Schumer (NY) • 313 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 • (202) 224-6542
US Congressman Robert E. Andrews (NJ, District 1) • 2439 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 • (202) 225-6501
US Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ, District 2) • 225 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 • (202) 225-6572
US Congressman John Adler (NJ, District 3) • 2217 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 • (202) 225-4765
US Congressman Christopher H. Smith (NJ, District 4) • 2373 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 • (202) 225-3765
US Congressman Scott Garrett (NJ, District 5) • 1318 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 • (202) 225-4465
US Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ, District 6) • 420 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 • (202) 225-4671
US Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ, District 7) • 214 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 • (202) 225-5361
US Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. (NJ, District 8) • 2464 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 • (202) 225-5751
US Congressman Steven R. Rothman (NJ, District 9) • 2303 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 • (202) 225-5061
US Congressman Donald M. Payne (NJ, District 10) • 2209 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 • (202) 225-3436
US Congressman Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (NJ, District 11) • 2442 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 • (202) 225-5034
US Congressman Rush D. Holt (NJ, District 12) • 1019 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 • (202) 225-5801
US Congressman Albio Sires (NJ, District 13) • 1024 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 • (202) 225-7919
Click here to write your Congressperson in the U.S. House of Representatives
While you’re in the swing of things, you can write to members of the New Jersey Senate and Assembly by clicking here.
For more regulatory madness on our fisheries, see our It's the Law page. More on these unsavory topics as they unfold and hold your nose while we pass out week-old squid for your bait cup.
Welcome to the Codfish Ball!
Click here to see some pictures of our gang fishing aboard Captain Joe Huckemeyer's
"HELEN H" from Hyannis, MA. The target... George's Bank Cod.
 Come along and follow me
To the bottom of the sea
We'll join in the jamboree
At the Codfish Ball.
Finnan haddie lead the eel
Through an Irish reel,
The catfish is a dancing man,
But he can't can-can like a sardine can!
Tunas truck-in' left and right
Minnies moochin' what a night!
There won't be a hook in sight
At the Codfish Ball.
Follow these links if you want to see our 2003 or 2004 Codfish Ball photos.
NEW STUFF Department:
We add new fishing links every time we update the site. We simply stumble upon a lot of new stuff, but often, our readers send us a few hints too. (Thanks!) Click here to see the new saltwater fishing links that we recently added.
|