| CENTRAL NEW JERSEY FISHING NEWS - August 20, 2010
INCREASED FLUKE and PORGY LIMITS in 2011
On August 18, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) met at Philadelphia, PA and voted to increase the 2011 commercial and recreational quotas for Scup and Summer Flounder.
They increased the total allowable catch for Scup (Porgy)
from 17.09 million pounds to 24.1 million pounds in 2011 (a 41% increase.) They also increased the total allowable catch for Summer Flounder (Fluke) from 25.48 million pounds to 33.95 million pounds in 2011 (a 33% increase.)
While these are the largest quota increases we've seen in many years, they still fell far short of the recommendations from their Science and Statistical Committee, their Monitoring Committee, and from recreational and commercial fishing interests.
A letter from US Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) was distributed to MAFMC members. In his letter, Senator Schumer urged council members to provide increased access to Summer Flounder and Scup resources for both recreational and commercial fishermen. He stated "As the Council knows, these species are not overfished and overfishing is not occurring" and added "Fishermen have patiently waited for these stocks to rebuild and were promised relief when they were healthy
again. Now is that time."
We won't know how the increased quotas will effect recreational regulations until the National Marine Fisheries Service apply this year's 'fatally flawed' MRFSS landings data and compare it to the increased 2011 quotas. This final monkey business won't happen until late 2010.
 MIKE'S MARITIME MEMORABILIA Department:
Our July photo additions are the perfect Summer Cooler for this exceptionally hot summer. To help you cool
off, we are focusing on boats sailing from ports to our north and from New England. And some of the photos were taken during the icy cold month of February 2010. Brrr!
Longtime local angler, Mike Daniewicz combed through his extensive collection of vintage party boat photos, postcards and other neat stuff and picked out over 1,300 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.
You can see the latest additions to Mike's Maritime Memorabilia on our Just Added page.
SINGIN’ THE BLACK SEA BASS BLUES UPDATE:
In a unanimous vote, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) extended the BLACK SEA BASS season for 2010. With this decision, the season would be from May 22 through October 11 PLUS a new extension from November 1 through December 31.
New Jersey's delegation pushed this through with a little help from Tony Bogan and Adam Nowalski at the Commission's meeting on May 4. Their decision
is still based on the fatally flawed and unreliable MRFSS (Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey) data. Using this junk data, the feds initially insisted on a 44% catch reduction, but after the final 2009 catch estimates were released, the catch reduction was recently changed to 21.4%. If you consider that the Black Sea Bass population is more than 100% of the desired management goal, that the stock is not overfished, and
that overfishing is not occurring, ANY catch reduction is a slap in face for anglers. However, this new decision will allow an increased season for party, charter and private boats and anglers that did not have a late fall / early winter season last year.
Technically, this decision only applies to state waters, but the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC) had already stated they would go along
with the ASMFC. The final hurdle is Patricia Kurkul, the regional administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Management Service (NMFS). She was present at the Commission's meeting, but like a good bureaucrat, she abstained from voting. It seems likely that she will eventually approve the new season plan since it creates a 26% catch reduction (which is more than the 21.4% reduction currently required.) This should be enough of a cushion to
appease her bureaucratic sensibilities.
In Memoriam - CAPTAIN JACK BOGAN SR. 1918-2010
 Captain John Francis 'Jack' Bogan Sr., age 92, of Stuart, Florida, formerly of Point Pleasant Beach, NJ died Saturday, April 24, 2010. He was born and raised in Jersey City, NJ and moved to the Jersey Shore area in
the 1930s and lived there until moving to Stuart in 1982.
A well-respected boatman, he owned and operated several party fishing boats from Brielle and Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, including the "COLUMBIA", the "AMERICAN" and the "SHAMROCK" through the 1980s. He also owned the Inlet Boat Basin near Manasquan inlet at Point Pleasant Beach.
Over the years, Captain Jack and his son John sent us many of the vintage boat and fishing photos seen on the
Mike's Maritime Memorabilia pages. We are grateful for their generosity and for telling us many fine fishing stories that brought broad smiles to our faces.
Click here and take a few moments to stop by Captain Jack's tribute page.
Lord, in the beginning your Spirit moved over the face of the waters when you said, "Let there be Light", and
there was Light. We pray now that your light will shine to show us the way on our watch by day or night, that your Spirit will watch over us every hour, propelling us on a steady course, steering us in the right channel, preserving us afloat, preventing us from foundering, until we all come to the shores of the blessed final harbor of our hope and our souls' joyful reunion with those who have gone before. Amen.
SAVE THE SUMMER FLOUNDER FISHERY FUND 3RD ANNUAL FUND-RAISING DINNER - FRIDAY APRIL 16, 2010:
The 2010 Summer Flounder regulations are posted and compared to previous threats to this fishery, the regulations may seem almost acceptable.
However, don't forget that the rigid federal ten-year rebuilding timeline for Summer Flounder ends in 2013. If the stock isn't rebuilt to the level that the federal government thinks is 'right', they will shut down fishing. And given the recent 'emergency' closures for Black Sea Bass, Red Snapper and Amberjack we have seen this past year, you might not have to wait until 2013 to hang up your fishing rod. Through the SSFFF's efforts, we have seen
that an effective way to thwart terrible regulations (that are based on flawed science) is to provide the federal fisheries management bureaucrats with data based on accurate science, but we have to pay for that. One way you can help is to support the SSFF through your donations and by attending their third annual fund-raiser dinner.
The SSFFF third annual fund-raising dinner proceeds will go towards improving the science behind the Summer Flounder fishery. The proceeds will
sponsor continued biological research studies, support legislation that will allow fisheries managers a reasonable level of regulatory flexibility, and support continued improvement of the scientific stock review (assessment) as well as now generating the new data needed to make that assessment the best it can possibly be. All of these items are needed to ensure the SSFFF can proceed with their agenda and we can continue to recreationally fish for Summer Flounder.
The fund-raiser will be held at the beautiful Crystal Point Yacht Club in Point Pleasant, NJ. Tickets can be purchased through the mail or on-line.
Included are a cocktail hour, a full dinner, and an AMAZING amount of PRIZES, RAFFLES and GIFTS.
Date: 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010
Location: Crystal Point Yacht Club, 3900 River Road, Point Pleasant, NJ http://www.thecrystalpoint.com/
Donation: $75 per person. Reservations are required.
For more information, visit the SSFFF web site at http://www.ssfff.net/fundraiser.html
UNITED WE FISH Update - April 8:
Power to the Popeye! In this contest between Popeye and the Palookas, the can of spinach won...
His professional reputation in tatters, DALE 'The Shredder' JONES, the nation's longtime chief police officer for the oceans was BUSTED on April 8.
After eleven years as director of law enforcement for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Dale Jones' federal career
came to an abrupt end after Inspector General Todd Zinser's final report on a document shredding episode was filed with Jones' superiors. They didn't wait to hear about the unauthorized spending of fines collected from fishermen for travel and expenses, or treatment of fishermen as criminals before they threw him under the bus.
One down, but there are more Palookas to fry. That can of spinach will come in handy again.
UNITED WE FISH Update - March 22:
In recent developments, the House Committee on Natural Resources held two oversight hearings in order to review unsavory practices employed by NOAA Fisheries and their agents. Many of the Senators and Representatives who attended the United We Fish March at Washington, DC testified at the hearing.
In the latest hearing, Chairwoman Madeline Bordallo, D-Guam requested that NOAA Office of Law Enforcement Director Dale Jones step down because of wholesale document shredding while his organization was under investigation by Inspector General Todd Zinser. And for allowing NOAA law enforcement agents to freely tap the Asset Forfeiture Fund (fines collected from fishermen) for travel and "purchases" without authorization. Pew minion and NOAA's
chief administrator, Jane Lubchenko disagreed with Chairwoman Bordallo's request, but conceded, "It does not look good."
We have momentum and must keep pressing for the support of Senate Rule 1225 and House Rule 1584, the FLEXIBILITY IN REBUILDING AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT OF 2009. We have one of the largest voting blocks in the country and we need to use it.
Send your letters to your state representatives NOW!
 
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm strong to the finich
Cause I eats me spinach.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm one tough Gazookus
Which hates all Palookas
Wot ain't on the up and square.
I biffs 'em and buffs 'em
And always out roughs 'em
But none of 'em gets nowhere.
Oh yeah, put a can of spinach in your tackle box. It'll come in handy.
A BIG SUCCESS! What was billed as the UNITED WE FISH MARCH ON WASHINGTON drew over 5,000 fishermen from Atlantic ports, Gulf ports and
the West Coast. They traveled by train, plane, many buses and private vehicles and met at noon Wednesday, February 24, on the steps of the U.S. Capitol for three hours of speeches to support and push a cause at the heart of the federal government.
A conservation law is pitting the nation's fishermen and coastal fishing communities against environmental groups. Thousands of fishermen, boat captains, and shop owners from New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, California and Alaska rallied on Capitol Hill
for help from our Congress and Senate. The groups want to change the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which limits fishing for depleted stocks and requires that they be replenished within 10 years. Lawmakers could save thousands of jobs by easing that time limit.
The current federal fisheries law – the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act – is broken and in need of immediate remedial action
. Arbitrary and non-scientific provisions coupled with unrealistically rigid restrictions are keeping ALL fishermen off the water. Under threat from intensifying fishing restrictions, and facing a new national policy that would essentially privatize the historically public ocean fisheries, commercial and recreational fishermen from ports on three coasts braided themselves together in a mass appeal for congressional relief.
Before and afterward, rally attendees also scheduled meetings with senators and congressmen to lobby for action on the primary vehicles for addressing their grievances - bills to substitute some flexibility for the hard deadlines for the rebuilding of fish stocks (House Rule 1584 and Senate Rule 1225).
The rally at the Capitol unfolded in the shadow of a dark moment for Jane Lubchenco's NOAA agency. Last week, she announced a series of stopgap responses to a chilling report by the U.S. Department of Commerce Inspector General that confirmed persistent fishing industry reports of rogue behavior by the unsupervised criminal investigators of NOAA law enforcement.
IG Todd Zinser found autonomous officers treating fishermen as if they were criminals when failing to adhere to the strict letter of a nearly impossibly complex morass of written regulation. Citing trampled dignities and rights and excessive penalties, the mistreatment was widespread, especially along the East Coast which is policed from offices in Gloucester, MA.
Another key area of the protest was the anticipated implementation of a "catch share" program in May which would only allow fishermen a specific percentage or share of the total allowable fishing catch. This is a national attempt to privatize what is traditionally public access to our fishery resources. It has caused many fishermen to go out of business and caused the decline of coastal communities in the areas where it has been implemented.
It was utterly amazing to see so many recreational and commercial fishermen standing side by side in a common cause. The rally brings hope and may prove to be a watershed event in the future of American fishing. We offer our heartfelt admiration and respect to all those that traveled to Washington... We thank you.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
The United We Fish demonstration got the attention of our Washington legislators. It was a great start, but more legislators need to get on board in order to get the law changed. And the way to do this is by contacting your Senators and Congressmen today!
Ask your friends and relatives to contact their legislators too!
Let our legislators know they have to SUPPORT Senate Rule 1225 and House Rule 1584, the FLEXIBILITY IN REBUILDING AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT OF 2009.
Conservation, access and rebuilding can all be achieved with minor changes to the current law.
CLICK HERE and WRITE YOUR SENATOR
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
CLICK HERE and WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
   
   
The FLUKE THAT ROARED (in New Jersey) Department:
On March 4, 2010, the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council held a public meeting at Toms River, NJ and decided the 2010 Fishing Regulations for Summer Flounder (Fluke). The NEW JERSEY FLUKE REGULATIONS FOR 2010 are as follows:
Season is Open from SATURDAY, MAY 29 through MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6. (100 days)
The minimum size is 18 inches
The possession limit is six (6) fish
According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, Fluke stocks increased and so did the quota, but our fishery regulators are still using the flawed and
unreliable MRFSS (Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey) data which says that anglers overfished the 2009 quota by 24%. This lousy tactic allowed them to reduce the 2010 catch by 1%. The bureaucrats stole yet another pot of fish from the end of the conservation rainbow.
 February 6, 2010 - It's easy to get threat fatigue, where you downplay a possible threat after constant warnings of fisheries closures, draconian regulations, runaway fisheries management, and apocalyptic, sky-is-falling predictions from enviro-extremists. Perhaps that is why you may not have a great concern about the future of recreational and
commercial fishing in the United States. After years of bombardment, maybe you are just tired. Unfortunately, the threat to you and your fishing rod is very real.
The fisheries battlefield is like any other... the protagonists use threat, chaos, doubt and confusion as weapons and it is intended to wear you down.
What can you do? You could carefully read volumes of fisheries management documents, try to understand the
intricacies of the fisheries sciences, read the posts on the fishing boards, and listen to the fish porn from the enviro-extremists. You could do all of this with the hope that you can figure it all out and know what to do. There are indeed fishing folks out there that are doing this, but for most of us, it will boil down to one essential question... DO I REALLY WANT TO GO FISHING?
If your answer is no, the battle is over. If your answer is yes, then there is hope.
UNITED WE FISH - FISHERMEN TO MARCH ON WASHINGTON, DC (UPDATE)
December 29, 2009 - OPPOSE UNWARRANTED FISHERIES CLOSURES! The Save The Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF), the United Boatmen of New Jersey, the Recreational Fishing Alliance New Jersey Chapter (NJ-RFA) and the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey (MTANJ) have joined forces to arrange for
CHARTER BUSES TO TAKE FISHERMEN to the "UNITED WE FISH" MARCH ON WASHINGTON on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24
 The Save The Summer Flounder Fishery Fund web site is now actively selling bus tickets to take you to the Washington, DC
event. The round-trip cost is a very reasonable $32 per person.
You can visit http://ssfff.net/marchondc.html for details
and PURCHASE BUS TICKETS ONLINE at http://ssfff.net/marchondcticketsdirections.html.
Buses will depart FEBRUARY 24 from the following locations...
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS MUNICIPAL MARINA, Simon Lake Drive, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
BOGAN'S DEEP SEA FISHING CENTER, 800 Ashley Ave, Brielle, NJ
SPORTSMEN'S CENTER, 69 US Highway 130, Bordentown, NJ
WILDWOOD FISHING CENTER, 504 West Rio Grande Ave, Wildwood, NJ
More departure locations will be added in early January.
UNITED WE FISH - FISHERMEN TO MARCH ON WASHINGTON, DC
 December 17, 2009 - In a show of solidarity, recreational and commercial fishermen, support business owners, families, and
community leaders will gather at the steps of our Nation's Capitol on FEBRUARY 24, 2010 from noon to 3:00 PM in an organized demonstration to show Congress a united front and to protest the negative impacts caused by the unintended results of the Magnuson-Stevens Conservation and Management Act as revised in 2007.
Overly restrictive fisheries management requirements created by the Magnuson Stevens Conservation and Management Act
are based on non-scientific arbitrary deadlines and fatally flawed data collection methods, and are forcing anglers off the water, eliminating commercial fishing, preventing consumers from purchasing locally caught fresh seafood, destroying small family businesses, increasing unemployment, and adversely affecting coastal communities.
The demonstration will urge all elected officials to work together and to join the efforts by the leaders of all coastal states in
working for the best interests of fishermen, our coastal communities and the Nation.
The focus is on support of the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009. HR 1584 is sponsored by Rep. Frank Pallone and supported by 25 additional co-sponsors, while the senate version of the bill, S 1255, has been sponsored by Sen. Charles Schumer and has just recently added its first cosponsor, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
This event is being coordinated by many organizations and individuals including the CCGF, FRA, MSSA, NYSF, RFA, SSFFF, United Boatmen of New Jersey, United Boatmen of New York, and more. Many of these organizations are chartering buses to take you to Washington on FEBRUARY 24. Check with them for bus trip details.
Date: NOON to 3:00 PM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010
Location: The U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, DC
Admission Fee: Nothing but your desire to continue fishing!
For more info, contact the following organizations:
Conservation Cooperative of Gulf Fishermen (CCGF) at http://www.conservationfishermen.com/
Fishing Rights Alliance (FRA) at http://www.thefra.org/
Marine Trades Association of New Jersey (MTANJ) at http://www.mtanj.org/
Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association (MSSA) at http://www.mssa.net/
New York Sportfishing Federation (NYSF) at http://www.nysf.org/
Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) at http://www.joinrfa.org/
Save The Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF) at http://www.ssfff.net/
United Boatmen of New Jersey (UBNJ) at http://www.unitedboatmen.com/
United Boatmen of New York (UBNY) at http://www.unitedboatmennewyork.com/
 SINGIN’ THE BLACK SEA BASS BLUES - November 15, 2009 - It's yet another sad tune from your favorite fisheries management songsters... Federal waters are closed for Sea Bass from October 5 through April 3, 2010. Wanna' know what's in store for you after the closure ends? It's gonna' make you toss your cookies!
The word is that the recreational options on the table for the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council meeting on December 8 are as follows:
Option 1.) A 12.5 inch minimum length, a 25 fish possession limit, and a season from September 1 through October 19.
Option 2.) A 12.5 inch minimum length, a 25 fish possession limit, and a season from May 19 through August 22.
Option 3.) A 13 inch minimum length, a 10 fish possession limit, and a season from September 17 through December 31.
Option 4.) A 12.5 inch minimum length, a 1 fish possession limit, and a season from September 1 through December 31.
 These ridiculous options
are the output from our protectors, the fisheries management bureaucrats... Sea Bass are NOT over fished and are ABOVE their rebuilt target, but that doesn't seem to matter.
"To heck with the economy, let's put a bunch of folks out of business and make the rest of the populace suffer!"
Well, if this isn't enough Mad Hatter lunacy for you, then consider that in 2010, you will only be able to keep one measly
Weakfish per day. Oh yeah, need I mention that you can only keep two tiny Winter Flounders per day? Are you pissed off yet?
SEA BASS UPDATE – On November 6, the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) along with a number of party boat operators and other related businesses filed a lawsuit regarding the Sea Bass closure in U.S. District Court for declaratory and injunctive
relief with "expedited consideration". The plaintiffs filed suit on behalf the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic recreational community and the defendants are Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, NOAA and the National Marine Fisheries Service. A court date has not been announced, but it is highly likely the fall and winter offshore Sea Bass fishing season will be ruined for all - party boats and anglers alike. Click here to see a full copy of the complaint.
On September 30, the Feds announced a 180 day SEA BASS CLOSURE, and it became effective on October 5 and applies to all federal waters (3 to 200 miles from shore)...
"NOAA announced today the temporary closure of the black sea bass recreational fishery in federal waters north of Cape Hatteras, NC, for 180 days in
response to recent landings data that showed recreational fishermen may catch more than double their annual quota by the end of the year. The closure will commence on Monday, October 5, 2009."
http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/press_release/2009/News/NR0913/index.html
The State of New Jersey followed up with the following announcement on October 2...
"The NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is advising recreational anglers that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will be closing the recreational black sea bass fishery in federal waters (3 - 200 miles offshore) effective Monday, October 5, 2009, for the next 180 days."
"New Jersey State waters (0 - 3 miles offshore) are still open for the recreational harvest of black sea bass with a possession limit of 25 fish and a
minimum size limit of 12.5 inches. Also, even though State waters remain open for the black sea bass, party and charter boat operators with a Federal black sea bass permit are prohibited from harvesting black sea bass from both State and Federal waters as of the effective closure date."
http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/news/2009/blkseabass_closure.htm
The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) is filing a lawsuit, but if it is heard by the courts, it won't be until the end of the year at the earliest (and that will ruin the upcoming offshore Sea Bass fishing for all - party boats and anglers alike.) The Magnuson-Stevens act has built-in features that make it resistant to lawsuits.
"October 9, 2009 - The RFA has assembled an experienced legal team to take on the case to overturn the federal shutdown of the recreational black sea
bass fishery. The attorneys involved are fishermen themselves who have fought these battles before so they know what it’s going to take to wage this battle. While litigation is always an uncertainty with no way to guarantee a successful outcome, you can guarantee that if NMFS gets away with this closure, there will be more to come."
"September 28, 2009 - Despite a National Research Council report that the current approach to statistical analysis in the recreational sector is wrought with "serious flaws in design or implementation" and uses "inadequate analysis methods that need to be addressed immediately," the National Marine Fisheries
Service continues using "fatally flawed" data to deny the public access to coastal fisheries like red snapper and black sea bass, crippling the recreational fishing industry."
You can read more at http://www.joinrfa.org/.
It is bad enough that the Feds continue to use the flawed MRFSS (Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey) data as the "best available science", but
now they want to use this junk data in real time. The 2009 season hasn't ended yet, but this time, they aren't waiting until 2010 to say that we overfished. This is a significant and unprecedented change and it implies that they will use this same approach for other species.
The Feds (and the enviros) have repeatedly demonstrated that they don't like fishermen and they don't want us fishing. Their vision of the future is to
turn fishing into an activity where you don't take anything home for the table... you go out fishing, catch a fish, take a photo of the fish, and then toss it back. It will be a lot like a vacation trip to Yosemite (you take a photo of the rocks, but you don't bring any home.)
Some boatmen have turned in their federal permit so they can continue to fish for Sea Bass in state waters, but that is like sticking your head in the sand
and it is a big mistake. Boatmen are losing their livelihood and anglers are losing the right to fish at every step. What is it going to take to get folks motivated and do something about this travesty?
TITAN TILEFISH Department:
 For the second time in 2009, the bar is raised for the New Jersey state record Golden Tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps). In May 2009, Dwayne Sherard set a new NJ state record for Tilefish with a 59 pound 3 ounce specimen. On August 17, 2009, Dennis Muhlenforth from Hockessin, DE was fishing aboard Captain Jeff
Gutman's VOYAGER from Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. They were on one of their offshore Tilefish trips and Dennis got a big bite at the Lindenkohl canyon. After a back-and-forth twenty minute battle, a huge Tilefish appeared at the surface and was quickly gaffed and brought aboard.
The titan Tilefish was later weighed at Dave Arbeitman's REEL SEAT tackle shop in Brielle, NJ and came in at a whopping 63 pounds 8 ounces!
Dennis' Tilefish is not only the current New Jersey State Record fish (http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/recfish-salt.htm), but also the IGFA All-Tackle WORLD RECORD Tilefish. Congratulations to Dennis and the VOYAGER for a job well done.
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 new and 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!
The ASMFC estimates 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 new 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
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
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... now that we finally have a new Secretary of Commerce. President Obama's third candidate for Secretary of Commerce, former Washington state Governor Gary Locke, was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 24, 2009. 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. Former Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez's resignation on January 20, 2009 coincided with the end of President George W. Bush's
administration. Gutierrez did not have a great track record for supporting the small commercial fisherman or the recreational fishing industry. Adios Carlos!
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 taxpayer money down the drain. You can't beat this deal with a stick (or a fishing rod!) Hopefully, the bill will gain support in both the House and Senate and become law this time around.
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.
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 H.R. 5425, which is a legislative intervention that will allow 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 they make. 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 Chris Christie • 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) • 528 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
Don’t know who your Senator or Congressman is? Then use the following links...
CLICK HERE and WRITE YOUR SENATOR
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
CLICK HERE and WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
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.
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