150 Million Dollars in federal stimulus money
169 permanent green jobs in the form of biologists and other hatchery personnel.
NJ salt water license with a law dedicating the funds to enhance nj fishing 91% (53 votes)
Set up the mandated registry with the funds going to the us general fund 9% (5 votes)
Total Votes: 58Return To Poll
PollDaddy.com
Whether fighting no-fishing zones, keeping white marlin off the endangered-species list or elbowing commercial fishermen out of favored waters, the Recreational Fishing Alliance makes its voice heard.
The New Jersey-based RFA, which has chapters in all coastal states, bills itself as a “grassroots political action organization representing individual sport fishermen and the sport-fishing industry.” It frequently touts its tens of thousands of members in brochures and press releases.
But according to two recent lawsuits against its executive director, there’s only one member that really matters. The suits say that New Gretna-based Viking Yacht Co., one of the nation’s premier luxury yacht manufacturers, tightly controls the non-profit, tax-exempt RFA, and the two operate as a “single integrated enterprise.”
Fishing advocates and environmentalists said they have long believed as much, maintaining that the RFA cares more about Viking’s interests than those of the fishermen it claims to represent.
“There’s a big difference between what they do and what we do,” said Al Marantz, a founding member of the all-volunteer Jersey Coast Anglers Association, with a membership of about 30,000. “Decisions can be made by (Viking CEO) Bob Healey himself and not really correspond to the wishes of the fishermen.”
On Thursday, December 3 at 10 a.m., the New Jersey Senate Environment Committee will meet in Room 10 on the third floor of the State House Annex in Trenton. At the top of the day’s hearing agenda is Senate Bill 2194 sponsored by Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) and co-sponsored by Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R-Somerset), a bill which create a free recreational saltwater registry in New Jersey in order to comply with new federal fisheries guidelines for data collection.
As written S2194 would specifically direct the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in consultation with the Marine Fisheries Council, to establish and implement a registry program for saltwater recreational anglers modeled on the registry program to be established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
This bill will keep NJ in step with its reputation for investing in short term economic solutions. It will not provide the smart investment in the future of salt water fishing that a salt water license will provide.
requires states to implement a one fish recreational creel limit, 100 pound commercial trip limit, 100
pound commercial bycatch limit during closed seasons, and 100 undersized fish per trip allowance for
the finfish trawl fishery. All other management measures previously adopted to conserve the stock and
reduce bycatch remain in effect.
The Board’s action comes in response to the stock status of weakfish. A recent peer-reviewed
assessment found the weakfish stock to be depleted, with spawning stock biomass estimated to be three
percent of an unfished stock, well below the 20 percent threshold and 30 percent target reference points
also approved by the Board as part of Addendum IV. The decline in biomass reflects a sustained rise in
natural mortality after 1995, rather than fishing mortality which has been modest and stable over the
same time period.
“The Board received a significant amount of public comment supporting a coastwide moratorium. In
recognition of this, it chose to implement measures that would discourage directed fishing, limit bycatch
mortality, and ensure that critical sampling programs remain on track,” stated Board Chair Roy Miller.
While the decline appears to have resulted from a change in the natural mortality of weakfish in recent
years, it is further exacerbated by continued removals by commercial and recreational fisheries.
However, given the high mortality levels, the stock is also unlikely to recover rapidly. The Addendum’s
measures are intended to reduce the level of harvest without creating a large amount of discards.
Addendum IV will be available via the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org under Breaking News
by November 15. For more information, please contact Nichola Meserve, Fishery Management Plan
Coordinator, at (202) 289-6400 or nmeserve@asmfc.org.
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of coastal fishery resources. The Commission serves as a deliberative body of the Atlantic coastal states, coordinating the conservation
and management of nearshore fishery resources, including marine, shell and anadromous species.
1444 Eye Street, N.W. — Sixth Floor — Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 289-6400 (phone) (202) 289-6051 (fax) http://www.asmfc.org
Giant blues and stripers just off the beach yesterday. The Blues were on top of the stripers making it difficult to reach the stripers.When CJ returned from fishing his arms were dragging on the dock from exhaustion.I spotted a lot of bait along with a large school of stripers entering the inlet at dusk yesterday.I headed out today in spite of the wind and rain to fish a few striper spots in the back but as usual the south wind shut things down tight.The water temperature today was 60 degrees in the back bay. 
Ken's Dock 