ASMFC Summer Flounder Management Board to Consider New Jersey Conservation Equivalency Proposal for 2017
The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board has accepted a request by the State of New Jersey to consider a proposal for conservationally‐equivalent management measures for the 2017 recreational summer flounder fishery. The action responds to New Jersey’s concern about the lack of availability of large fish (19” or greater) in state waters.
In February 2017, the Board approved regional management for the 2017 recreational summer flounder fishery, requiring all states (with the exception of North Carolina) to implement a one‐inch increase in size limit and a reduced possession limit. These measures are required in order to stay within the 2017 recreational harvest limit. New Jersey has contended a one‐inch increase in size will have significant economic impacts to its recreational and for‐hire industries, since 19” fish have reduced availability in its waters.
The next step in the process is for the Technical Committee to review New Jersey’s proposal, which is anticipated to occur next week. The Board will then meet via conference call to receive the Technical Committee’s review and consider action on the proposal. If the proposal is accepted by the Board, New Jersey will have until May 21st to implement the approved measures. If conservationally‐equivalent measures are not approved, New Jersey will need to implement the following measures by May 21st or the Commission will move forward with a non‐compliance finding.
Shore mode for Island Beach State Park only:
17‐inch minimum size limit; 2‐fish possession limit and 128‐day open season.
Delaware Bay only (west of the colregs line):
18‐inch minimum size limit; 3‐fish possession limit and 128‐day open season.
All other marine waters (east of the colregs line):
19‐inch minimum size limit; 3‐fish possession limit and 128‐day open season
These proposals continue to penalize the recreational fishermen while the real culprits continue to strip the ocean floor with their commercial vessels. And, from all appearances, these regulators seem either unwilling or incapable to manage the harvest of the commercial fleet. Go into almost any supermarket and you will see pathetic, undersized flounder available for sale; a testimony to their greed.
Ironically, these new regs cause recreational anglers to target fish that are prime breeders while being forced to throw back fish we would have previously harvested, only to have half of them die anyway.
As the rules get more restrictive the fishing gets poorer. The commercial impact and the taking of the larger female fish has to be the source of the problem
Also in my opinion the commercial harvest and dredging for shellfish has decimated the bottom fish species. What is the tonnage of short Fluke and Flounder caught by commercial fisherman as to the number caught by sport fisherman. I hazard a guess that there is no comparison !!!!
50 years ago there were whiting by the onion bags ,Ling as well, winter flounder ! Crabs were plentiful. Winter dredging for crab.Offshore indiscriminate netting, etc. etc. I cannot be convinced that pleasure fisherman make any appreciable dent in the fish population. Leave the breeder size trophy fish alone. Stop letting people keep 3in. crabs.Get the impartial experts not POLITICAL HACKS who are lobbied make the decisions.
bill
what you just said is 100 % true
thank you
amen brother i have seen the same stupidity in the state of florida letting the drag boats come right thru the inlet killing all by catch which included tons of under size flounder they have put restrictions in place now which keeps them a mile off the beach which in my opinion is a little to late.
We fisherman have to get together and get the dept of commercial fisheries to put a stop to all commercial fishing before nothing’s left. They allowed a catch of over 6 million pds this year a increase of 17 percent with a bycatch of over 100,000 pds. How many small flounder do you think are shove overboard. The lobbiest must be greasing these guys good it makes me sick they allowed a increase throw fishing was bad last year.