June 4, 2013 — New Jersey menhaden fishermen already face a big cut in catches this year, but the state Senate on Monday adopted legislation that would at least prevent boats from other states from poaching the Garden State's quota.
The Senate, at a special meeting just to consider the legislation sponsored by Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, approved it by a vote of 28-0. The Assembly passed it May 20 in a 72-0-5 vote.
"The over-fishing of our coastal waters by out-of-state fishermen hurts our economy, our fishermen and cuts into our quota. We have to make sure that New Jersey's menhaden supply is available to our local fishermen and not wiped out by those from other states," Van Drew said.
The bill now goes to Gov. Chris Christie, who is expected to sign it as the state Department of Environmental Protection has been closely involved with the initiative.
"We worked closely with the DEP and we hope he will sign it," said Scot C. Mackey, of the Cape May-based Garden State Seafood Association.
Mackey said New Jersey fishermen already faced stiff harvest cuts of menhaden, also known as bunker, which is mainly caught locally to be sold as bait. The oily and bony fish is not a high-value fishery such as scallops or flounder.
It was only a $3 million fishery in New Jersey in 2012, but Mackey said its value may go beyond dockside revenues, because it's an important bait to both commercial and recreational fishing operations.
Up until this year, New Jersey fishermen could go out and catch as much menhaden as they wanted.
That changed in December, when the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, a compact of East Coast states that regulates migratory fish, decided to give each state a quota.
Read the full story at The Press of Atlantic City