June 23, 2014 — New Jersey salt water anglers have been upset for a number of years now with the continuing changes in fluke regulations which have seen the minimum size increase, the creel limit decrease, and a continually shortened season for taking these favored flatfish, even though there is no evidence that the fishery is declining.
The recent announcement by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut were being lumped together for the purpose of fluke regulations angered many of the New Jersey salt water anglers who were attending the Atlantic City Boat Show in February. The ASMFC acted with heavy pressure from Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) The ASMFC announcement coincided with the AC Boat Show.
I later spoke with many anglers at the late February Marine Trades Boat Show in Edison and at the March Salt Water Expo in Somerset and the upset had not abated. It is especially significant that the ASMFC lumped Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia together, and those states were given a smaller size limit (16 inches) than New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut (18 inches) .
This presents problems for Delaware Bay fishing and will hurt party boats leaving from the New Jersey side. Anglers can go to a Delaware party boat and come home with fish that they can’t in New Jersey.