July 25, 2016 — The commercial season for Atlantic bluefish in New York State could end prematurely following a pending decision from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The potential closure would come about three months earlier than usual and have a negative economic impact on commercial fisheries throughout New York, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The decision, which could be made any day now, is based on data from the Marine Recreation Information Program, which is the program NOAA uses to record all of its recreational fishing data. Recent data shows a high number of bluefish were caught last year by recreational fishers.
The DEC, however, has argued in a letter sent to NOAA that it finds the data “troubling” and is urging officials to reevaluate the findings.
On Monday, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) also called on NOAA to take a second look, writing in a letter to the organization that “any decision on bluefish fishing season must be based on up-to-date science, period.”
Mr. Schumer’s request follows a letter sent to NOAA last Tuesday by DEC commissioner Basil Seggos, who expressed concern that a mid-season closure would be a “devastating blow to our commercial fisheries.”
On the North Fork, several business owners have also expressed worry about how such a closure might impact them. Charlie Manwaring of Southold Fish Market said he sells a considerable number of bluefish this time of year.
“I’m not very happy because it’s one less fish I can sell,” Mr. Manwaring said, adding that bluefish season sometimes extends until November.
NOAA sets a quota each year for East Coast states regarding how many fish can be caught. The quota is divided between commercial and recreational fisheries. For Atlantic bluefish, about 80 percent of the quota relates to recreational fishing. Data from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission shows that recent yearly averages for recreational bluefish fishing are around 13 million pounds.
DEC officials said recreational fisheries almost never hit the 80 percent quota. When commercial fishermen want to harvest more fish, they said, the government can transfer a percentage of the remaining recreational quota.