Saving Seafood

NEW JERSEY: Assemblyman Bob Andrzejczak & Assemblyman Bruce Land Bill to Promote N.J. Aquaculture Industry Heads to Governor’s Desk

October 27, 2016 — TRENTON, NJ – Legislation Assemblymen Bob Andrzejczak and Bruce Land sponsored to promote aquaculture in New Jersey recently gained final legislative approval in the Senate. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.

Aquaculture involves fish or shellfish farming, and refers to the breeding, rearing and harvesting of animals and plants in all types of water environments including ponds, rivers, lakes, bays and the ocean.

As chair of the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, Andrzejczak led recent tours of aquaculture research centers and farm locations throughout Cape May County, including the Rutgers Aquaculture Innovation Center, the Rutgers Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory and the Green Creek Oyster Fishery.

The year-long tour series gave members of the committee a first-hand look at the various types of research, farming and food processing that makes up the backbone of the state’s agriculture and agrotourism industries, so that members would gain a better understanding of the specific issues facing New Jersey farmers and the type of legislation that may be necessary to maintain the state’s position as the Garden State.

“New Jersey’s coastal location and its proximity to the largest consumer markets in the nation indicate that aquaculture can and should be a thriving and vital industry in the state,” said Andrzejczak (D-Cape May/Cumberland/Atlantic). “Aquaculture plays an important role in meeting the dietary needs of an increasingly health conscious and growing population, and fish farming can help supplement the harvest of wild caught fish to meet that demand. Aquaculture is also important to the future of the seas, because it can provide reasonably priced, good quality, highly nutritious food while helping to maintain the long-term sustainability of wild caught fisheries.”

Read the full story at the Cape May County Herald

JEFF KAELIN: Fisheries commission should increase menhaden quota

October 24, 2016 — The following is excerpted from an opinion piece by Jeff Kaelin from the Asbury Park Press. Mr. Kaelin directs government relations for Lund’s Fisheries:

At its meeting Wednesday, the ASMFC will be voting on whether to increase the number of menhaden fishermen can catch each year. By voting in favor of a quota increase, which is strongly supported by the science New Jersey’s commission representatives can improve local economies and bolster the bottom line of hard-working fishermen during the summer and fall seasons while maintaining a balanced ocean ecosystem.

The most unfortunate part of the 2012 harvest cut is that it was not even necessary. In 2015, a newer stock assessment was conducted that overturned the results of the 2012 assessment. Not only did it find fault in the science undermining the earlier assessment, but it also emphasized that menhaden are not overfished. This is not a new phenomenon — in fact, the assessment found that menhaden have not been overfished for the past half-century.

In anticipation of potentially raising the quota this year, the ASMFC underwent an exhaustive and comprehensive analysis of the potential impact of raising the quota. Testing several different quota levels, and after more than 8,000 simulations, the ASMFC concluded raising the probability of a quota raise leading to overfishing is zero.

With such strong odds, it is clear the quota should be raised. New Jersey fishermen will reap tremendous benefits from the ability to sustainably harvest and sell more menhaden each year, as will other fishing businesses such as charter rentals and boat maintenance facilities. Finally, increasing the menhaden quota will help protect one of New Jersey’s strongest assets — the pristine coastline.

Read the full opinion piece in the Asbury Park Press

NEW JERSEY: How Hurricane Sandy benefited New Jersey wetlands

October 24th, 2016 — Sometimes there is an upside to disaster, even one as big as Hurricane Sandy.

For birds, there were bright spots after the storm, Paul Castelli, senior wildlife biologist for the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, said at the fall meeting of the New Jersey chapter of the Wildlife Society on Wednesday.

Sandy flattened the dunes at Forsythe’s Holgate property at the southern end of Long Beach Island, said Castelli, giving beach-nesting birds such as piping plovers more habitat to raise young.

“Many of them are endangered or threatened, and since the storm their numbers and success are through the roof,” Castelli said.

The storm also unleashed a tide of funding for the area, including about $10 million for the refuge to both make repairs and strengthen its resiliency against future storms.

There are also funds for organizations to carry out marsh restoration and living shoreline projects.

The meeting’s theme was “Coastal Restoration in the Face of Climate Change.” It was held in the old refuge headquarters, which is being replaced by a new building under construction. The Wildlife Society’s mission is to promote excellence in wildlife stewardship.

Read the full story at Press of the Atlantic City 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Hold Hearings on New Jersey Special Management Zones

October 21st, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council: 

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold three public hearings in November 2016 to gather public comments on a request by the State of New Jersey to designate 13 of its artificial reef sites located in federal waters as Special Management Zones (SMZ). The hearings will be held November 15-17, 2016. Written comments will be accepted until Friday, November 25, 2016, 11:59 p.m. EST.

Background

In November 2015, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) petitioned the Mid-Atlantic Council to designate 13 artificial reef sites as SMZs under provisions of Amendment 9 to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. The petition was based on the need to reduce gear conflicts between hook and line fishermen and fixed pot/trap gear at those sites. The SMZ designation could prohibit the use of any gear except hook and line and spear fishing within the 13 potential SMZ sites. The Council’s SMZ Monitoring Team (MT) evaluated the NJDEP request and recommended that the Council designate all 13 artificial reef sites as SMZs. The MT analysis indicated that commercial fishing vessels deploying pot/trap gear off the coast of New Jersey would likely face minimal to no losses in ex-vessel revenue if the artificial reefs are designated as SMZs. The Council is scheduled to review public comments and make a decision relative to NJ SMZ designation at its December 2016 meeting in Annapolis, MD.

Public Hearing Schedule

The dates and locations of the public hearings are as follows:

  • Tuesday November 15, 2016, 7:00-9:30 p.m., Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Blvd., Brooklyn NY 11235, Room M239 of the Marina and Academic Center (The Lighthouse).
  • Wednesday November 16, 2016, 7:00-10:00 p.m., Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, 815 Route 37 West, Toms River, NJ 08755.
  • Thursday November 17, 2016, 7:00-10:00 p.m., Congress Hall, 200 Congress Place, Cape May, NJ 08204.

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should be directed to M. Jan Saunders, 302-526-5251, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

 

Written Comments

Written comments will be accepted until Friday, November 25, 2016, 11:59 p.m. and may be sent by any of the following methods:

  • Mail to Dr. Chris Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE, 19901 (include “NJ SMZ Request” on envelope);
  • Fax to Dr. Chris Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council at fax number 302-674-5399 (include “NJ SMZ Request” in the subject line); or
  • Email to Rich Seagraves at rseagraves@mafmc.org (include “NJ SMZ Request” in the subject line).

Contact

For more information, contact Rich Seagraves, Senior Scientist, at rseagraves@mafmc.org. 

Press Contact: Mary Clark Sabo, (302) 518-1143 

 

New Jersey sinks more vessels for offshore reefs

October 18th, 2016 — New Jersey continues to sink large vessels at recreational fishing reef miles off the coast. 

According to a release from the state Division of Fish and Wildlife, crews deployed the Austin, a 68-foot former trawler, at the Axel Carlson Reef, located about 4.4 nautical miles southeast of the Manasquan Inlet last month.

Crews also sank Lisa Kim, a 115-foot surf clam vessel, Lisa Kim at Wildwood Reef, situated 8.3 miles northeast of Cape May Inlet.

The sinking is part of the state’s offshore artificial reef deployment program that resumed this summer after the restoration of federal funding.

According to a release from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the state expects to sink up to 10 vessels throughout its artificial reef network following a compromise between the Christie administration and recreational and commercial anglers after a dispute over access to popular reefs. 

“Artificial reefs create important habitat for many types of marine life, and attract fish that are popular with recreational anglers,” said Commissioner Bob Martin. “Our artificial reefs are an important part of the economy of the Jersey Shore because they are so popular with anglers as well as sport divers. We are grateful to all our partners in the recreational and commercial fishing industries for working with us to get this program back on track.”

Read the full story at Newsworks.com

NEW JERSEY/DELAWARE BLACK SEA BASS REOPENS SATURDAY

October 18th, 2016 — This Saturday, October 22, the New Jersey and Delaware black sea bass fishery will officially reopen for the rest of 2016. For wreck fishermen in both states, the bag limit increases to 15 fish bag through December 31, with the minimum size of 12-1/2 inches in Delaware and 13 inches in New Jersey.

By all accounts, this should be a banner opener for the fishery as inshore waters have been loaded with smaller black sea bass on the move eastbound, with local wrecks and reefs practically blanketed by the tasty, hard-fighting fish.

“Sea bass are a menace on the reefs but that should be taken care of starting this Saturday,” noted Alex from the Reel Seat in this week’s report for The Fisherman Magazine’s Central Jersey report, explaining that folks dropping clam for the porgies on the Axel Carlson and Sea Girt spreads as well as the inshore lumps and wrecks.

“Can’t wait for Saturday,” added Capt. Joe Bogan of the Jamaica II who said getting jigs down to monster bluefish has even been tough because of the sea bass numbers of late. “Giant sea bass were slamming the jigs meant for the blues,” Bogan said.

Read the full story at The Fisherman 

New Jersey senators among group requesting offshore drilling ban

October 7, 2016 — TRENTON, N.J. — Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez are among 14 legislators who have called for President Barack Obama to ban drilling off the Atlantic Coast in any areas that have not already been leased.

NJ.com reports the two New Jersey Democrats signed a letter requesting the ban that was sent to Obama on Thursday along with fellow like-minded senators.

The letter also asked that Obama use his executive power to make the Arctic Ocean off-limits to oil drilling.

The senators say drilling in waters off the East Coast threaten fishing and tourism — key economic drivers for coastal states — because of the risk of a spill.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Jersey Herald 

NEW JERSEY: Reefs could get special management zone status

October 6, 2016 — The 13 artificial reefs that sit outside of three miles on the New Jersey coastline could get a Special Management Zone designation.

The designation would allow for restrictive gear rules on the reefs that would limit the taking of fish to hook and line and spear only. It would prohibit commercial fisherman from the use of fixed pots or trap gear.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection petitioned the Mid-Atlantic Marine Fisheries Council to designate the 13 artificial reef sites as Special Management Zones last November.

That, of course, was preceded by a long, turf war between commercial and recreational fishermen on the reefs that culminated with the state’s artificial reef program being shut down in 2011.

A compromise was reached last year on the reefs in state waters where commercial fishermen were given access to portions of two existing reefs and a new square-mile reef was agreed to be constructed in state waters for use by recreational anglers.

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press

Jersey Shore Fishing: MAFMC to vote on protecting federal waters reefs on Wednesday

October 5th, 2016 — The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance provided the following important notice:

This October 5th, 2016; NJOA’s continuing efforts to bring New Jersey’s offshore artificial reefs under the protection of a Special Management Zone (SMZ) enters formal review by the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC).   The SMZ Monitoring Team comprised of MAFMC staff members has released its recommendation regarding SMZ status for NJ’s 13 artificial reefs located in Federal waters.

To summarize, the SMZ Monitoring Team’s recommendation is “the SMZ Monitoring Team recommends that the Council designate all 13 New Jersey’s artificial reefs located in the EEZ as SMZs. The SMZ designation should stipulate that no fishing vessel or person on a fishing vessel may fish in the 13 New Jersey Special Management Zones with any gear except hook and line and spear fishing (including the taking of fish by hand)”

The SMZ report will be presented at the MAMFC’s October meeting at the Stockton Seaview Hotel, 401 S New York Rd,  Galloway, NJ, 08205.

The public is welcome to present their opinions during tomorrow’s discussion.

Read the full story at NJ.com 

OPINION: Humpback whales a welcome sight off NJ coast

October 3, 2016 — Beachgoers in the Monmouth County town of Manasquan were thrilled in late August when a humpback whale appeared offshore. For two hours, it breached, spouted, slapped its fins on the water and waved them in the air.

Of course, the humpback wasn’t there for entertainment. It was simply having a long lunch, feeding on abundant small fish in the water.

Humpback whales are making a comeback. Fishermen in the New York Bight — the triangular corner of ocean between Montauk Point, Long Island, and Cape May — are seeing them regularly.

On September 6, a few days after the Manasquan sighting, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced its decision to remove most humpback whale populations from its endangered species list. Once depleted by commercial whaling, humpbacks had been on the list since 1970.

Humpback whales are divided into 14 distinct global populations. The population along the East Coast of the United States, which breeds in the Caribbean and migrates north for feeding, is considered stable and not at risk. Four endangered populations remain, including one that breeds off of Central America and migrates up the coasts of California and Oregon.

Read the full opinion piece at the Courier News