ASMFC Sept 2014 meetings - proposed management options for Striped Bass

[hookset]

Got this in my e-mail.

Three hearings to gather public comment on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's proposed management options for Striped Bass have been scheduled in New Jersey. The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife strongly encourages the public to attend these meetings in order to assist managers in the management of this precious resource.

In addition, the Division urges striped bass anglers who fish the Delaware River, and are unable to make any of the New Jersey hearings, to attend the hearing hosted by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

For information on the management proposal and hearing dates and locations, as well as how to submit written comments, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2014/strbass_hearings.htm (http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2014/strbass_hearings.htm)on the Division's website.

[hookset]

3 of them are in NJ


Below are dates, times, and locations of the scheduled hearings:
NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife

September 4, 2014; 7-9 p.m.
Galloway Twp. Branch of the Atlantic Co. Library
306 East Jimmie Leeds Road
Galloway, New Jersey
Contact: Russ Allen at 609-748-2020
* Will immediately follow the NJ Marine Fisheries Council (http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/councils.htm#marine) meeting

September 9, 2014; 7-9 p.m.
Ridgefield Park Elks Lodge #1506
Corner of Spruce Avenue and Cedar Street
Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
Contact: Russ Allen at 609-748-2020

September 15, 2014; 7-9 p.m.
Toms River Town Hall
L. M. Hirshblond Room
33 Washington Street
Toms River, New Jersey
Contact: Russ Allen at 609-748-2020
Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission

September 17, 2014 at 6:00 p.m.
Silver Lake Nature Center (www.silverlakenaturecenter.org (http://www.silverlakenaturecenter.org/))
1306 Bath Road
Bristol, Pennsylvania
Contact: Eric Levis at 717-705-7806

[buckethead]

Thanks for the heads up hook.

[finchaser]

http://www.reel-time.com/articles/conservation/striped-bass-hearings-set/

[DarkSkies]

Thanks hookset and Fin....there are some specific options they are considering. You folks who have an interest should be talking about this, and weighing which option is best for you and the future of fishing, They are looking for feedback right now. It's all in the links and info that was posted.

Thanks for reading. :HappyWave:

[jigfreak]

Thank you gents. The first meeting is Sept 4

September 4, 2014; 7-9 p.m.
Galloway Twp. Branch of the Atlantic Co. Library
306 East Jimmie Leeds Road
Galloway, New Jersey
Contact: Russ Allen at 609-748-2020
* Will immediately follow the NJ Marine Fisheries Council (http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/councils.htm#marine) meeting

[hookset]

Here are the options for the 1 year plan.


http://www.stripersonline.com/content/type/61/id/1792351/flags/LL (http://www.stripersonline.com/content/type/61/id/1792351/)


http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/StripedBassDraftAddendumIV_PublicComment.pdf


I like B4 but have a suspicion that they are going to go with the 2 or 3 year plan with less reduction per year because of the commercial lobbyists whining they will be effected too much. What are you guys in favor of?

[buckethead]

I like B4 but have a suspicion that they are going to go with the 2 or 3 year plan with less reduction per year because of the commercial lobbyists whining they will be effected too much. What are you guys in favor of?

Me too. You watch at the last minute no matter what feedback we give them they will stretch the reduction to 3 years. This will virtually ensure the collapse of the striped bass fishery. I have seen it before and it looks like we are going down the same road again. I feel the only option that will save us is a 1 year 31% reduction with a 1 fish minimum. B2 or B4. I highly doubt they will go that route. We shall see.

[J Barbosa]

I like option B4 but from my understanding the bonus tag program will still be in effect allowing anglers to take home two fish. Is this true?

[buckethead]

JB, not sure - maybe you can check on it and report back?
The bonus program is complex. Take it away and the commercial fishermen will fight and say it should be alloted to them. Keep it and you have the abuse where folks take a bonus bass every time they catch one and never forward the info to the state as it is voluntary.
The bonus program is one of the worst state run programs. If they continue it should be revamped. Something like when you return your bonus tag for each fish, they then give you your next bonus tag dated for a certain time frame. Get caught with a fish without a bonus tag and get fined as if you were over your limit, minimum of $100 fine.

They could even set it up so it was computerized and have you be allowed to print out your bonus tag by returning data from your latest caught bonus fish. This would make one tag vaild and the other one invalid. It could be done with OCR technology where the COs carried readers with them to make sure yours was valid. This is similar technology they use when you go to concerts now and don't purchase the actual ticket. You are in the system and are logged in when you go the the site and get your pass inside.

You could also make it adaptable for i=phone users with a phone app that reads your specific bonus tag # and lets you input your data from your latest catch.
The possibilities to bring this up to modern times and get data that is actually worthwhile are endless.

However that would require some $$ which is not available. Fees for a saltwater license could cover that. Just too many protests from fishermen about that license fee. NJ fishermen are so self-serving sometimes. They want everything but are unwilling to pay even part of it. Just my .02

[J Barbosa]

I'll try looking into it.

I know if we cancel it now it gets added onto the commercial allotment.

I also believe charter and party boats should be considered commercial fisherman.

[plugcrazy]

I also believe charter and party boats should be considered commercial fisherman.

good point I agree on that for sure.

[rockhopper]

I strongly think you guys should eliminate the bonus tags. I don't keep many stripers but it does get me mad that the Jersey guys can keep 3. I hope I don't cause trouble here but I think Jersey is one of the main sources of the problem. We should have the same limits every where whatever they end up at.

[ledhead36]

I would vote for b4 if I had a vote. They have to do something. You should see all the short fish that are kept every year by the no speaka da english immigrants. It makes me sick. We need more enforcement too. I would pay for a sw license if I knew they would hire more COs with the $$

[captnemo]

Heads up for the first meeting tomorrow Sept 4. 7-9pm


September 4, 2014; 7-9 p.m.
Galloway Twp. Branch of the Atlantic Co. Library
306 East Jimmie Leeds Road
Galloway, New Jersey
Contact: Russ Allen at 609-748-2020
* Will immediately follow the NJ Marine Fisheries Council (http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/councils.htm#marine) meeting

[finchaser]

-----Original Message-----
From: DEP FWLISTS <FWLISTS@dep.nj.gov>
To: njmarinefishing <njmarinefishing@listserv.state.nj.us>; njoutdoors <njoutdoors@listserv.state.nj.us>
Sent: Thu, Sep 4, 2014 9:32 am
Subject: First of Three NJ Striped Bass Hearings Tonight

The first of three New Jersey hearings to gather public comment on the Atlantic
States Marine Fisheries Commission's proposed management options for Striped
Bass will be held tonight, September 4. The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife
strongly encourages the public to attend these meetings in order to assist
managers in the management of this precious resource.

In addition, the Division urges striped bass anglers who fish the Delaware
River, and are unable to make any of the New Jersey hearings, to attend the
hearing hosted by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

For information on the management proposal and hearing dates and locations, as
well as how to submit written comments, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2014/strbass_hearings.htm
on the Division's website.

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This message has been sent to you as a subscriber to the njmarinefishing
automated mailing list by the NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife.
To unsubscribe from this list, please go to:
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/lstunsub.htm

If you need assistance please email njfishandwildlife@dep.state.nj.us.

[buckethead]

Thanks Capt, hookset,and finchaser. wouldn't it be nice if there were so many fishermen in those meetings that it spilled out into the hallway? Guess I'm dreaming, Hope they listen to the feedback of the common folks this time. I think it might be too late as it is. Have lived through the other moratorium and I'm seeing the same conditions now.

[fishinmission78]

I definitely prefer b3 or b4

[seamonkey]

Hey guys I couldn't make the meeting but found a report on the net- only 30 guys showed up at galloway.

Most commenters seemed to be in support of B1 or B4. There was commenter support for A or status quo. That appears to be Tom Fotes' position also ( that discussion was had in the parking lot ). Russ Allen seemed to support a C option if I recall correctly.

Overall it seems almost 100% the new data will be accepted and cuts will be made. What % and size & bag limits are up in the air. It also seems like best case scenario for implementation of changes will be Apr of 15 for NJ.

The land based guys are much more adamant about the trouble the stock is in and the need for change. It was basically unanimous.

There was some the fish are offshore talk from a charter Capt who scallops in the winter. He claims the fish are 30 to 40 miles off. There was another "bay woman" with "salt water in her veins" that wants status quo until better data collection or "better computers" are implemented. So there was some opposition or hesitation from some of boat contingent but overall I'd say they recognized the need for cuts.

Fote made a comment that if this was summer flounder, and that data showed the same trends, these changes would not be being made. And if they were on the table for summer flounder, he'd be getting "stoned".

There seemed to be some sentiment that with the good recent YoY classes, including what appears to be a good 2014 class, that they will bolster the biomass enough to return it whatever threshold they consider satisfactory. Which appears or sounds like why Fote is in favor of status quo and Allen isn't certain change needs to be made either.

There was mention that 60 to 65% of the fish we see of the NJ coast are Chesapeake stock fish, while the Delaware River fish only make up 15% of the coastal fish we see.

I asked Russ Allen about recreational data collection and he said less than 5% of anglers are surveyed the data is not accurate. And they don't survey at night.

We are basically locked into a box with regards to the size limits due to lack of data. It was brought up how well the slot regs have worked in some of the southern states, and why not try that here etc etc and basically Allen said while it makes sense, may be logical, anything they propose has to have data to back it up or it won't be accepted. He said Andy ( forget his title/position ) had proposed a smaller size slot fish limit at some point or another but it didn't even make the options because the state has no data to support it.

Well unless it gets tried we will never have the data to support it. Someone brought up that the current 28 inch standard if you will, had no data when it was implemented either, which basically got a yeah you are right, but lets move on response.

[seamonkey]

These are the next meetings. Hope more guys from the North can show up!



September 9, 2014; 7-9 p.m.
Ridgefield Park Elks Lodge #1506
Corner of Spruce Avenue and Cedar Street
Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
Contact: Russ Allen at 609-748-2020

September 15, 2014; 7-9 p.m.
Toms River Town Hall
L. M. Hirshblond Room
33 Washington Street
Toms River, New Jersey
Contact: Russ Allen at 609-748-2020

[jigfreak]

Thank you

[seamonkey]

Thanks for the updates gents. Maybe this time they might listen. Even if they don't more people are telling them its bad out there. So hope for the best and try to go to the meeting.