Sea Bass Closure.

[Hunter 2]

Man, This is nuts

[Capt -Jerry P]

I recently received this email. Does not say if federal permit is mandatory for charter boats. 

The NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is advising recreational anglers that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will be closing the recreational black sea bass fishery in federal waters (3 - 200 miles offshore) effective Monday, October 5, 2009, for the next 180 days.

New Jersey State waters (0 - 3 miles offshore) are still open for the recreational harvest of black sea bass with a possession limit of 25 fish and a minimum size limit of 12.5 inches. Also, even though State waters remain open for the black sea bass, party and charter boat operators with a Federal black sea bass permit are prohibited from harvesting black sea bass from both State and Federal waters as of the effective closure date.

Please see the NMFS press release at www.nefsc.noaa.gov/press_release/2009/News/NR0913/index.html on the NMFS website for more information regarding this closure.

Right if ya got the permit ya cant fish for em... But ya probably should just turn it in a as a charter boat...

Everything we target from now to jan 1 can be caught within 3 miles

[IrishAyes]

I was fishing in Mass last year on a boat that recently got the permit. They did not have the permit the year before. I asked why they got the permit. They said the owner of the boat wanted to sell the fish they caught and needed the permit for that reason. Sounded to me like it was not mandatory except if you wanted to sell fish to the dealers. 

[Capt. Carl]

these are a couple of listings on the nmfs site in regards to having the permits.....looks to me like it is not required to have it as a charter or party boat....but if you fish outside 3 miles for , blues ,sea bass, atlantic mackerel.....you are required to have it.

(ii) Party and charter vessels. All party or charter boats must have been issued and carry on board a valid party or charter boat permit to fish for, possess, or land Atlantic bluefish in or from the EEZ if carrying passengers for hire. Persons on board such vessels must observe the possession limits established pursuant to §648.164 and the prohibitions on sale specified in §648.14(q).

(ii) Party and charter boat permit. The owner of any party or charter boat must obtain a permit to fish for or retain black sea bass in or from U.S. waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from 35°15.3' N. lat., the latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, NC, northward to the U.S.-Canada border, while carrying passengers for hire.

so my question is.....it states "if carrying passengers for hire"....i would assume that if i take my boat out for pleasure i can then fish for them inside 3 miles.....this differs from what i was told by noaa on wed.

[IrishAyes]

Thanks for the research Capt Carl. 

[Capt. Carl]

 

im just trying to figure this out like the rest of us! lol

[Great American Fisherman]

I'm trying to understand something here.  I'm not looking to start an argument.

The RFA asks you for money.  They tell you if it was not for them, the fishing regulations would be worse.  Fluke closed before Labor Day.  Now we have no sea bass.  Here is my question.  Please tell me what is worse than this?  What is worse than this?

[Great American Fisherman]

I copied this information from the Carolyn Ann III web site.  They are out of Barnegat Light, NJ.  It's information on how to contact some of the criminals in NJ politics.  We tried this two years ago with the fluke.  Hundreds of us wrote to Corzine and he never replied to anyone.  Maybe this will work,  Who knows.  I was told a letter writting campaign is going on to contact  Lautenberg.  How is that working out?  We lost sea bass.  Is ole Frank on board?  How about Chuck Schumer?  Mr. Sound Bite.  Did he weigh in on this?  Pallone wrote a letter to NOAA.  Maybe Pallone can get Obama to impose sanctions on NOAA.  Some of those get tough ones we put on Iran.

Here is the information.  People complain about these losers in government and still they vote them back in.



EMERGENCY ACTION REQUIRED NOW!!!
 
Sorry to take the current fishing report off this website but this afternoon something DEVASTATING has happened to YOUR RIGHT TO FISH FOR SEA BASS!!!! The National Marine Fish Service has voted to CLOSE SEA BASS FISHING FOR 6 MONTHS STARTING OCTOBER 5th. HOW STUPID IS THIS? If you have been fishing with us recently you KNOW how many 12" fish we have thrown back. Literally 25-1. It is VERY important that YOU contact the following people at their telephone numbers but ESPECIALLY at the E Mail addresses listed below. It seems we are POLICED TO DEATH. To take away your right to fish and feed your family is non-understandable!! We thought this was AMERICA!!

First go to http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/press_release/2009/News/NR0913/index.html. This will give you the decesion the BUBBLING BAFFONS have made. Next reach the following people at their telephone numbers and E Mail addresses listed. We personally would not re-elect ANYONE who supports this KANGAROO COURT (NMFS). This governmant agency should be DISBANDED!! Insufficient data (and they admit to this) and ancient reports do not tell the story about what is happening NOW!! The words MAY and COULD don't have much substance. Anyway, here are some people you MUST contact IMMEDIATELY.!!!

Assemblyman Brian E Rumph
asmrumph@njleg.org

Senator Christopher J Connors
senconnors@njleg.org

Assemblyman Daniel Vanpelt
asmvanpelt@njleg.org

Senator Andrew R Ciesla
senciesla@njleg.org

Assemblyman David W Wolfe
asmwolfe@njleg.org

Senator Frank Lautenberg
http://lautenberg.senate.gov/contact/

Senator Robert Menendez
http://menendez.senate.gov/contact/

Chief, Research Communications
teri.frady@noaa.gov

Communications Specialist
Fishery Policy and Regulations
marjorie.mooney-seus@noaa.gov

Also for the State of New Jersey you can go to http://www.state.nj.us/dep/easyaccess/indexfront.htm
Employee Directory. This will give you an alphabetical listing. Go to F for fish and wildlife reg. officers. It will also give you all the names of the bosses.

We know this is a lot of work. If some of the addresses give you a problem PLEASE work with us. We were just informed of the change at 3 PM this afternoon and this is the best we can do right now. This report will not be erased but will be added to as more information is obtained. Many people don't know that we are obligated by LAW to report our daily catch MONTHLY. Is there any better current information than fishing boats? I don't think so scooter!!!! We have a FEDERAL PERMIT. Guess who that goes to? PLEASE HELP US AND PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS AS WELL!!!!!

[Capt. Carl]

Many people don't know that we are obligated by LAW to report our daily catch MONTHLY. Is there any better current information than fishing boats?Huh I don't think so scooter!!!! We have a FEDERAL PERMIT. Guess who that goes to? PLEASE HELP US AND PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS AS WELL!!!!!


That is a great statement.....he is referring to the blue log that you get with your federal permit...its called a V.T.R. (VESSEL TRIP REPORT)
and must be filled out during every trip...regardless of where you are fishing (state or fed waters)and you must record pretty much every fish you keep OR THROWBACK...even the mighty sea robin and bergall is accounted for on this report....then it is turned in by the 15th of each month for the previous months trips.
Whether captains fill it out or not, is their business but i try to fill mine out properly, as they tell us we are helping provide stock assessment data. i'm starting to second guess that information now.

[IrishAyes]

I would bet that information is sitting on the cold, damp basement floor of some federal building and was never even looked at.

[Fishin Dude]

 Some scary quotes from the "Regulatory Impact Review (RIR) and Environmental Justice Reviews for a Temporary Rule Emergency Action to Close the 2009 Black Sea Bass Recreational Fishery in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)"

"It is expected that the EEZ closure will be replaced after the 180 day period has ended with appropriate 2010 recreational management measures (i.e., minimum fish size, fishing season, and possession limit)."

"Even after a closure of the EEZ occurs, additional landings above the established recreational harvest level may occur in state waters unless states follow suit and close their state water recreational black sea bass fisheries."

"It is quite possible that no recreational black sea bass fishery would be permitted in the EEZ during 2010 or that, at the minimum, very restrictive measures would be enacted to permit an abbreviated recreational fishery (i.e., short season duration with large minimum size and low possession limit)."

"Until such time that the precise overage is known, it is not possible to anticipate the degree of modification required for the 2010 recreational management measures nor is it possible to anticipate what the Council may recommend for such modification."

"The emergency action should not represent a change in relative satisfaction for participation in recreational fisheries because state-waters fisheries for black sea bass may continue to be open even after the EEZ is closed and anglers will still have opportunity to target other species in the EEZ. Thus, the overall participation levels in the fishery are not expected to change. Therefore, the emergency action is not expected to cause disproportionately high and adverse human health, environmental or economic effects on minority populations, low-income populations, or Indian tribes."
<'((((><

[CapBob]

I was talking with a CO last night (known him a long time) he confirmed that a Charter/Party Boat that does not have a Federal Permit can fish within the 3 mile limit for Sea Bass.

[Fishin Dude]

Party and charter boat permit. The owner of any party or charter boat must obtain a permit to fish for or retain black sea bass in or from U.S. waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from 35°15.3' N. lat., the latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, NC, northward to the U.S.-Canada border, while carrying passengers for hire.


If this is in fact the Federal Law, then those party & charter boats that do not have a permit were fishing illeagally, then why would they care about breaking more fishing laws ?  <'((((><

[IrishAyes]

Some scary quotes from the "Regulatory Impact Review (RIR) and Environmental Justice Reviews for a Temporary Rule Emergency Action to Close the 2009 Black Sea Bass Recreational Fishery in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)"

"Until such time that the precise overage is known, it is not possible to anticipate the degree of modification required for the 2010 recreational management measures nor is it possible to anticipate what the Council may recommend for such modification."

"The emergency action should not represent a change in relative satisfaction for participation in recreational fisheries because state-waters fisheries for black sea bass may continue to be open even after the EEZ is closed and anglers will still have opportunity to target other species in the EEZ. Thus, the overall participation levels in the fishery are not expected to change. Therefore, the emergency action is not expected to cause disproportionately high and adverse human health, environmental or economic effects on minority populations, low-income populations, or Indian tribes."
<'((((><

I like this one;
Until such time that the precise overage is known.
That will be forever because the NEVER have and NEVER will have a precise overage. They can't even count to ten let alone count fish if you ask me.

And the next quote is even more scary in that it shows they have no idea what the hell they are talking about. This the closure will not affect the participation level of fishing and it will not affect anyone. 

[Bucktail]

I know it will affect the party boats that run those marathon offshore sea bass trips in the winter.

[Pfishingruven]

 

 

[Great American Fisherman]

On a personal note, you know what sucks?  I will be on vacation the last two weeks of October.  Eight minutes from The Carolyn Ann III in Barnegat Light.  Eight minutes.  I will now have to drive 100 miles a day to fish out of Point Beach or Belmar.  100 miles a day.

This won't happen next year.  I'm done spending my vacation dollars in NJ.  I'm going elsewhere.

[Pfishingruven]

Unfortunately, this isn't specifically the State of NJ to blame.  I am not a big fan of this state, but this was a Federal Government issue that is affecting more than this state.

 

[Capt -Jerry P]

Why would you have a federal permit if you fish from raritan bay...

You can catch blues and seabass within 3 miles

For mackerel?

It actually now just restricts you? no?

[Great American Fisherman]

Phish,

Delaware has a more liberal blackfish and fluke season.  The totally open blackfish season there is on now. It opened September 27 I beleive. Fluke is still open.  Correct me if I am wrong, is New York blackfish open now?  My vacation money I hope will be spent elsewhere next year.  I just have to take it this year.  Too late to cancel.