NJ Saltwater Fisherman Forums
NJ Saltwater Fisherman => Fisheries Management => Topic started by: Kenny on January 06, 2012, 08:14:55 AM
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Blackfish Regulations to Tighten in N.J.
Minimum sizes, open seasons affected
By Daniel Nee
Anglers targeting tautog, commonly known as "tog" or blackfish, will face more stringent regulations on the species following a decision made Thursday by the state Marine Fisheries Council.
Federal regulators ordered New Jersey officials to reduce the recreational harvest of the popular food and sport fish by 53 percent, and council members complied by reducing the length of the open season on the species, as well as upping the minimum size limit.
"There's no good option," said council member Dr. Patrick F. Donnelly, of Brick.
The council met in Galloway Township Thursday to vote on a plan to reduce the annual harvest.
"We cut out of every season, a little bit here, a little bit there," he said.
In the end, council members approved a relatively complicated slate of regulations for blackfish, which opens and closes the seasons multiple times per year. The size limit will remain at 15 inches all year long, up from the current minimum size of 14 inches. Anglers will also be able to take fewer fish home.
The regulations approved are.....
Jan. 1 - Feb. 28
15 inches
4 fish
March
CLOSED
April
15 inches
4 fish
May 1 - July 26
CLOSED
July 27 - Aug. 30
15 inches
1 fish
Sept. 1 - Oct. 17
CLOSED
Oct. 18 - Nov. 15
15 inches
1 fish
Nov. 16 - Dec. 31
15 inches
4 fish
The new regulations did not sit well with local party and charter boat captains, who said the reduction in season length, as well as the possession limit, could cost business in already troubled economic times.
"The customers are so used to having two more fish, and now we're going down to four," said Captain Ken Namowitz of the Mimi VI party boat, which sails from Point Pleasant Beach. "For us to get that one extra fish is a livelihood."
Other skippers decried the fact that boats from New York routinely fish in New Jersey's waters, including commercial vessels, affecting the local blackfish populations.
"We're getting a lot of hell from the New York sector. There's zero enforcement going on," said Capt. Chris Hueth of the Big Mohawk party boat, which sails from Belmar. "Their season is closed right now, and they're still fishing. What's taking place in the ocean, and I'm there everyday, is nuts. Guys are commercially fishing this stuff, and bringing it back to New York."
"We're getting penalized for somebody else's greed," Hueth added.
For now, there's no going back. The council has approved the regulations, which were required to be in place Jan. 1, according to Gilbert H. Ewing, the council president. Donnelly said the state council had few options after the edict issued by federal regulators to cut the harvest.
"We tried to maintain that fourth fish," Donnelly said.
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The powers to be, by their poorly managed system, are slowly but surely reducing the number of recreational fishermen. nosmly
This has to come to a halt somehow, sometime, and sometime soon. >:(
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:'( :'( nosmly
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Big hit to togsters nosmly Looks like more and more surf fishing for me. Catch and release ::)
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Pretty much kills the canal fishery.
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It wasn't that long ago that Blackfish was EIGHT fish @ 14 inches. Starting November 15. Then it was SIX fish at 14 inches and starting November 16. Now we are FOUR fish at 15 inches and start November 16.
Why we have the summer time thing for spear fishermen makes no sense to me. Take that away and give us the FOUR fish starting in October at some point. Do we really need April? I'd rather see less productive times go away and liberalize (trust me I do not use that word often) the autumn Blakfish season. How about start October 15 and end of February 28 of the following year and that is it.
Be good!
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I need a freakin personal assistant to figure out all the different damn seasons for 1 friggin fish! 5hrug
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I'm gonna have to write all that down. fcp
Kinda funny to hear the Captain of the Big Mohawk placing blame on the New York boats. Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black after all the poaching that took place on the Big Mohawk a few fluke seasons ago? nosmly
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close April and July and give us 6 from october thru january July we have fluke and april stripes and blues besides who wants 1 fish, t^
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I'm gonna have to write all that down. fcp
Kinda funny to hear the Captain of the Big Mohawk placing blame on the New York boats. Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black after all the poaching that took place on the Big Mohawk a few fluke seasons ago? nosmly
But he is right! ;D
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This sucks ???
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When are we going to Delaware? t^
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:P By the way it reads, dosen't sound like there was much of a thought process behind the closings other then lets see how confusing we can make it :headscra:
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When are we going to Delaware? t^
Delaware trip in the works??
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They sure are making it easier to "limit out". :P
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They sure are making it easier to "limit out". :P
Making clickers obsolete, one regulation at a time. nosmly
;D
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They sure are making it easier to "limit out". :P
Making clickers obsolete, one regulation at a time. nosmly
;D
And cuts down pawle fishing time ::)
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When are we going to Delaware? t^
Delaware trip in the works??
Kenny, I thought you were the NJSWF travel agent. ;D
Seriously, I say we pick a date in February and schedule this this thing. I will start a new thread for it though. t^
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Why we have the summer time thing for spear fishermen makes no sense to me. Take that away and give us the FOUR fish starting in October at some point.
Why not we take away 10/18 - 11/15 1 FISH and 4/1 - 4/30 4 FISH and totally wipe out any spring and summer Tog?. The surfcasters don't need it either? Are we at such a point that we need to deprive anyone of their season on any species just to have more for others?
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Why we have the summer time thing for spear fishermen makes no sense to me. Take that away and give us the FOUR fish starting in October at some point.
Why not we take away 10/18 - 11/15 1 FISH and 4/1 - 4/30 4 FISH and totally wipe out any spring and summer BSB?. The surfcasters don't need it either? Are we at such a point that we need to deprive anyone of their season on any species just to have more for others?
Because there is NO WE--in "WE THE PEOPLE" anymore.
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Kenny, I thought you were the NJSWF travel agent. ;D
;D
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make sure his accountant knows about that. ;D
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make sure his accountant knows about that. ;D
Paule knows pawle rofla
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rofla rofla
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rofla TT^ chrz
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nosmly >:( >:( This really pisses me off. I rarely get to get out fishin cause I'm too busy fixin boats and I've always looked forward to toggin with my buddy Mark [Stray Cat] in November and now this crap.
I'm all about conservation, but when I wanna catch and eat, well, thats what it is gonna be. :-X