River Herring and Tautog Regulation Changes

[The Broken One]

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is informing recreational saltwater anglers and commercial fishermen of recent regulatory changes for river herring and tautog fisheries. These actions were taken to comply with Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) management plans for river herring and tautog.

Effective immediately, no person shall take, possess, land, purchase, sell or offer for sale any river herring (alewife and blueback) in the marine waters of the State. Only commercial vessels fishing exclusively in Federal waters while operating a valid Federal permit for Atlantic mackerel and/or Atlantic herring may possess river herring, up to a maximum of five percent by weight of all species possessed.

These regulations were put in place due to concerns about the significant coastwide decline of river herring stocks.

For more information regarding the changes, including season, limit and size information, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2012/herring-tog_regchange.htm on the division's website.

 

[IKAT]

Thank you
I think I see a pattern here of we can fish every other month for something

Time to invoke the "inailable rights" of my wife being partial American Indian!!!

OR Pirate flags #9.99 each.

[Fishin Dude]

Pirate Flags! 

[IrishAyes]

Aye, Maties. That's what these regs are going to do...Make pirates out of a lot of other wise law abiding citizens. 

It was posted previously that the shut down is because NJ does not have a proper management plan. NJ claims that they do not have a proper management plan because of the lack of funding and personnel. Seem that all the $$$ spent on the sport of fishing NJ would have an incentive to use that money ($$$ accessed from the hidden tax we pay on fishing/boating) for a proper management plan instead of throwing it into the general fund.

[Bucktail]

Here's an update. 

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is advising freshwater anglers that a
closure of the river herring (alewife and blueback) fishery is currently in
effect for the marine waters of the State and a closure of the freshwater
migratory herring fishery is expected to be in place by mid-February. The
freshwater fishery closure will not include landlocked herring populations.

The Division will issue a public notification when the freshwater closure is
approved, which will include details regarding the freshwater take and
possession of herring in New Jersey.

More information on the herring closure, as well as changes in regulations
pertaining to tautog, can be found at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2012/herring-tog_regchange.htm
on the division's website.

[Hunter 2]

Thanks for the info guys.

[Pops Soul]