Fisheries Management & Legislative Report

It has been a busy month as usual. Between the many trips to Trenton and to other meetings, I also spent 5 days in Washington, DC. It is always gratifying to see the respect that JCAA receives from both Congressmen and Senators from New Jersey and throughout the country. We have been asked to discuss legislation with Congressmen from Maine, California and other states. We also receive a tremendous amount of respect from many national organizations as well. We met with representatives from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service and our conversations were productive. It was a worthwhile trip.

The most pressing issues have been getting the fish pots off the reefs and passing the hooked on fishing not on drugs legislation. But in the last few weeks, two more issues have moved into prominence. The first is that there are 600 subway cars available to New Jersey for free artificial reef material. The second is the bill introduced by Assemblyman Panter and voted out of the Assembly Environmental and Solid Waste Committee (A3275). Both of those topics will be covered below.

The animal rights activists (more appropriately called the anti-fishing/anti-hunting activists) have found friends in Assemblyman Panter and Assemblywoman Greenstein and Senator Karcher. They are responsible for introducing A3275 and S2041. These bills would politicize the Fish and Game Council that was established in the early 1940’s to manage the hunting and fishing interests in New Jersey.

The reason it is called the Fish and Game Council is because its focus was limited to regulating fishing and hunting seasons and rules. The members of the Fish and Game Council are hunters, anglers and the farmers whose livelihood is impacted by hunting and fishing. It is important to keep in mind that managing wildlife in New Jersey has a tremendous impact on agriculture and every citizen who is fed by JERSEY FRESH farmers. The decisions are based on the information received from scientists and the reports from the Division of Fish and Wildlife. When the black bear population dropped drastically in the 70’s, it was the Fish and Game Council that took the responsible action of closing the bear hunt. They did not consider opening the hunt again until the population of black bears grew so large that many problems were reported and scientists were sure that opening the hunt would not return us to the population problems of the 70’s.

The animal rights people, using the bear hunt as their excuse, have come after all sportsmen, both hunters and anglers. They will only be satisfied if no one if allowed to hunt or fish anywhere in the state of New Jersey. Hunting and fishing is historically how we fed our families and some of us still do. If you read most religious texts, you will find examples of hunting and fishing as a way to sustain life. Assemblymen Panter and Senator Karcher are doing the bidding of the “animal rights” activists. They have cloaked their bills as conservation but this is politics at its most blatant. Every reference to hunting and fishing as a use of the public resource was removed from the bill, an interesting choice in a bill about the Fish and Game Council. If they have their way, it will become the Fish and Wildlife Council. We already have a committee called the NonGame and Endangered Species Council that deals with wildlife that is not traditionally hunted or fished. This is a blatant end run around the existing Fish and Game Council and an attempt to replace a successful management plan with political opportunism. We would like to thank Republican Assemblyman John Rooney and Assemblyman Larry Chatzidakis for their support in calling this bill anti farming, anti fishing and anti hunting and unnecessary under any guise. They were the only two votes against this bill in the Environment and Solid Waste Committee. The other members of the committee, including the chairman, voted to send this atrocious bill to the Assembly. They decided to join ranks with the anti hunting and anti fishing lobby. It was a shame the chairman, John McKeon, did not even allow groups like NJ Audubon, who would have spoken in opposition, to do so. They allowed written statements and then went directly to a vote without reading any of the statements. Looks like a decision was made before the hearing began.

The other members who voted for this bill are John McKeon, Charles Epps and Louis Manzo. They are all Democrats. Rumor has it that they wanted a picture taken with the “animal rights” activists but ignored any opportunity to be seen with the sportsmen in attendance. Guess they want to be in the “animal rights” newspaper and on their contribution list. I don’t know how they can ignore 1.3 million sportspersons in New Jersey but I guess time will tell.

Assemblyman Fisher from Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, where this bill was slated for posting, would not post this bill. He realized this was not good for the hunters, anglers or farmers who are represented on the Fish and Game Council. What Assemblyman Panter did was shop for a committee that would do what he wanted and totally ignore any input from the hunters, anglers or farmers.

We were hoping Senator Smith would post this bill for a hearing by the Senate Environmental Committee at the June 14th meeting. But that did not happen. We will be writing a letter to Governor Corzine and our legislators to ask for their support in passing this bill. As Commissioner Jackson and many others have acknowledged, Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs is a wonderful program. The money is available, we just need to pass this legislation to put it to use. Lynda and I attended a Hooked on Fishing program held at Constitution Park in Washington, DC. There were 250 students from Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. From Constitution Park, where these students were learning to fish and to respect the environment, they could see the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial. It sent chills up my spine.

The NJ Marine Fisheries Council will meet on July 12 and the Artificial Reef Committee will give a report to the full council on its recommendation on what to do with the pots on reefs problem. JCAA is hoping that they recommend removing the pots from the reefs.

I reported in last month’s newspaper that on Monday, May 21st, there was a hearing in the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and A3986 was released by a 4 to 1 vote. There has been no movement by the Assembly for a full vote and the Senate Environmental Committee has not posted the bill as noted in the last newspaper. We need to keep the pressure on and we need to get Speaker Roberts to post the bill for a vote. We need to get Senator Robert Smith, chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, to move the bill from his committee to the full Senate so Senate President Cody can post the bill there as well. In the President’s Column, John Toth has spelled out what to do. Sample letters are posted on our webpage.

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 5/27/2007
By John Geiser

Seldom has legislation designed to improve recreational fishing in New Jersey waters received such widespread support as the two bills that would prohibit traps and pots on artificial reefs.

Four powerful recreational groups — Recreational Fishing Alliance, Jersey Coast Anglers Association, New Jersey Council of Diving Clubs and Reef Rescue — are leading the charge, and together they represent most anglers and divers with an interest in the reefs.

Further, organizations such as the American Littoral Society have weighed in in favor of the legislation, and more are expected to join the effort.

The Assembly version of the legislation — A-3986 — was passed out of that body's Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee 4-1 May 21, and now must be posted by Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts for a final vote.

Assemblyman Sean Kean, R-Monmouth, introduced the bill several months ago, and since then it has gotten considerable support from members of both parties.

James A. Donofrio, executive director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, said he regards the bipartisan support as a real example of democracy in action.

"There are no party lines here," he said. "These are lawmakers from both sides of the aisle doing the right thing — listening to the majority of the people."

Thomas P. Fote, legislative chairman of the Jersey Coast Anglers Association, said he is pleased to see the bill advancing with such broad support. "Recreational fishing is important to our state, and it is good to see our legislators recognizing this," he said.

Pete Grimbilas, a spokesman for Reef Rescue, said the reefs have been a success story for recreational anglers and the state's Department of Environmental Protection. "A handful of potters are dominating the reefs, and they're fishing them seven days a week, 24 hours a day," he said.

The four organizations RFA, JCAA and Reef Rescue began disseminating a joint letter Friday in which they appealed to anglers and divers to write, call or talk to their legislators about the legislation.

It was determined several years ago that 90 percent of the bottom-fishing effort has been centered on the 15 artificial reefs, two in state waters and 13 in federal waters, off the New Jersey coastline. Commercial gear has been increasingly hampering that opportunity.

"In recent years, the artificial reefs have been taken over by commercial fishermen who have overrun our reef areas by their proliferation of fish traps and pots on sites that were specifically built for hook and line fishing and diving," they pointed out in the letter.

"This gear has restricted access to hook and line anglers, interfered with the goals and objectives of the Artificial Reef Program, and has also hindered additional reef construction and expansion efforts," they continued.

"Once an isolated problem on the northernmost reefs, the lack of restrictions on the number of pots a commercial fisherman can fish has allowed the problem to rapidly expand to every reef along the entire Jersey coast," they added.

"Essentially, the reefs have become dominated by a relatively small group of commercial fishermen, and that was not the original intention of the Artificial Reef Program," they stressed.

The bills being considered by the Assembly and the Senate would limit fishing gear on reefs to hook and line and spear only.

Donofrio said he has talked with members of the Senate Environment Committee, which is expected to hold a hearing on the Senate bill — S-2635 — soon, and he said they understand the issue.

Capt. Joe Bogan, skipper of the Jamaica II, Brielle, said access to the reefs is important to his business and the anglers he carries, and he has long advocated getting the commercial pots, flags and other gear off the grounds.

Bogan was targeting wreck fish until the fluke season opened Saturday, but the emphasis is now on sea bass and flatfish. Both species are found on the artificial reefs.

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 5/25/2007
By John Geiser

Commercial fishermen who attempted Monday to persuade the state Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee not to pass a bill banning lobster and fish pots on the state's artificial reefs failed to convince the lawmakers.

The bill - A-3986 - was referred to the full Assembly for a vote after testimony from both sides of the question.

James A. Donofrio, executive director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, said he was not surprised that the measure was advanced by a 3-1 vote.

"The vote was a reflection of the feeling out there," he said. "Most people who hear the whole story can appreciate the time has come to get the commercial gear off the artificial reefs.

"Commercial fishermen who have pots on the reefs naturally want to continue what they have been doing," he said. "They wouldn't even talk of compromise in the beginning. Now they're saying that there should be a compromise, but there is no room for compromise; there is no place for commercial gear on the artificial reefs."

Artificial reefs have been built in state and federal waters for decades to provide habitat for marine life and opportunity for anglers and divers to harvest a portion of that resource.

The state's artificial reef program was begun by recreational fishermen and divers over 40 years ago. The material was stored on property owned by myself and others in Wall, and Ken's Landing in Point Pleasant Beach.

The initial material was carried offshore to reef sites by boats out of Bogan's Basin, Brielle, and other private boats. Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts and hundreds of anglers and other volunteers dumped the material.

There was no support, money or effort for building reefs by the commercial sector. In fact, most commercial fishermen with mobile gear opposed the idea of artificial reefs.

The argument was advanced at the committee hearing that pot fishermen have a historical right to fish on the reefs when, in fact, the only history was that of setting gear on structure that did not exist until recreational interests created it.

The bottom where many of the reefs were built was open, and marine life merely passed over it quickly on the way to suitable habitat. John DePersenaire, research scientist with the RFA, spoke at the hearing in support of the Assembly bill.

"We're not opposed to commercial fishing," he said. "This is a specific issue. We're saying that there is no place for this type of gear on artificial reefs that were built and paid for with recreational money.

"The reefs are too important to the hundreds of thousands of recreational fishermen and divers to have them monopolized by a handful of commercial fishermen," he continued.

"The argument that the commercial industry needs access to the reefs to feed the general public is bogus," he said.

DePersenaire reminded that the commercial industry conducted its harvest before there were artificial reefs, and reefs represent only a small fraction of the harvestable bottom along the coast.

The complete domination of the reefs by commercial fishermen to supply a few sea bass, live blackfish and lobsters to retail consumers is unwarranted when hundreds of thousands of anglers are denied access, he stressed.

"It's a question of the most good for the most people," he said. "Clearly the reefs are more important to the recreational sector than to the commercial industry."

Thomas P. Fote, legislative chairman of the Jersey Coast Anglers Association, spoke in favor of the bill at the hearing.

His concern has always been twofold: protect the resource and provide more opportunity for recreational fishermen. "When I was on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission I represented recreational and commercial interests," he said. "I always tried to see things from both sides, but on some issues like the striped bass game fish bill the resource needs protection."

Fote said the reefs offer critical habitat for all marine life, and he sees them as an important link in protecting New Jersey's marine environment.

Commercial fishermen have intensified their efforts on artificial reefs in recent years, and some spots, such as the Sea Girt and Axel Carlson reefs, are literally covered with a web of pots, lines, flags and lost gear including ghost pots.

The gear makes it almost impossible for recreational boats to drift fish over the reefs, and, in many cases, even anchor to bottom fish.

Nearly 90 percent of inshore recreational bottom fishing by private boats was done on artificial reefs in 2000, and 46 percent of party boat bottom fishing effort and 62 percent of private boat diving activity was concentrated on artificial reefs.

More than $10 million in recreational money was spent on reef building in a relatively few years, and anglers came to rely on the reefs as their keys to good fishing. That is changing as commercial fishermen drop more and more gear on the reefs and prevent anglers using the sites.

Pete Grimbilas, a charter boat captain and member of Reef Rescue, a group dedicated to getting recreational access to the reefs, spoke at the hearing to inform legislators of the recreational discontent. "The issue is simple," he said. "There are too many pots on the artificial reefs. A handful of potters are dominating the reefs, and they're fishing them seven days a week, 24 hours a day."

Members of organizations such as the Manasquan River Marlin and Tuna Club, Greater Point Pleasant Charterboat Association and the Ann E. Clark Foundation, which have donated $400,000 alone to build reefs in the last four years, say that they intended that the money be used for creating fish habitat and opportunity for anglers, not supporting the commercial fishing industry.

"Recreational fishermen have been reaching into their pockets for years to conserve and protect fish species through reef building," Grimbilas said. "Ninety percent of the money from Mako Mania goes into reef building.

"Barge loads of reef material cost $100,000 each," he stressed. "When it is round concrete pipe it becomes an ideal drift area for fishing for fluke, blackfish, sea bass and other species.

"But the potters move in and set their gear on top of this material, and anglers are denied access," he pointed out. "You can't drift more than a few feet without losing your rig in their gear."

Tim Dillingham of the American Littoral Society wrote Douglas Fisher, chairman of the Assembly committee, that his organization supports A-3986.

"The American Littoral Society has always cared about fish, good fish habitat, and fishermen," he wrote. "We have fought against ocean dumping of pollution, gone to court to defend and expand public access to the shore, and worked for laws to protect coastal habitat.

It has come to our attention that there are 1600 subway cars available for artificial reefs. Six hundred have been offered to New Jersey at no cost. Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia will be required to pay for the shipment of their cars. Delaware will also get some cars for free. What we don’t want is a repeat of the last time cars came available. As you remember, New Jersey only used 250 of the 650 cars available to us. These cars will still used for artificial reefs but in other states, mainly Delaware. Commissioner Jackson has asked for an extension of the deadline to accept cars and received that extension. As the President’s column discussed, JCAA is planning to host a meeting of all the interested parties to attempt avoid the problems that occurred last time. You can write letters to Governor Corzine and Commissioner Jackson asking for their support. Governor Corzine and Commissioner Jackson were not participants in the deal making that robbed us of so many cars last time. I know they are open to discussion about this issue and will listen to all the information we and the EPA supplied. This was not true that last time when Commissioner Brad Campbell had already expressed his opposition to the subway cars before he even became commissioner. At least time the playing field is even and the decision will be made based on the science.

Posted by the Star-Ledger on 6/7/2007
By Al Ristori

Despite the moratorium presently in effect on accepting subway cars for New Jersey artificial reefs, there's still a chance that the state may take advantage of the New York City Transit Agency's offer to sink 600 of the stainless steel models at no charge. Tom Fote of the Jersey Coast Anglers Association talked to Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa Jackson who told him the June 1 date for acceptance had been extended by the agency in order to provide more time for study.

Brad Campbell, the previous commissioner, had placed the moratorium on sinking subway cars on the reefs until a study could be completed. Yet, that study was only started before Bill Figley retired as director of the reef program and nothing has been done since.

Everything we know about subway cars on the reefs is positive as they don't move, deteriorate slowly, and attract vast numbers of fish. Only objections by Clean Ocean Action prevented the state from sinking the 650 Redbirds offered in 2003 at no cost. Delaware opened the process to public view, and presented scientific information that made it clear there was no reason not to take the bonanza New Jersey had been offered.

Therefore, we lost 400 cars to our neighbors. Figley notes the only consolation is that Cape May anglers are within range of what should have been our reef material that's now enriching Delaware's reefs.

Rather than the public process, Campbell made a political decision and accepted just 250 Redbirds while prohibiting taking any more subway cars until an unfunded study was completed. Yet, the moratorium was only the policy of a departed commissioner under a governor who resigned.

The present commissioner can change that policy, especially as it now involves fundamentally different stainless steel cars that should have a much longer life as reef material. Clean Ocean Action hasn't taken a position on the present offer as yet.

The artificial reef program has been funded almost entirely by anglers and divers who raise funds for cleaning, transportation and sinking of donated materials. Losing 400 subway cars in 2003 that wouldn't have cost the state a penny was a disgrace that hopefully won't be repeated again. At the very least, anglers and divers should demand that the facts be laid out in public and decisions made on a scientific basis.

Posted by the New York Times on 6/10/2007
By J.B. Kasper

In 2003, the city of New York offered to give the state of New Jersey some 600 obsolete rail road cars to be used as reef-building material along the Jersey coast. Not only did they offer to give the cars to the state, but they also offered to clean them of any pollution-causing materials that might be in the cars, transport them to a site of the state's choosing and sink them on the sight, all at no cost to the state of New Jersey.

Of the 600 cars that were offered to the state, only 200 of them ever made it to the inshore waters along the Jersey coast. The Department of Environmental Protection commissioner for the McGreevy administration, Bradley Campbell, sided with the environmental group Clean Ocean Action, which opposed the cars' use as reef-building material primarily because of asbestos in the cars, though it was only part of the fireproof matrix inside.

Furthermore, asbestos is dangerous only when fibers are breathed in; they are harmless in water. Campbell eventually, after complaints from recreational fishing groups and individuals, compromised by allowing a test drop of 200 of the old Redbird cars so a study could be made of how they stood up. No additional subway cars were to be allowed.

Now, the city of New York has another 600 obsolete subway cars they are willing to donate as reef- building material, under the same terms as last time -- cleaned, transported and sunk at a location the state chooses at no cost to the state. Another 1,000 cars are being sold to Georgia and South Carolina, which are willing to not only pay for them, but are willing to pay the cleaning bill, transportation bill and whatever other cost is necessary to sink them along their coast as reef material. If the state of New Jersey refuses the cars in part, or in total, they will be offered to the state of Delaware under the same agreement made to New Jersey, free of charge.

So far there has been no negative feedback on the new offer of subway cars, but there has been no movement on the part of the state to accept them. The cars that have been sunk along the Jersey coast are home to millions of fish and all types of marine life. In fact, within a couple of weeks of being placed on the ocean floor, all types of sea life set up housekeeping. Anyone who knows anything about fishing or marine biology knows that a barren ocean floor will not support any amount of marine life. Any structure that is placed on the ocean floor in a barren area acts like a magnet and immediately becomes a habitat for fish, crustaceans and all types of marine life. This is why these subway cars would be invaluable to the marine life along the Jersey coast.

I covered the dispute over the subway cars the last time they were offered and witnessed the folly of the state refusing 400 of the cars, which were given to other states and have become valuable assets to those state's marine environments. In fact, studies conducted by the states that received them show no evidence of adverse effects from them and verify them as an extremely viable marine habitat.

Watching the problems connected with the subway cars the last time gave me some interesting insight. Groups like Clean Ocean Action and the Sierra Club, while claiming to have the best interest of the environment at heart, have a hidden agenda. This agenda is totally anti-sportsmen, and while they may pay lip service to fishermen and fisherman's organizations, they will do anything to further the decline of sportfishing.

Time after time they have opposed sportsmens' interests, despite the fact that sportsmen are the original conservationists and have been paying for conservation long before these organizations were in existence. Why would any group who espouses the betterment of the marine environment along our coast be against the use of these subway cars? Especially when they are going to be cleaned of any pollution-causing materials and be subject to examination by the DEP. It's totally bogus to site pollution concerns when they will be addressed to the satisfaction of the state before the cars are sunk.

The artificial reef program along the Jersey coast has been highly successful in keeping fisheries and marine life from being depleted. All types of material, ranging from old ships and boats, combat tanks, concrete and a variety of other materials have been used to build these reefs, much of which has been paid for by sportsmen.

Now we have a chance to further enhance the artificial reefs along the Jersey coast at no cost to sportsmen or the general public. Sportsmen's organizations, individual sportsmen and the public should contact Gov. Jon S. Corzine and DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson and urge them not only to agree to the use of these subway cars as reef material, but to contact New York and make arrangement for their deployment as soon as possible. It would be an inexcusable mistake to let these subway cars go to another state when the Jersey coast can use all the help it can get to maintain a healthy marine environment that benefits everyone.

Posted by the Star-Ledger on 6/3/2007
By Al Ristori

The subway car issue is about to surface again as New York City's Transit Agency has 1,600 stainless steel subway cars available for disposal -- and 600 of them have been offered to New Jersey at no cost. The only problem is that there's presently a prohibition on taking more subway cars until a study on the last ones is completed.

The last time this issue came up, Clean Ocean Action opposed depositing subway cars on our artificial reefs. Their objection was primarily to asbestos in the cars, though it's only part of the fireproof matrix inside. Furthermore, asbestos is dangerous only when fibers are breathed in -- but innocuous in water. Then-DEP Commissioner Brad Campbell compromised by allowing a test drop of the old Redbird cars so a study could be made of how they stood up. No additional subway cars were to be allowed.

The Jersey Coast Anglers Association opposed that compromise because other subway cars had already been on the reefs for many years and the proposed study appeared to be just a waste of taxpayers' funds while holding up the acceptance of more free subway cars. As a result, Delaware got a bonanza of reef material at no charge -- and at our expense.

Bill Figley, who was in charge of the reef program before retiring, started a study on existing similar PATH cars that had never moved in 14 years and deteriorated only about 33 percent while attracting about 300 to 400 fish per car. John Muir, a diver and reef expert at the EPA in Philadelphia, estimates the stainless steel cars will last 30 to 50 years.

Most of the materials on the reefs are donated, but anglers and divers collect funds to pay for cleaning, transportation and disposal. All of that is taken care of by the Transit Agency. States well to the south have to pay some transportation costs, and that's exactly what Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia are doing. If New Jersey passes up the 600 cars offered at no charge, they'll go to Delaware and the southern states.

There's no indication so far whether Clean Ocean Action will object to the reef enhancement again, but Tom Fote of the JCAA is braced to fight for what should be even longer-lasting materials in the stainless steel cars that will keep New Jersey's Artificial Reef Program among the best in the world -- and at no cost to the state at a time when public funds are almost impossible to obtain.

Freddie Gartner, a Shore surfcasting legend, passed on to heavenly fishing grounds Tuesday at the age of 83. A veteran of World War II and a member of the Shark River Surf Anglers, Gartner also had a tackle shop from about 1958 to the mid-1960s near Shark River Inlet. Pete Connell of Avon remembered Gartner, wearing his Army cap with the Combat Infantryman's Badge, riding his bicycle along the Shore with tackle and a 20- or 30-pound striper on the handlebars.

Connell said Gartner used "parachute cord" on his reels, but could still cast plugs with the best. He once watched him hook a 20-pounder close to the rocks and put the bass up on the jetty with the next wave before it ever had a chance to run.

Connell noted the wake was a gathering of old-timers talking about other greats of the Jersey surf who had passed away over the years. There were pictures of Gartner with many of his catches, including 40-pounders and a 54-pound striper that's a lifetime goal for any bass addict.

The first party boat doormat, 10 pounds, 3 ounces, was boated Thursday on the Angler from Atlantic Highlands by Joe Lebo of Newark. Capt. George Bachert said this might be the best season opener so far, especially considering the increase to a 17-inch minimum.

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 6/3/2007
By John Geiser

The state Department of Environmental Protection has an opportunity to provide a lot of habitat for marine life and opportunity for fishermen — if officials act swiftly.

New York City has offered New Jersey 600 obsolete stainless steel subway cars that could be added to the state's artificial reef system.

Thomas P. Fote, legislative chairman of the Jersey Coast Anglers Association, said the cars would be an important addition to the reef system, and the DEP should jump at it.

"The DEP was supposed to let New York know what they were going to do by today (June 1)," he said. "But nothing's been done yet."

Fote said he hears about deficits, shortages, lack of funds, cutbacks — state financial problems on all sides — when here is a chance to build fishing opportunity, enhance fish habitat and promote recreation without cost.

"New York City will pay for it," he said. "This is free. It wouldn't cost New Jersey a cent."

Other states are waiting anxiously to see what New Jersey will do. There are 1,600 obsolete subway cars to be given away, and South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and Georgia are all eager to get them.

One thousand cars are already going to the southern states, and they will be paying to get them. New Jersey can get 600 of them free because it is close to the source.

"We lost out on a lot of New York subway cars five years ago because some environmental groups objected to them," he said. "Government studies proved there was nothing wrong with them as artificial reef material, but these groups demanded the state do studies.

"Now here we are five years later with no studies, and no decision made yet," he said. "We were supposed to get 900 cars the last time, and we wound up getting only 250 because of politics. We don't want to see that happen again."

Fote said another reef development of importance is a special meeting being arranged by the state Marine Fisheries Council Wednesday at the state's Nacote Creek office to discuss artificial reefs.

"The meeting was supposed to be about fluke, porgies and sea bass, but commercial interests want to talk about reefs," he said.

Commercial fishermen who have fixed gear on the reefs are concerned about bills in the state Legislature that would prohibit reef use by pot fishermen. Commercial fishermen with mobile gear are opposed to artificial reefs in waters where they work.