President's Report

The JCAA does not have regular meetings during the summer since delegates are either busy fishing (which they should be) or on vacation. However, while we have not met since June, there are many issues that are facing anglers who fish in NJ and these issues need your attention. Some of them include:

• Fluke Quota Reduction – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery management Council have recommended reducing the total allowable landings of fluke from 17.11 pounds to 15.77 million pounds next year. It is disgusting to see our fluke season end so early, especially when there are so many fluke around. Tackle shop owners and the party/charter boat industry is hurting over this early closure. One tackle dealer told me that he sold 10,000 fluke hooks last year and only 2,000 this year!
  
• Subway Cars Good News Update – Commissioner Lisa Jackson sent a memo to the Division of Fish and Wildlife directing their staff to amend the artificial reef permit to allow New Jersey to accept 600 subway cars from New York.
  
• Bill A3275 – Introduced by Assemblyman Panter and supported in the Senate by Senator Karcher that is designed to drastically alter NJ’s Fish & Game Council so that politics and not fishing experience counts if you want to be appointed to the Council. This is especially good news to the animal rights activists and anti-hunting groups who would love to take control of the Council. If this happens, fishing and hunting in New Jersey would go the way of the dinosaurs.
  

These are just a few of the many issues that are confronting us and we need to be vigilant about these issues or we will lose our fishing rights. So come to our September 25th meeting so that you can be at least informed of the latest developments on these issues and pass this information on to your fishing clubs. We have a lot to talk about, so be there!

Also at our September 25th meeting, we will have two representatives from the recently formed New Jersey Outdoor Fishing Alliance as our guests who will explain to you on how you can be more politically active in defeating those political candidates who sponsor and support laws that are anti fishing and hunting, and supporting those candidates who favor us. This new group has just been formed to counter the A3275 bill proposed by Assemblyman Panter and supported by Senator Karcher and other politicians that propose bills that negatively impact fishing and hunting in our state. Voting is an American right and how you vote can shape the future of our fishing industry. So be informed so that you and your fishing buddies pull the right voting lever!

Sportsperson of the Year  

It is time to start thinking of your nomination for the coveted JCAA’s Sportsperson of the Year award. Clubs in good standing are encouraged to submit in writing their nomination for this prestigious award. The letter of nomination should be limited to about 150 words detailing the nominee’s activities that have contributed to the improvement of recreational fishing and/or the environment. If you have a nomination you can also bring it to the September 25th meeting. For the nomination to be included in the next JCAA Newspaper, Tom Fote needs it emailed to him no later than October 15 and if you are mailing, it needs to be at the office by October 15.

If it does not make the next JCAA Newspaper it can still be mailed to the JCAA office but must be there by October 26 or hand carried to the October 30th meeting when the nominations are read and a vote taken on who will receive the award.

HELP!!!  

We need volunteers to attend important meetings affecting our fisheries, chair our various committees and be an active member of our Executive Board. I will be the JCAA President for 2008, but I need a JCAA member to serve as First Vice President as this position is currently not filled. We have important work to do and we need good people to lead the JCAA in its mission to protect the rights of all anglers who fish in our waters. If interested call me at my new home phone number at (732) 656-0139 or email me at tothjohn@juno.com

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