Highly Migratory Species Report

Fishermen Interested in Safe Hydrokinetics (FISH Committee), was formed to engage in the wave energy permitting process at PG&E’s proposed 68 sq. mile project that is located in front of Fort Bragg.

The Town Hall Forum on Wave Energy sparked a community-wide outrage of the methodology of the wave energy permitting process. Local conservationists have taken up the cause and called for a moratorium on wave energy permits. The FISH Committee does not expect this to happen, but local fishermen have a chance to be public stakeholders with full legal status in the permitting process. Their report concludes with this comment, If you are not at the table, you are on the menu!

Their problem is wave energy equipment will not permit any fishing in their proposed 68 sq. mile project area. Is this an issue that will soon happen in New Jersey? The earlier meetings on offshore wind power all provided elusive answers about fishing access.

As fuel prices go insanely upward, our way of life and sport is not only being threatened but faces elimination. There is a deadly combination of proposed, restricted areas, closed areas, MPA’s and the deadly combination of trip and season limits that combined makes our future look very dark.

While everyone is concerned about fluke, ocean angler’s favorite food fish, Black Sea Bass, has had their 2008 TAC quota sharply reduced. This plan calls for a mandated stock rebuilding by 2010. Looking at the mandated biomass required by the plan, it appears unreachable without future major quota reductions or total closure. Last year anglers had a poor fishing season for this species. Given the big estimated size of the current adult population and the huge number of sub-legal fish released last year by anglers, it seems clear that anglers will go over their 2008 quota.

Eleanor was featured in a quality four page article in the April issue of Northeast Boating Magazine. The article is titled “A Full Agenda.” The story is about a person with a very full agenda. As you the read this story, you come to understand how many projects she is involved in. You must admire Eleanor who works hard on any project she is involved in. Congratulations, Eleanor, on a great positive article about your very busy life and work.

Jack passed away at the age of 78 on April 8th in Fort Meyers, Florida. Jack was a very active member in the Beach Haven Marlin & Tuna Club. He served one term as Commodore. He was an active fisherman and Charter boat Captain. He has five of his catches listed in the World Book of Records. Jack was a long-time supporter of JCAA. Jack is survived by his wife Joyce, sons Jack and David and Daughter Patricia. Donations in Jack’s memory can be sent to the Museum of NJ Maritime History, 528 Dock Road, Beach Haven, NJ 08008.

The new Transportation Workers Identification Certificate previous compliance date was September 25, 2008. While this extends your compliance date, it is clearly in your best interest to apply for this card at your earliest convenience. Things may get interesting later in the year. The current TWIC card is not code protected as other government ID cards are required to be. Further, the USCG recently stated that Charter and head boats are considered a secure zone for the purposes of Homeland security! Does that mean we have to deny access to fish terrorists!

Currently, neither gear is legal according to NMFS since neither is listed as approved gear in NMFS HMS fisheries. “NMFS has determined that use of these gears would allow efficient harvest of Atlantic tunas with low bycatch and bycatch mortality.” Please notice the emphasis on fishing efficiency. Nothing is mentioned about the economic impact on current fisheries. Your comments accepted until August 5, 2008.

Oh joy, can we now expect to catch fewer tunas on every trip! Also to be discussed is new sea turtle release devices for the longline fishermen. The local public hearing on their proposal is on June 2, 6-8pm at the Ocean County Library, Stafford Branch, 129 N. Main Street, Manahawkin, NJ. 08050.

Black nose sharks are part of the shark group known as Small Coastal Sharks. Under NMFS previous shark rules there were no limits on the SCS species. Naturally, NMFS refuses to accept the biological fact that no shark species can ever sustain a commercial fishery. This only supports NMFS HMS division’s history of commercial bias regardless of the impact on the HMS stocks.

Please remember to renew your HMS permit. This year the permit became good on January 1, a change that permitted North Carolina Bluefin tuna fishing to continue all winter long. The cost has returned to $28.00. I have been informed it should be good for the 2009 season.

The Gulf Stream is very important to east coast offshore HMS fishermen. Last winter England and Europe had several blizzards which based on past weather history is very unusual. The warm Gulf Stream waters normally increase their ocean temperature to the point that their air temperature is rarely cold enough to permit blizzards to form. Earlier in the year a big finger of hot Gulf Stream water came up from Cape Hatteras and traveled all the way to Nantucket by April. This water was so warm that several fishermen caught Bluefin tuna in New Jersey canyons on April 10 of this year.

Satellite pictures indicate that the Gulf Stream is being impacted in a major way by a very strong Labrador current. In a gulf stream picture it is obvious that the stream is being cut around 66 degrees of longitude. It is best seen on the Rutgers cool room Gulf Stream composite satellite temperature picture of May 15, 2008. As this picture shows, the stream is much closer to the US east coast than normal. What impact will this have on our weather is unknown. Based on past weather history, east coast hurricanes lose much of their strength when they pass Cape Hatteras and travel over the cold waters of the north coastal Atlantic. This results in hurricanes that hit New Jersey being rare. What happens now that the Gulf Stream is only a few hundred miles off our coast and the Gulf Stream’s heat might sustain a hurricane’s intensity?