Comments on the Sea Bass Fisher Management Plan

COMMENTS ON THE SEA BASS FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN

By Pat Donnelly

(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association - May 1996 Newspaper)

Most anglers are concerned that the escape vents in the fish pots are not large enough to permit fish under 9" to escape.
Black Sea bass are another component of the live fish market. This may be the appropriate time to regulate this clandestine fishery.
The FMP calls for a discussion of Special Management Zones (SMZ) around artificial reef areas. These reefs are built mainly through tax dollars generated from the recreational industry. By no means should anglers be pushed off them by fish/lobster pots.
There is currently legislation pending which would ban the use of commercial gear deemed environmentally destructive. This may be the time to examine the effect of roller gear, as it is a primary component of both the inshore and offshore fisheries.
The offshore mixed trawl fishery is not species specific. The landings include everything from sea bass, to squid, to lobsters. The reported bycatch mortality is 100%. The FMP calls for mesh size restrictions as a means of reducing bycatch. Due to the depth of the area, long trawls are the norm of this fishery. The cod-end mesh restriction may limit the bycatch retention in the short haul, but its effectiveness over time is debatable. The commercial quota, in which this dead bycatch is included, may be an appropriate way to quantify this fishery. To allow this bycatch situation to continue, is to validate this indiscriminate harvest.

Dr. Pat Donnelly is a member of the Manasquan Fishing club and is the Chairman of the JCAA Blackfish Committee.