By Patrick F.Donnelly DMD
(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association May 1998 Newsletter)
On March 4, The New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council met to discuss the upcoming tautog season. The ASMFC has mandated a 49% reduction in the tautog fishery in New Jersey for the 1998 season. The NJMFC Tautog recommended to the council that the reduction could be best achieved in the following manner: a 10 fish bag limit from Oct. 10 through May 31, and a 1 fish bag limit from June through Oct 9. This proposal came about through the efforts of representatives of all aspects of the tautog fishery. The Council passed the recommended regulations, with only two negative votes.
The major objections to this regulation have come from the diving community. I have tried to be careful in my wording, in that there are different groups within the overall dive industry. The predominant group that will be effected by this regulation would be the free dive enthusiasts, who dive without compressed air, in near shore areas. Without question, this is a group that will feel the effects of the catch reduction as much as any other.
What is important to keep in mind, however, is that all of the people who target tautog will have to face severe reductions this year. The tautog fishery, by its very nature, tends to be secretive. There is not alot of sharing of information, as the fishery is very site specific. Without any real sense of communication, the separate sectors of the fishery have no idea of how these regulations will change each part of the industry. All participants in the tautog fishery are facing severe restrictions in the upcoming season, and the NJMFC Tautog Committee did the best possible job in trying to make a tautog fishery possible for all who have participated in the past.
There are a great many people involved in the regulatory process at the NJMFC level. Tom McCloy and Pete Himchak from the Division of Marine Fisheries have been an integral part from the start of the process. John Connell and Sen. Lou Bassano, from the ASMFC have fought the battle on the national level for equitable representation on this issue. The New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council has given its support to ASMFC representatives both in Washington and Trenton. Finally, The industry representatives on the Tautog were left with the hard decision of how to reduce the catch, and not destroy their livelihood. Ray Bogan and Gary Fagan of the United Boatmen, Jack Fullmer of the NJ Council of Dive Clubs, myself, and others were all a part of this process. While this is not a perfect plan, it is the best that we can do at this time, and we should learn from this as we move forward.