 |
 |
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
||
by Tom Siciliano
(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association October 2004 Newsletter)
First I want to thank the New Jersey Senate that scheduled a special session of the Environment Committee for September 20, 2004 - the same day striped bass fishing was scheduled to be shut down. Unfortunately they were unable to meet because of the flooding in Trenton. The JCAA has done everything possible to avert a moratorium on fishing for Striped Bass working behind the scenes, talking to people and writing letters. Even though our club members do not believe that the proposed regulation of one fish at 24” – 28” and a second fish greater than 34”is the best solution to a difficult problem we stressed to the Senate that it was more important to the anglers of New Jersey to get a bill passed than hold out for our position. We can discuss the pros and cons of the bill later. We may ask that new legislation be enacted next year to correct any problems that may arise. Read Ed Cherry’s column for all the details and to lear what you can do to have your voice heard.
The next big event of the fishing year is the 13th Annual Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament at Island Beach State Park. This is a great family event with lots of prizes for anglers of all ages. Put this event on your calendar. We will be conducting another survey of the participants to gather further data on fishing effort and success. This information will be given to fisheries managers to assist them in their understanding of the importance of recreational fishing to the economy and to quality of life of the families that participate in fishing as part of their lifestyle. We need your help! If you do not plan to fish in the tournament, we need your help! We need owners of 4-wheel drive vehicles to volunteer as beach judges who will measure the fish caught by tournament contestants. Judges are vital to the smooth operation and success of this tournament. To volunteer as a judge, please contact: Bob DeLeonard at 732-793-8080. Thanks and see you on the beach!
Do you have someone you would like to nominate for the JCAA Sportsperson of the Year? We are now accepting nominations. If you know someone who you feel is deserving of this award, please don’t hesitate. Send the name of the person along with a short biography and the reasons you feel that person deserves the award to the Dinner Committee as soon as possible. . The sooner you get the name in the better chance that person has of winning. We will list the nominees and their biography in the next newsletter in time for all the clubs to evaluate the nominees. The winner will be voted on at the October JCAA meeting and the award will be given on November 14, 2004 at the Crystal Point Yacht Club in Point Pleasant, NJ. This year the Awards ceremony and dinner dance will feature George Poveromo of Salt Water Sportsman as the Keynote speaker. The prizes that are available are worth the trip. So put the date on your calendar. The goal this year is for each club to send a full table of ten people to the dinner.
As you know the JCAA is now a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization. This provides you the opportunity to deduct the full amount of your donation as an itemized deduction on your income tax. In addition, if you work for a company that provides matching funds you could double your assistance to the JCAA by requesting them to match your donation. One example of this is AT&T. We just received a matching donation from them for a generous donation by John Gillis of the Berkley Striper Club. Thanks John and AT&T. Why don’t you do the same?
Would you like to become a part of the only Association of marine sport fishing clubs that promotes a united consensus on issues relevant to saltwater anglers in New Jersey? In addition the JCAA has joined forces with organizations having similar objectives in states along the East Coast. The JCAA is the most effective organization of its kind on the East Coast. If you agree that fishing is important then your club or organization should become a member of the JCAA family. Please fill out this form and mail to the address office with your check for $50 dollars. JCAA will consider your application and discuss it with our member clubs. All new clubs or organizations need to be voted on by the JCAA membership before they become a member. This is to insure that your club is a club and has the same goals and objectives as stated in JCAA bylaws. As a club or organizational member of JCAA you will have a vote on all policy issues since JCAA votes on all policy positions. You are allowed to send a club representative to the JCAA monthly meetings and to nominate one of your members to run for an office in JCAA. Remember JCAA is an association of clubs and organizations and they are the only ones that can vote. JCAA is also like a senate - each club gets one vote no matter how big or small. If you have any questions contact the office 732-506-6565 or email Tom Fote tfote@jcaa.org .
The JCAA has been working hard for many years with the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Health & Senior Services. The purpose of this effort is to ensure that anglers have the information they need to make informed decisions about the safety of the Fish and Crabs they harvest from New Jersey waters.
Tom Fote worked on the Governor’s Mercury Task Force to study how to minimize the amount of Mercury that finds its way into the environment. There are other contaminates such as PCBs and Dioxin that also find their way into some of the fish we eat.
The good news is that there are ways for you to minimize the amount of PCBs and dioxin that are consumed. These include proper fish cleaning and cooking techniques which may reduce PCB levels by approximately 50 percent when compared to raw fish fillets.
New Jersey has put out a booklet with these advisories along with recommendations on proper cleaning and cooking procedures. It is available on either the NJ DEP website www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/njmainfish.htm or the NJDHSS website www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/foodweb and also by calling 1-609-984-6070 or 1-609-588-3123. A group of JCAA members recently met with Kerry Kirk Pflugh who is Manager of the Office of Outreach and Education for the NJ DEP and two of her staff, Lynette Lurig and Beth Torpay. Their goal is to improve their outreach to ensure that more people learn about the message. They have a fine educational program but are always looking for improvements and ways to reach more people.
We met with them to review the material and offer suggestions for improvements. They will be meeting with other groups around the state for additional input. We will be helping them at the Governor's Tournament on October 3rd by conducting a survey of awareness of the advisories in the general fishing population. They will continue to conduct additional surveys around the state at marinas and fishing spots. If you or your club would like to assist in conducting these surveys you can contact Kerry at 1-609-633-7242.