New Striped Bass Plan Not As Good As it Looks

THE TIMES of TRENTON
Sunday April 10th
by J.B. Kasper

(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association May 2005 Newsletter)

In a recent press release from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, sportsmen were told of the reinstatement of the Striped Bass Bonus Tag Program (SBBP).

New Jersey is allocated a commercial harvest quota of striped bass under the Striped Bass Interstate Fisheries Management Plan as administered by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).

Since New Jersey does not allow the netting or sale of striped bass, the quota was transferred to the recreational sector in 1990 when the striped bass was made a gamefish, resulting in the origin of the SBBP. If New Jersey harvests more than the assigned quota in any calendar year, the following year's quota will be reduced by the amount of over-harvest.

New Jersey is the only state on the East Coast that has such a program. The current striped bass recreational size limits allow anglers to take one fish at 24-28 inches and one fish at 34 inches or greater. Under the 2005 SBBP, anglers will be able to take a third fish at 28 inches or greater. The existing SBBP remains free of charge and complete details about the program and instructions for filing an application can be found online at www.njfishandwildlife.com.

While on the surface this might look like a great thing for striped bass fishermen, a further examination not only finds several inaccuracies, but a very disturbing trend in the way fish and wildlife are being managed in New Jersey.

That trend is a one man dictatorship by DEP commissioner Bradley Campbell, who has no wildlife or fisheries management degrees or experience. And why is it that all the press information being released on the Division of Fish and Wildlife has Campbell's name on it? Don't we have a director of Fish and Wildlife anymore?

First off, the SBBP was developed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife's marine fisheries division (Scott Weiner was DEP commissioner at the time and he worked closely with sportsmen's groups and the Division on the program), with input from sportsmen's organizations and several public hearings. Campbell had nothing to do with the original program, and it's on the Division's shoulders that the reinstated program will be placed. It also should be pointed out that any costs the program will incur will be paid for by the sportsmen's license fees, not the state's money.

Even more disturbing is despite the fact that the Jersey Coast Anglers Association and other sportsmen's organizations called for public hearings on the bonus tag program, none were held. Is this the way fisheries management is going to be from now on? No public hearings, with rulings coming down from Campbell's office with no regards to the Director of Fish and Wildlife, the Fish and Game Council, the Marine Fisheries Council or any care as to how they will affect those who pay the bills. The Division of Fish and Wildlife and sportsmen in New Jersey always have taken pride in the public hearing process that they have developed over the years to deal with fisheries management. While the outcome of every issue has not always been to everyone's liking, sportsmen always got to have their say. It would be a shame to see the public hearing process go down the tubes because of one person.

Another inaccuracy in the press release is the statement that, "the program is fair to the anglers who choose to apply for the privilege of taking home a third striped bass." First, sportsmen spend millions of dollars on hunting, fishing and other outdoor pursuits. And what are they getting for it now? Not even a public hearing on the program. If sportsmen don't take the striped bass allotted to them under the quota system, those fish will go to other states and their commercial fishermen. And with all the money sportsmen put into the state's economy, they are more than entitled to take a third fish.

The notion that the new SBBP program is fair is absurd. I routinely talk to better than 60 charter and party boat captains every week, and believe me when I say that most of them are not pleased with the program and are fed up with the turn fisheries management has taken. Capt. Al Hilliard of the Atlantic Highlands-based Prowler summed it up nicely when I spoke with him over the weekend. He pointed out two things. First, the program is slated to start in September. This means the spring fishing, which has been better than the fall fishing for the last several years, will not allow anglers to take advantage of the bonus tag program. The insane bass regulations we have now had an adverse effect on the party and charter boat industry last fall, and the bonus tag program would help the industry the most if it was implemented in the spring.

He also pointed out that when the striped bass regulations were reasonable, a lot of boat captains, himself included, chose not to participate in the program because they felt that two fish was a good way to conserve fish. Those who have not participated in the program will not be able to get bonus tags. With the current regulations, the chances of taking a second fish over 34 inches is slim most of the time and a second fish of 28 inches on a bonus tag would at least give anglers a chance to take two fish.

All the issues I have raised would have been brought to light if there were public hearings on the striped bass bonus program, as has been the case in the past. The fact that we did not have public hearings is further proof that Campbell is anti-sportsmen no matter what he says. The recent court ruling connected with the bear hunt gave him carte blanche to override the Fish and Game Council (which got its authority from the state legislature in 1948), and dictate to the Marine Fisheries Council and virtually eliminate the director of Fish and Wildlife. This is why things are being done the way they are being done now, and it's not good for fisheries, wildlife, license buying sportsmen and the public in general. NOTE: You can reach us with your fishing or hunting reports, comments or questions by e-mail at jb.kasper@verizon.net or jbkasper@hotmail.com; or by mail at J.B. Kasper c/o The Times, 500 Perry St., Trenton, NJ 08605.

[News Contents] [Top]