Fisheries Management & Legislative Report

Last month I discussed the $15,000 JCAA has earmarked for summer flounder research. The coalition is the Partnership for Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Science Inc. (PFMAFS). This group will hire scientists to be part of the 2008 benchmark summer flounder stock assessment. To date the groups that are members of this coalition are JCAA, RFA, SSFFF, United Boatmen of NY, United Boatmen of NJ, the Garden State Seafood Association and the NY Tackle Trades Association. The scientists who will attend these meetings and be part of the process are Dr Eric Powell (HSRL Rutgers), Dr Ken Able (IMCS Rutgers), Dr Brian Rothschild (Univ. of Massachusetts), Emerson Hasbrouck (Cornell Univ.) and Bruce Freeman. They all have impeccable credentials and are very familiar with the models and the process. PFMAFS has developed a budget to pay for services and travel expenses for four of the scientists. JCAA will be paying directly for Bruce Freeman’s expenses for attending these meetings. Bruce Freeman is doing this as a volunteer so there is no salary or stipend expense involved.

The following organizations are the only ones listed in the most recent minutes for their commitment to provide funds for the science effort:

1. Garden State Seafood Association $15,000
2. Jersey Coast Anglers Association $10,000. (plus an additional $5,000 for expenses for Bruce Freeman)
3. Suffolk County, NY $5,000
4. Save the Summer Flounder Foundation $2,000.
   Total: $32,000

The money coming from Suffolk County was raised by Phil Curcio representing the New York Tackle Trade Association and United Boatmen of New York. Phil is working to secure additional contributions from New York state organizations. At this time no other organizations have confirmed their contributions.

Working with the benchmark process will be only the beginning of the efforts that will be undertaken by this partnership. As a partnership we have committed to looking for long-term summer flounder research, ecosystem management and the impact of pollution and habitat destruction. For this type of major research we need a commitment from the Federal government. JCAA has committed to using our resources and contacts in Washington, DC to promote this effort. I will be leading this effort for JCAA and will be meeting with our representatives in Washington, DC in February. United Boatmen of New Jersey, Garden State Seafood and JCAA have been working on promoting research projects for over 16 years. With the addition of New York organizations and the RFA and SSFFF, we have expanded this coalition. We need to continue this expansion as broadly as possible. When you look at the budgets of NMFS and the various state agencies, no money is being spent on this type of research. The commercial and recreational fishing industries and the people who participate have been suffering for years. We get poor management and poor science. The economic value of the commercial and recreational industries far exceeds the minimal amount that is spent on these industries by both the states and the Federal government. I am so proud of all of us for our ability to set aside our differences and focus on these crucial issues. Congratulations to everyone involved.

The agenda for the ASMFC meeting is below. I will be attending the meetings. The schedule makes it difficult for the public to attend these meetings. I understand there are reasons the ASMFC commissioners decided to break up the schedule. For instance, striped bass is on Monday, and on Wednesday there is all commissioners’ business, and on Thursday the summer flounder meeting is scheduled. It would be more efficient for the public if important species meetings were grouped together by region or interest. The commissioners’ business should be grouped into one day or segment of the meeting at either the beginning or the end. Given the schedule, you would need to arrive Sunday night to make the striped bass meeting and couldn’t leave until Thursday afternoon after the summer flounder meeting. The cost of a hotel is about $200/night. Most of us just can’t afford that expense or time and the schedule is just not public friendly.

ASMFC Winter Meeting February 4 - 7, 2008
Crowne Plaza Hotel 901 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, VA (703) 683-6000

FINAL SCHEDULE

February 4, 2008

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM Atlantic Herring Section
10:15 AM - 1:15 PM Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board
Welcome/Call to Order, M. Gibson 
Board Consent - ACTION 
Approval of Agenda 
Approval of Proceedings from October 31, 2007 
Public Comment 
Vice-Chair Election - ACTION 
2007 Stock Assessment Review 2007 Stock Assessment, D. Grout, G. Nelson, B. Versak 
Review Peer Review Panel Report, M. Murphy 
Discuss and Consider Approval of Stock Assessment for Management Use - ACTION 
Discuss Potential Changes to Management Program 
Technical Committee Recommendation Regarding the Hudson River Juvenile Abundance Index, D. Grout 
Review Fact Sheet on Management, Stock Status and Fishery Trends, N. Meserve 
Cooperative Winter Tagging Cruise Update, W. Laney 
Other Business 
Adjourn 
2:15 PM - 6:00 PM   Atlantic Striped Bass Advisory Panel 
Welcome/Call to Order, J. Gilford 
Question and Answer Session with Technical Committee Representatives Regarding the 2007 Stock Assessment 
Develop Management Advice in Response to the 2007 Assessment Results 
Other Business 
Election of Chair and Vice Chair 
Prepare Statement of Advice to the Management Board 
Adjourn 
2:30 PM - 5:30 PM   American Lobster Management Board

February 5, 2008

8:00 AM - Noon   Strategic Planning Workshop
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM   Tautog Management Board
Welcome/Call to Order, D. Pierce 
Board Consent - ACTION 
Approval of Agenda 
Approval of Proceedings from October 30, 2007 
Public Comment 
State Implementation of Addenda IV and V, C. Vonderweidt 
Other Business 
Adjourn 
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM    Shad & River Herring Management Board
4:45 PM - 6:15 PM   Weakfish Management Board
Welcome/Call to Order, P. Augustine 
Board Consent - ACTION 
Approval of Agenda 
Approval of Proceedings from May 8, 2007 
Public Comment 
Weakfish Management Plan Review and State Compliance, N. Meserve 
Discuss and Consider Approval of de minimis Requests - ACTION 
Discuss and Consider Approval of the 2007 FMP Review - ACTION 
Update from the Stock Assessment Subcommittee, J. Brust 
Review and Consider Approval of the Stock Assessment Terms of Reference - ACTION 
Other Business 
Adjourn 

February 6, 2008

8:00 AM - Noon   Strategic Planning Workshop
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM   Communication with Congress Workshop 
2:30 PM - 6:00 PM   ISFMP Policy Board

February 7, 2008

8:00 AM - 10:30 AM   Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board
Welcome/Call to Order, J. Travelstead 
Board Consent - ACTION 
Approval of Agenda 
Approval of Proceedings from August 14, 2007 
Public Comment 
Review and Consider Approval of State Summer Flounder Recreational Conservation Equivalency Proposals - ACTION, T. Kerns 
Technical Committee Recommendation 
Consider Approval of Proposals 
Review and Consider Approval of Scup Recreational Proposal- ACTION, T. Kerns 
Discussion of 2008 Commercial Scup Summer Period Quota, T. Kerns 
Discussion on Development of Amendment 15 
Other Business 
Adjourn 
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM   ISFMP Policy Board
11:15 AM - 11:45 AM   Business Session
Noon   Buffet Lunch for Commissioners & Proxies
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM   American Eel Management Board
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM   Horseshoe Crab Management Board

The article below ran in the January JCAA newspaper along with two other reprinted articles (JCAA Newspaper December 2003 Article by Tom Fote WORKING TOGETHER IN THE NGO COMMUNITY, JCAA Newspaper February 2004 Article by Tom Fote WORKING TOGETHER IN THE NGO COMMUNITY PART 2). Given the holiday season and the fact that the January newspaper was not sent to our general email list, I wasn’t sure everyone had a chance to read them. If you did not read last month’s JCAA newspaper, please check our website for the two articles cited above and much more information on this and other topics.

Article by Tom Fote, JCAA Newspaper January 2008

There has been much public discussion about why JCAA belongs to the Marine Fish Conservation Network. In 1994 when the Marine Fish Conservation Network was first formed, JCAA was invited to participate along with many other recreational organizations. JCAA decided to participate to ensure that the recreational interests and our point of view were represented in the Network. Some major recreational groups approached JCAA and asked us to serve on the board in 2001 to represent all of our interests including keeping the MPA issue off the MFCN agenda. The MPA issue is still a major issue and at our urging the Network has remained neutral on this issue. There are many other issues that are important to JCAA and are also a high priority for the Network. For example, the Network has an initiative on protecting forage species including menhaden. They are also pushing for funding in next year’s Federal budget to pay for the best possible science. Together we share a commitment to the environment dealing with issues like endocrine disruptors and water quality and quantity. Over the years, there have been disagreements, discussions and compromises but JCAA has always represented recreational interests. Although there was some internal pressure to keep all discussions private within the Network, JCAA has never agreed to that. Recently, JCAA has been criticized for remaining in the Network given their position on the lack of flexibility in the 10 year rebuilding plans. Our participation in the Network has been discussed many times at JCAA Board and General Membership meetings and members of the Marine Fish Conservation Network have been present for some of these discussions. The general consensus of the JCAA membership maintains that there is still value in being represented in the Network. Recently, we worked hard to get the Network to refrain from sending a letter on the summer flounder issue that would argue for a much reduced quota. Fishing groups who do not belong to the Network cannot influence its decisions. IGFA and ASA supported JCAA’s position and some of the commercial groups supported us as well. Had we not been at the table, the Network would have sent a letter to NMFS that reflected the positions of some of their membership who don’t fish and lack understanding about recreational issues. Every recreational organization has a right to an opinion and JCAA respects that. However, our membership has a made a decision that we are more valuable to the Network and the recreational community by maintaining a seat at the table and being part of the discussion and decision-making process. JCAA is concerned about new directions at PEW and the impact those decisions will have on the Network. We also have concerns about the new direction that the Network has taken since it became an independent 501C3. The Network represents a diverse and influential group of interests and the JCAA will try to steer it to also represent the best interests of the angling community.

No one outside of the Network and the JCAA, IGFA and ASA boards has any idea how much time and energy was invested in the recent discussions to steer the Network in the right direction. It would have been far easier for me, Bruce Freeman and Tom Siciliano to just walk away and criticize from afar. Personally, I have spent hundreds of hours with the Network. It is easy to be part of a coalition of the like-minded. It is harder to work with others who have very different points of view. JCAA has decided that it is more important at this time to do the thing that is harder rather than make the easy choice.

I know many of you were as disappointed as I was that the NJ Assembly never voted on the Pots Off the Reefs legislation. There have been many articles published about this failure. The two articles below by Al Ristori will give you a good picture of what happened and what you need to know about the new legislation. Some people are discouraged, but anyone who deals with legislation regularly knows there is a process and we will continue to work on this issue. At the Federal level almost no bill gets passed in the first session where it is introduced. Even in the New Jersey Legislature, many controversial topics require two sessions to get the bill moved. The timing of the introduction of the legislation could not have been worse.

We introduced the bill during an election year just before the summer recess. It was only because of the hard work of Reef Rescue, RFA, NJ Dive Association, JCAA and many clubs and organizations that we got as far as we did. When we began this process in May, I thought this legislation was a long-shot. The hard work of the thousands of anglers who wrote letters, faxed, called and emailed, got us as far as we did. The legislation banning the Menhaden boats took years. We never gave up and were finally successful. We need for you to renew your effort, work harder and make sure this legislation passes within the year. There are many new legislators. And some have moved from the Assembly to the Senate. They all need to hear from you regularly. The new legislation has already been introduced in both houses. John Toth has covered the information you need in the president’s article. We have just begun this battle and we need you to remain focused and dedicated to the cause. Reef Rescue continues to meet with the membership to coordinate our efforts. Peter Grimbilas and Bill Figley deserve our thanks for keeping us focused and leading the effort. Senate President Codey was instrumental in securing the passage of this legislation in the Senate. We would like to thank Senator Smith, Senator Adler and Senator Sweeney for all their hard work in getting this legislation passed by the Senate. They helped move this bill successfully through the Senate Environment Committee and which was passed unanimously by the Senate. In his article, Al Ristori acknowledges the members of the Assembly who worked hard for this legislation.

By Al Ristori, Star Ledger 1/18/08

Anglers and divers are gearing up for another attempt to protect the state's artificial reefs for the purpose they were intended -- hook and line fishing. Energized by the 33-0 passage in the Senate during the last session, anglers hope for a better outcome this time in the Assembly -- where the bill was never posted for a vote.

The Assembly bill to ban pots from the reef is A1519, sponsored by Assemblyman David Rible (R-11th Dist.) with co-sponsorship by Nelson Albano (D-1), Patrick Deignan (D-18), James Holzapel (R-10), Allison Littell McHose (R-24), and David Wolfe (R-10).

Deignan, also a sponsor in the last session, had mistakenly been posted as being in favor of tabling the bill when Sean Kean made a motion to bring it up for a vote on the final voting day of the last session. The legislation must go through committees in both the Assembly and Senate once again. Those supporting the effort should ask their legislators to co-sponsor.

By Al Ristori, Star Ledger 1/13/08

The refusal by Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. (D-Camden) to post the bill that would have ended potting on the state's artificial reefs on the last voting day of the old Assembly pretty much ended hopes of protecting them for public use before supporters have to start the process from scratch in the new Legislature, but Sean Kean (R- 11th Dist., Monmouth) did his best to save the day during his last appearance in the Assembly after having won election to the Senate in November.

Kean introduced a motion from the floor that day to take a vote on the bill that had easily passed out of committee last year. Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Trenton) then moved to table the bill. In view of the fact that was the last opportunity to consider it, tabling amounted to a vote against the bill without any discussion of its merits.

The tabling motion barely won by a vote of 41 to 32 (a majority being necessary), with seven not voting. The vote was primarily along party lines, with most Democrats supporting the Speaker while all Republicans were in favor of putting the bill to a vote. Yet there hadn't been any such split in the Senate, where President Richard Codey had posted the companion bill in that Democrat-controlled chamber, and it passed 33-0.

Roberts has never returned my call, and Pete Grimbilas of Reef Rescue knows of no one who called or faxed him and received a reply. Therefore, we can only speculate as to why he wouldn't let the bill come to a vote. Apparently, that was no surprise to a commercial fishing official who congratulated a recreational representative at the last Marine Fisheries Council meeting on the big win in the Senate -- while assuring him it would do no good. The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) noted that commercial interests put a lot of money into this fight and hired a high-priced lobbying firm. It seems they got a good return for their money.

Democrats Upendra Chivukula (Dist. 17), Linda Greenstein (14) and Jeff Van Drew (1) voted against tabling, along with the Republicans.

Groups representing recreational fishermen and divers may have to divert some of the funds they've been raising to build reefs in order to wage the political battle to save them. The Division of Fish and Wildlife constructed the reefs on unproductive bottoms to provide thriving communities of fish and shellfish. Bill Figley, who ran that program until his recent retirement, said they were intended to support a hook-and-line fishery -- rather than strings of pots that fish 24 hours a day, interfere with drifting and anchoring, and even prevent expansion of the reefs. The materials used are donated, but must be cleaned, towed and placed on the reefs with funds raised by sportsmen. Grimbilas says potting on reefs in state waters is prohibited in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and New York -- with other states also moving in that direction. The reefs have become vital to our state's marine recreational fishermen, especially to small boaters who can work easily accessible and quickly located structure not far from inlets.

Anglers and divers will have to become politically active in order to overcome the influences preventing a democratic conclusion to the reef bill battle. It's especially important in the upcoming battle for residents of their districts to contact the following current Assembly members who voted to table the bill last week: Peter Barnes (18); Neil Cohen (20); Bonnie Watson Coleman (15); Jack Connors (7); Nilsa Cruz-Perez (5); Joseph Cryan (20); Patrick Deignan (18); Joseph Egan (17); Reed Gusciora (15); Elese Evans (35); Thomas Giblin (34); Jerry Green (22); Louis Greenwald (6); Valerie Huttle (37); Mila Jasey (27); Gordon Johnson (37); Pamela Lampitt (6); John McKeon (27); Paul Moriarty (4); Nellie Pou (35); Vincent Prieto (32); Joan Quigley (32); Joseph Roberts Jr. (15); Gary Schaer (36); Frederick Scalera (36) ; Linda Stender (22); Joseph Vas (19); Joan Voss (38); and John Wisnewski (19).

Three Assemblymen who voted to table the reef bill have moved up to the Senate -- Brian Stack (33), Robert Gordon (38), and Jim Whalen (2).

Michael Panter, the Monmouth County Democrat who was successfully targeted for defeat in November by the N.J. Outdoor Alliance, also voted to table.

New Jersey Environmental Federation’s 22nd Annual Conference will be held on Saturday April 5, 2008. There will be many workshops focusing on global warming. I will be moderating a panel discussion on the impact of drugs and other endocrine disruptors that are increasingly in our environment and causing multiple problems. The information about the conference is below. Hope to see you there.