A NJ Marine Fisheries Council Meeting is tomorrow March 7th at 5pm where the Fluke regulations for BOTH 2024 and 2025 will be set. The written comment period is over but anglers can attend in person at the Atlantic County Library –  306 E Jimmie Leeds Rd, Galloway, NJ or online via webinar.

As I shared in my 2/23/24 blog post, the front runner is Option 32 which will give us 3 fish at 18″ and the longest season at 145 days offering early spring and later fall fishing. But there are six other options. Over the past couple weeks I’ve seen a lot of comments and a large number mentioning the commercial minimum size at 14″ being a problem. So in regards to the summer flounder minimum size debate, I must share the follow info so others better understand.

The smaller minimum size at 14″ for the commercial sector is in place for a reason. The idea is to let commercial boats fish, catch their limit and then get off the water. The quicker they catch and finish up, the better for the stock. If they were forced to cull and toss back shorts (under lets say 18″ range) there would be a significantly more dead discard. So rather than throw back dead, why not allow harvest so it goes to their quota and best utilize the resource? As recreational anglers we have a much better ability because of our fishing methods to catch and cull. But we too have a release mortality issue. It is a major issue in the management of striped bass right now. It is a significant issue with fluke too. We have to be careful with structuring regulations so we don’t box ourselves out of a fishery by having our dead discard exceed our harvest. Also remember that the summer flounder fishery is about a 55% commercial and 45% recreational fishery with regards to quota. With an 80% commercial discard mortality rate, it would be a MAJOR needle mover if the commercial minimum size was increased from. So we (recreational anglers) must be careful what we wish for or complain about.

NJ Black Sea Bass Regulations

• May 17 – June 19: 10 Fish At 13″
• July 1 – August 31: 2 Fish At 13″
• October 7 – Oct 26: 10 Fish At 13″
• November 1 – Dec 31: 15 Fish at 13″

2022 Black Sea Bass Recreational Fishing Regulations Explained

Even though the coast wide black sea bass stock is strong and abundant (2021 stock assessment states the Mid-Atlantic Black Sea Bass stock is NOT overfished and is NOT subject to overfishing) New Jersey was forced to take a hit. Why? Well that is a much bigger issue.

Our Dealt Hand

Like with all fishing regulations it boils down to the cards we are dealt. This year NJ was required to reduce harvest by 20.7%. Why?…

Recreational anglers (as per MRIP data) have exceeded the black sea bass harvest allocation three out of the last 4 years. Also the spawning stock biomass (SSB) is and has been in decline. Also a good recruitment (R) year has not stepped up to offer support.

The Process

The NJ Black Sea Bass Advisors met on March 29th to discuss, debate and hash out the options to best work around the 20% reduction. It started off with 7 options and at one point was more than double that. Most advisors wanted the two fish summer time option. Also the late fall season is important to keep boats fishing and pressure off of just tautog. Anything less than 8 fish bag was not supported. Concern about raising the minimum size up a 1/2″ to 13″ was discuss.

Some advisors requested consideration of splitting management options between sectors where private anglers and vessels would have different measures than for-hire vessels, just like bluefish right now. The for-hire sector is responsible for only a small portion of the seasonal harvest and they provide very detailed data through eVTR (electronic vessel trip reporting).

After several hours of deliberation the committee moved forward with four options and their preferred, Option One.

The Meeting & Public Comment

At the April 7, 2022 NJ Marine Fisheries Council meeting the same topics were mentioned that the advisors debated. Many wanted the most days possible because many days aren’t fishable due to weather.

Option One was not popular because it had an 8 fish bag limits in Wave 3 & 5 and also didn’t offer days in the first half of July.

Public comment for the most part was themed around preference for Option Three because it offered the most days, included Memorial Day, Father’s Day, 10 Fish Bag in Wave 3 & 5, 15 Fish Bag in Wave 6, 2 Fish Bag all Summer (July and August) and that 13″ fish were very common and obtainable.

One comment was, “Most sea bass anglers are already self regulating and only keeping 13″ fish.” But another comment warned, “Going up in size can be dangerous. We don’t want to make the mistake NY did. They went up and paid for it. It was a four year period of pain due to high dead discards.”

Some stated the late season fishing must remain open since November and December offer good bottom fishing when historically sea bass fishing has been good. By closing this time, bottom fishing would switch over to tautog and that additional target would be a lot of pressure on this species which will soon be in the management spotlight (it’s coming).

A great public comment came in from Captain Eddy Yates from the Susan Hudson (formerly owner/operator of the Hunter), a proactive best in class saltwater captain. He respectfully supported Option Three and asked for the dates within Wave 5 to be altered in order to capitalize on the Columbus Day weekend. They accommodated the request and shifted the 20 days of WAVE 5 a handful of days earlier, 10/7 – 10/26.

The Decision

Shortly there after a motion was made to vote to replace option three as the preferred passed unanimously. And then another unanimous vote to finalize it as the 2022 regulation.

Once again (just like the summer flounder slot limit, but much faster) the NJMF Council listened and gave the public what they asked for. As anglers it doesn’t get any better than that! What we all must focus on now is the part of management that is broken… Support For Recreational Reform Today! For more information on Recreational Reform Please Read This!

The Biology & Other Info On Black Sea Bass

Black sea bass are slow growers and reach maturity in 1-3 years of age. Females can live up to 8 years while males live up to 12. Did you know? Black sea bass are protogynous hermaphrodites? They start life as a female and when they reach 9-13″ (2-5 years old) they change sex and become males.

Females can live up to 8 years and depending on their size can produce 30,000-500,000 eggs in a spawning season. Males live up to 12 years old and during spawning, the dominant males turn bright blue and have a hump on their heads.

The fishery is predominantly recreational harvest. Another factor that is coming into play with sea bass and many other species is the distribution shift north. We don’t have the fall sea bass fishing we once had due to environmental factors (climate change) the sea bass biomass shift northward. This trend is happening with summer flounder, winter flounder and many other species.

NJ Marine Fisheries Council April 2022 Meeting Outcome, 4/7/22

2022 NJ Summer Flounder Fishing Regulations

• Season: May 2nd to September 27, 2022
• Bag Limit & Sizes: 2 Fish at 17-17.99″ and 1 Fish 18″
• Special regulations for Delaware Bay (3 fish at 17″) and Island Beach State Park (2 fish at 16″) were left status quo.

How did we get here? Like with all fishing regulations it boils down to the cards we are dealt and how the state can shuffle those cards to give the recreational anglers the best hand via combination of season dates, size restrictions and bag limits.

In the case of fluke those cards come from the ASMFC and they gave NJ the opportunity to liberalize fluke by 16.5%. Sounds pretty good right?

Before I dive into specifics so anglers know how the regulations came to fruition, I must first preface this by stating whenever there is a fisheries meeting and it ends with all parties not totally happy, it’s a sign of success because one interest group didn’t take over another. Usually that means the fish won. I believe that is the case with New Jersey’s 2022 Fluke Fishing Regulations. If anyone got the short end of the stick it is the doormat hunters. But read on and I will explain why this cut while not mandatory very well could help the fluke fishery in the years to come.

Preferred Option 1 was determined before the meeting by the Fluke Advisory Board and presented with their top five options (see below) which were cut and created out of originally 19 options. These 19 options are listed at the bottom of this post.

But Preferred Option 1 did not fit what the majority of the public preferred. Through public comment there was strong support for Option 2. The extended 149 days season gave both early season and late season fishing to fill the demands of both North Jersey and South Jersey interests. In years past this was always a point of contention.

Just like in striped bass and maybe even more so with summer flounder, sound biological analysis has raised awareness for a slot limit. Let’s take a look.

The Biology Of Fluke

Summer flounder are fast growing and most are mature by the age of two. A two year old summer flounder is approximately 15-16″. As they age male fluke top out at about 20″ (~6 years old) and can get as large as 24″ in their relatively short 12-14 year life span. Female fluke grow much larger, 36″. A four year old female is about 20″ and by six years old is pushing 23-24″. A ten year old female is a 27-30″ doormat. Depending on their size females have between 450,000 and 4 million eggs.

Management’s reliance on increased minimum size limits as a strategy has resulted in approximately 90% of the recent recreational landings being large female fish. And a large portion of the stock (both male and female) is hammered through catch and release mortality all season long. See the chart above for details.

Anglers can fish big hooks, big baits and use best handling practices but still it can be tough to reduce mortality on smaller fluke, < 16″. Between 2011-2020 approximately 89% of summer flounder caught recreationally were estimated to be released, with a 10% assumed discard mortality rate applied. But, there is a way to take advantage of those fluke that fall in the dead discard column (and go against us). Why not use it if we are going to loose it anyway? Rather than putting those 17″ fish in the dead discard, give the general anglers the ability to retain for the table.

And that is exactly what the overwhelming majority of public comment spoke in favor of… A Slot Limit.

Recap

Tonight’s (4/7/22) NJ Marine Fisheries Council April 2022 Meeting was a very cooperative state fisheries meeting. Starting at 5pm and ending at 9pm, it was a long one but packed with public comment and most importantly board members with open ears. Due to tech issues Chairmen Herb was lost but the meeting went on strong. I can’t recall another meeting where the public comment re-shaped the preferred options and final regulations. It was a special time and a true testament to the current board members of the NJ Marine Fisheries Council. They dedicated time and listened to each and every public comment. And more over took action. I commend the board, the advisors and the public who attended on a job well done!

The 19 Original Options…

NJ Fluke Regulations

• Season: May 2nd to September 27, 2023
• Bag Limit & Sizes: 2 Fish at 17-17.99″ and 1 Fish 18″ or greater
• Special regulations for Delaware Bay (3 fish at 17″) and Island Beach State Park (2 fish at 16″)

NJ Black Sea Bass Regulations

• Minimum Size Limit: 12.5″
• May 17 – June 19: 10 Fish
• July 1 – August 31: 1 Fish
• October 1 – Oct 31: 10 Fish
• November 1 – Dec 31: 15 Fish

NJ Tog Regulations

• Minimum Size Limit: 15″
• January 1 – February 28: 4 Fish
• April 1 – April 30: 4 Fish
• August 1 – November 15: 1 Fish
• November 16 – December 31: 5 Fish

NJ Scup/Porgy Regulations

• 30 fish at 10″
• August 1 to December 31, 2023

One of the ocean’s fastest predator, the shortfin mako is prized by recreational anglers for their game. Sometimes skittish, but always fast, powerful and aerobatic these large highly migratory sharks are challenging to hook, fight and land. For many years big game anglers would target makos fishing the mid-shore and offshore waters in the spring, summer and fall; however those days are now over.

Mako Fishing Is Now Closed

We are all looking forward to the 2022 season; however, big game anglers will not have is mako fishing season. The mako population is and has been in decline. To reduce fishing pressure and support the rebuilding process… There is a Two Year Moratorium on the harvest of N. Atlantic Shortfin Mako Sharks.

This news will not surprise most shark anglers. The mako fishery has been down from some time. Let’s dive into some shortfin mako facts to learn how we get here and where we are going.

Fast – Powerful – Aerobatic

Stark Facts On The Shortfin Mako

Did you know? The majority of makos sharks caught are juveniles, ages 3-10. A fishery which captures before maturity is set up for failure.

Did you know? If mako shark fishing was closed / stopped immediately it would take about 50 years for the population to recover.

Shortfin Mako Biology

Mako sharks are very slow growing and can live up to 35 years old. They have late age maturity and low fecundity. Their growth, size and age at sexual maturity are very different between males and females. Male mako sharks reach 50% maturity at about 8 years which is approximately 71″ weighing 140#. Female mako sharks reach 50% maturity at about 21 years which is approximately 110″ weighing 600#. Then they only produce 12 pups on average every two to three years.

The Mako Stock Status & Management Measures

The 2012 International Commission or the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) Shortfin Mako Shark Stock Assessment overestimated stock size and underestimated fishing mortality which lead to and allowed steep stock declines from 2010 to 2017.

In 2017, the updated assessment showed the stock was overfished with over fishing occurring. This was the time for strict management measures. ICCAT recommendations were to promote live release of makos caught across all fisheries and established minimum sizes of 71” for males and 83” for females,

In 2018, there was emergency action; increased recreational minimum size from 54” to 83”, mandatory release of all live specimens in commercial longline fishery, Retention only of dead animals

In 2019, Amendment 11 to the Atlantic HMS Fisheries Management Plan introduced new measures; recreational anglers must have HMS permit with the shark endorsement, mandatory circle hook use and sex-specific minimum size limits (71” for males, 83” for females)

The 2019 update was the same, overfished with overfishing occurring. Here’s some stark facts pulled from the ICCAT 2019 Shortfin Mako Shark Stock Assessment Update Meeting… which are based on future productivity assumptions for the stock.

• The mako shark stock is in bad shape and it will continue to decline until 2035 even with no fishing (closed season)!
• A ZERO total allowable catch will allow the stock to be rebuilt by 2045 with a 53% probability.
• A 300 ton catch or less ends overfishing and achieves 60% probability of recover by 2070.
• A 500 ton catch results in a 52% probability of rebuilding the stock by 2070.

Who & How Are Makos Managed?

The International Commission or the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) was established in 1972 and has 53 member nations with three delegates from each assisted by experts and advisors. On an international level ICCAT is responsible for the study of the populations of tuna and tuna-like fishes as well as other species exploited in tuna fishing in the Convention area. The Convention area is shown below in blue. ICCAT regulates fisheries with recommendations which are binding.

ICCAT conducts research and stock assessments on bluefin, yellowfin, albacore, bigeye, skipjack, swordfish, blue marlin, white marlin, and pelagic sharks (blue shark, shortfin mako, probeagle). They set international quotas and monitor international landing and fishery statistics.

NOAA’s Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Management Division has jurisdiction in the US federal waters in US Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Their responsibilities are to set domestic regional quotas (some based on ICCAT), monitor landings and to report statistics to ICCAT.

• Develop and implement fishery management plans in cooperation with the HMS advisory panel
• Implement domestic requirements of ICCAT and support international negotiations for ICCAT, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
• Issue permits for commercial and recreational HMS fishing and scientific research.
• Monitor commercial and recreational catches to ensure compliance with domestic and international quotas and/or catch limits.

Here’s a short write up from The Fisherman on the mako closure…

Data Source Credits: Dr. Jeff Kneebone, Research Scientist
sapientia.ualg.pt/bitstream/10400.1/14858/1/83_Natanson_etal_2020_Shortfin-mako_reproduction_FishBull118.pdf

After attending the NJ Marine Fisheries Council Meeting on Thursday January 6th 2022, it’s safe to say that poaching is a serious problem. This fall it was at an all time high in New Jersey waters. Thankfully we have a great group of conservation officers doing their best to control it. It’s just a shame how they are somewhat crippled by the courts. Judges are not looking seriously at fisheries violations due to other priorities and overcrowding issue.

NJ Striped Bass Poachers Busted

Conservation Officer (CO) Snellbaker’s presentation started, “It’s the worst it has ever been. The spring was very bad. April 8 to 11th we wrote 67 summonses for over $15,000 in fines. But this fall was unprecedented. In a small area on the western shores of the Raritan Bay we wrote up 500 bass with 200 tickets. All in one week.” He mentioned that some were only written once but could have had numerous violations. Also due to the lack of CO staffing, the numbers aren’t showing the full picture. They could have issued a lot more fines.

Striped Bass Black Market

There’s a large (how large is yet to be determined) issue with anglers exploiting striped bass and potentially selling them on the black market. “There’s anglers, there’s runners and there’s transporters. It’s an organized ring, ” said Snellbaker.

Striped Bass Are Game Fish In NJ

Striped bass are classified as a gamefish in New Jersey; therefor, no commercial sale of any kind is allowed. With prices of fish sky high right now it’s a lucrative opportunity. More than likely the fish are sold under other names (grouper/snapper) at inner city markets where anything is possible. In 2013 Oceana (an ocean conservation group) found that 1/3rd of the seafood sold at retail did not match its label.

These short striped bass are the essential juveniles that are the key to the striped bass stock. All of them would soon to be first year spawners.

NJ Tautog Poachers Too

Snellbaker also mention another issue, the poaching of tautog. “This fall CO’s issues 200 tickets in two months with some violations having 20+ fish or more. From September 1 to December 1st CO’s issued more the 95 summonses in Barnegat Light alone for undersized, over daily bag limit (some 1 over, some several dozen over), mutilation of fish to prevent identification and interference with an office among others.”

While most anglers might have seen or heard about poachers, who knew it was this bad? The NJ Marine Council board was not aware of it. But they are now and from their comments will come up with a plan to take action.

Some ideas that were where mentioned…

• Issue a state saltwater license (it’s coming one day)
• Increase fine
• Confiscated Gear & Vehicles
• Close a hot bed area or close part of the season

We’ll have to see how it all plays out. Unfortunately good guys will be hurt in the end.

Big Thanks!

A big thanks to all of those conservation minded anglers for following the rules. And a huge thanks to all of NJ’s Conservation Officers for putting in the hard work. This year I feel like the enforcement stepped up from previous years. I saw CO’s on the water and at land based spots in the spring summer and fall. A presence that I have not seen in previous years. It’s very good to see and I hope their presence continues in 2022 to keep everyone honest.

Remember: If you see something say something!

Call: 877-WARN-DEP Hotline [18779276337]