ACTION ALERT FROM RFA-NJ CHAPTER
"POTS OFF REEF" BILL IN SENATE COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 1

The Recreational Fishing Alliance New Jersey Chapter (RFA-NJ) is pleased to announce that Senate Sen. Van DrewBill 221, which would prohibit the use of certain fishing gear on artificial reefs (i.e. - "Pots off the Reefs"), is scheduled to be heard by the New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee on Monday, February 1. Introduced by Sen. Sean T. Kean just two weeks ago and co-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Van Drew and Sen. Andrew R. Ciesla, S221 has the full support of RFA-NJ.

"Similar legislation introduced in previous legislative sessions has passed a full Senate vote on two occasions, but companion Assembly bills have yet to be voted on by the full Assembly," said RFA-NJ Chairman Capt. Adam Nowalsky, who is hoping to see a companion Assembly bill to S221 very soon. "RFA-NJ is hopeful that both the Senate and Assembly bills will be voted on during the current legislative session," Nowalsky added.

New Jersey's Artificial Reef system is one of the nation's most successful reef building programs. Occupying just .3% of the sea floor off of New Jersey's coast, a past state study revealed that 20% of New Jersey's recreationally landed fish come from the state's 15 reefs. This fishing effort provides a tremendous trickle-down economic effect in both shore and inland communities as these anglers support marinas, boat liveries, bait and tackle stores, fuel stations, restaurants, convenience stores, sporting goods stores, toll highways, hotels/motels, real estate rentals, etc.

According to the state-approved 2005 Artificial Reef Plan, the intent of the reef sites is for "hook-and-line" angling activities. For more than 20 years, the administration of the reef program has been funded by donations from anglers and organizations throughout the state, in addition to Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish (Wallop-Breaux) Restoration Funds. The Sport Fish Restoration funds in particular are derived from an excise tax on recreational fishing purchases, and as a "User Pay, User Benefit" program, federal law requires that these funds be used to benefit recreational fisheries. Violation is subject to repayment of funds, as corroborated by New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Director Dave Chanda in a May 22, 2008 memo concerning this issue.

The majority of states that have artificial reef programs including New York, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida have identified traps as non-compatible with their reef programs and no longer allow traps on their reefs. Artificial reefs in federal waters for a number of those states have also been classified as Special Management Zones (SMZ's), restricting the use of traps on those sites.

The hearing is open to the public and will take place beginning at 10 a.m. in Committee Room 10, 3rd Floor, State House Annex in Trenton, NJ. Directions can be found at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/directions.asp

BLACK SEA BASS UPDATE

While attorneys for the RFA are still sifting through the recent federal response to the black sea Sen. Schumerbass legal challenge issued in November after the emergency closure of that important coastal fishery, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has asked the federal government to take emergency action to increase the 2010 black sea bass catch in federal waters, which range from three to 200 miles offshore. News reports show better days may be in store for New Jersey wreck fishermen.

Learn more about the black sea bass issue by clicking through today's New Jersey headlines below.

Asbury Park Press - The Battle For Sea Bass

Atlantic City Press - Fishery officials could increase black sea bass catch for 2010