Immediate Action Needed for 2022 Black Seabass

[Gerry Zagorski]

Immediate Action Needed by Wednesday 2/3!!


As you may know, in spite of a healthy Black Seabass stocks, which have been fully rebuilt for several years now, we are staring down the barrel of a 28% reduction in Black Seabass in 2022 because of questionable data from 2021 landing data.

The ASFMC is trying to take actions to minimize that reduction but will need the support of the MAFMC as well...The purpose of making these comments is to let the MAFMC know

1) You support Recreational Harvest Reform and would like them to take the same actions as the ASMFC did to reduce the proposed 28% reduction in Black Seabass

2) You support the ongoing efforts for recreational reform that better take into account current stock status.

Please complete this form for Public Comment (screen shot below) https://www.mafmc.org/comments/february-2022-council-meeting and in the drop down, choose Recreational Harvest Control Rule

Your comments might go something like this

As a recreational fishermen, I support Recreation Harvest Reform and would like the MAFMC to take the same actions of the ASMFC to reduce the proposed 28% Black Seabass reduction. I also support the ongoing efforts of Recreational Reform to better take into account Stock Status.

While you're at it, please share this link with all your fishing buddies and share on any of the fishing social media sites you belong to https://njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117707

[Foul Hook]

I can't believe the proposed cut in Black Sea Bass. Your survey must have taken place in a bath tub. Last year we could not get away from the Seabass. Any wreck we fished was loaded with them, and usually just under keeper size. By now those fish are clearly keeper size. I would like to see no reduction in bag limits or a smaller one. Thank you Lee Sanborn

[bunker dunker]

its very odd how we the rec guys have to jump thru hoops to get anything and they just increase the comm guys with no effort at all.

[Chumslick]

Done just now! People making these proposals ain't never fished.

[PaBeerGuy]

done.:D

[Skolmann]

Done

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thanks guys, I appreciate you filling out the form and making your voices heard.

Please feel free to copy and paste the link below and send it to all your fishing friends or paste it on any fishing social media groups you belong to. If you need help doing this PM with your phone number and I'll walk you thought it.

https://njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117707

[Gerry Zagorski]

So a bit more background here.

Any of you who fish for Seabass knows you can hardly drop a clam down with out catching one and the fishery according to their data has been over the Sustainable Spawning Stock Biomass target for a number of years now. That to me and everyone else means the stocks have been rebuilt and we should be looking at easing regulations, right? Not so fast....

A few months back when early 2021 landing data came in they were substantially higher than years past. It was as this point where the management framework kicked in and was forcing a 28% reduction for this year in spite of what is a fully recovered fishery.

The ASMFC dug in questioning the validity of the data since there were some very large anomalies in the recreational for hire sectors. At the same time there is a work effort going on behind the scenes for Recreational Harvest Reform. This reform would allow fisheries management to take a longer term view of the fisheries as well as taking the stock status into consideration which would alleviate the knee jerk reactions to short term landings data.

At this point we are trying to get the MAFMC to make the same considerations as the ASMFC while the Recreational Reforms work continues.

If you want to take a deeper dive, you can read about the Recreational Reforms here
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/511cdc7fe4b00307a2628ac6/t/61f44ea1cbe85135c3b669cc/1643400867886/Tab04_Rec-HCR-FW_2022-02.pdf

[Merle31483]

Done

[Rocco]

Done.. Thanks for the heads up.

[Captain Rich]

Done

[togzilla]

Done

[PaBeerGuy]

According to Capt Monty it's a done deal. 24% reduction! Not sure what that actually boils down to for the average fisherman though.:confused:

[Gerry Zagorski]

According to Capt Monty it's a done deal. 24% reduction! Not sure what that actually boils down to for the average fisherman though.:confused:

There is still work being done to minimize the reduction but not sure if that will come to pass... As far as what that means to us, it's to be determined but suffices to say we could be looking at a shorter season, a lower bag limit, an increased size limit or a combination of all the above.

[Gerry Zagorski]

There is still work being done to minimize the reduction but not sure if that will come to pass... As far as what that means to us, it's to be determined but suffices to say we could be looking at a shorter season, a lower bag limit, an increased size limit or a combination of all the above.

Update looks like ASMFC voted and approved a 20.7% reduction and the MAFMC still needs to vote.

BTW for those of you who submitted comments as suggested above, they made it to all the council members so mission accomplished, thank you!

[frugalfisherman]

Compare 2016 seabass regs to 2021. This will give you an idea of what's going to happen. 2021 seabass opened Oot 8 and seabass were offshore already. If fluke is liberalized and there's a stupid "slot fish" instead of bridging fluke to seabass closer that would be a serious mistake for all of us.

2016 NJ Black Sea Bass Regulations:
Black sea bass regulations include a three-part season

Open May 23 to June 19 with a bag limit of 10 fish at 12½ inches.
Open July 1 to Aug. 31 with two fish limit at 12½ inches.
Open Oct. 22 to Dec. 31 with a 15-fish bag limit at 13 inches.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Looks like we’ll get a 20% reduction instead of 28 and we’ll need to wait and see what it will do to our 2022 regs.

[Dclark2]

Done and thanks