Fed Seabass Permit
 

Can someone explain to me what the federal seabass permit is that excludes party and charter boats from the 0-3 miles? Is this something you HAVE to have, or what rights was it supposed to give you?
Thanks

Re: Fed Seabass Permit
 

Read this thread.

http://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16017

Re: Fed Seabass Permit
 

Without going to the other thread (thanks for posting that link reelron) the "rights" it gives you is the right to fish in federal waters. Without it, no party or charter vessel is allowed to fish in federal waters with passengers for-hire for any federally managed species that requires a permit (which is most if not all of them to my knowledge)

The exclusion comes from the terms of the permit. If you are a federal permit holder, you must abide by the more stringent regs for a permitted species (in this case Sea Bass) regardless of where you fish. So, if the fed regs are tougher, you must follow them. If the state regs are tougher, you must follow them (which is automatic anyway since you have to land in the state regardless of where you fish)

This way, federally permitted vessels will always have to abide by the most stringent rule in effect, regardless of whether it is state or federal waters.

As was described in the thread reelron linked to, the endorsement for any given species can be added or dropped from the permit as needed as long as it is an open access fishery (no limit to the number of party/charter permits that can be issued for that given species)

What dropping the endorsement does is allow a federally permitted vessel to fish for the species that is no longer on the permit inside state waters, assuming it is still open season in state waters, as is the case with Sea Bass for the moment.

Re: Fed Seabass Permit
 

Thanks Capt TB. Did not know that they had to have that.