Freshwater Fisheries Forum Feb. 22 at Batsto Village

[AndyS]

Would you like to provide input about freshwater fishing in New Jersey? The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife will hold its next freshwater fisheries public forum on Saturday, February 22, at Batsto Village in Wharton State Forest in Burlington County. The forum will begin at 10:00 a.m.

This year's topics will include an update of the Furunculosis disease outbreak at the Pequest Trout Hatchery and results from 2013 field sampling.

Anglers are invited to ask questions and comment on any aspect of the division's fisheries management programs with Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries biologists. By providing input, the public can help guide the development of freshwater programs and the regulations which govern them.

[bigfishy]

Thanx for sharing kind sir

[AndyS]

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is informing the public that an additional topic has been added to the agenda for the Fisheries Forum, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, February 22, at Batsto Village in Wharton State Forest in Burlington County. The forum will begin at 10:00 a.m.

In order to address the impact of the furunculosis disease on trout at the Pequest Trout Hatchery, the Division has formulated a policy to guide the stocking of fish. The policy will be introduced at the meeting, and a two-week public comment period will open. The policy is designed to protect the state's native and wild trout populations while providing maximum recreational opportunities to the angling public.

[UglyStick]

Too far for me but if anyone attends, please publish the details (or supply a web link if available) of the stocking policy, I would love to read it.

[Dave B.]

I'll be there, as always. Won' be able to post on it until late night though due to other commitments. There was a bit more to the email the Div. sent out that Andy posted the excerpt from that might interest some folks...

"More information on the policy, including an online comment form, will be posted on the Division's website after the meeting."

This will be the opportunity for everyone to review the proposals and voice opinions/concerns/suggestions to our Div personnel. Rest assured all views will be taken into consideration but the reality is the biologists have some difficult decisions to make for the benefit of our fisheries and it's inevitable that some will be met with degrees of resistance, no doubt even from myself.

A quick edit here, the documents and links are already posted up on the Div. website. Here are the links...

http://www.nj.gov/dep/workgroups/doc...ce20140221.pdf

http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf..._changes14.pdf

Briefly, the spring stocking period is being shortened to 4 weeks, certain trout production waters and all trophy or holdover trout lakes will not be stocked, and several waterbodies not normally stocked will be recieving thousands of trout.

[Polelock]

I believe another meeting will be held in early march in Hackettstown.. I will confirm the date unless someone else has it..