Jack Ciattarelli Stance on NJ Outdoors

[Broad Bill]

It goes beyond just the NC commercial fleet which I agree is a huge problem. The entire commercial fleet from every state fishing year round and killing females during the offshore fall migration and spawn kills trillions of eggs every year and recreational shorts tossed back overboard to retain higher priced larger fish of both sexes but primarily females. Commercial dead discard levels are enormous and as I've been saying for almost 10 years will eventually be the death of the stock. North Carolina and Virginia I believe make up about 50% of the entire commercial quota so North Carolina's practice harvesting their quota primarily during the fall and winter months is a huge problem but the entire commercial practice is absolutely f****** out of control.

And yes I agree recreational fishing doesn't put a dent in the fishery and isn't the problem. The fluke fishery has been dedicated to the commercial sector and the regulations are absolutely ludicrous targeting exclusively the harvest of the spawning biomass while killing millions of juvenile fish.