Immediate Action Needed By 7/30 For Seabass

[Broad Bill]

Submitted with some slight alterations. Thanks again for the effort.

Dear Members of the Black Sea Bass "BSB" Fisheries Management Council,

I'm writing as a concerned member of the recreational fishing community to respectfully request your consideration of more liberal measures for BSB management in the 2026 / 2027 fishing season. As recent stock assessments have shown, BSB populations have exceeded their biomass targets by over 100%, a clear indication of a healthy and sustainable stock.

In addition, from 2000 through current, the BSB biomass has surged by an unprecedented 1000% while exploitation (commercial and recreational removals) over that same approximate time frame has declined by more than 60%. I understand the black sea bass is considered protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning they are born female and can later change sex to become male. This sex change typically occurs when a female reaches a certain size, usually around 9-13 inches in length, and it happens during the fall and winter after the spawning season. The transition is visually driven, rather than chemically essentially meaning the stock finds a way to transform gender composition to insure the sustainability of the stock. Recruitment analysis and the surge in SSB over the period mentioned above would certainly lead one to that conclusion.

It's my understanding there's concern by the Council of future recruitment levels with BSB which are indeterminable but as mentioned the prior year history supports have been sufficient to drive a ten-fold increase in the biomass. In the fluke fishery, which has been decimated over the last two decades, larger breeders (primarily female) represent the majority of commercial and recreational harvest as it's mandated by the recreational regulations and driven by higher ex-vessel values for larger fish by the commercial sector. The annual spawn remains unprotected from commercial netting by the Council. Why would there be concern about BSB recruitment levels which have produced unprecedented increases in the biomass from 2000 to current yet a completely different set of scientific standards seem to apply to fluke recruitment which have not only hampered but been the Achilles heel of a declining fishery over that same period?

Given the exceptional surge in stock status of BSB, I urge the Council to consider expanding access to this abundant resource by revisiting current harvest restrictions. These measures, while originally necessary for stock rebuilding, now appear beyond overly conservative in light of the most recent scientific data. Increased access—whether through a longer season, higher possession limits, or more inclusive quotas—would benefit a wide range of stakeholders, including charter operators, recreational anglers, and coastal communities whose economies depend on a vibrant, accessible fishery. Sacrifices by both sectors have been made, it's time for the recreational and commercial sector to reap the benefit of those sacrifices unless there's very specific reasons not to which doesn't appear to be the case.

Science-based management is the foundation of successful conservation, and the recent data confirm that BSB are thriving under the current framework. It is only fair and logical to allow regulations to evolve in response to this success. These regulations have worked for the fish, so now it’s time for them to work for the fishermen too. Maintaining overly restrictive measures in the face of abundant stock undermines public trust and risks alienating the very communities who have supported conservation efforts in good faith.

I appreciate the Council’s continued dedication to sustainable fisheries management and trust that you will weigh this request seriously as you begin planning for the 2026 / 2027 season.

Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Thomas B Smith

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Broad Bill

Submitted with some slight alterations. Thanks again for the effort.

Dear Members of the Black Sea Bass "BSB" Fisheries Management Council,

I'm writing as a concerned member of the recreational fishing community to respectfully request your consideration of more liberal measures for BSB management in the 2026 / 2027 fishing season. As recent stock assessments have shown, BSB populations have exceeded their biomass targets by over 100%, a clear indication of a healthy and sustainable stock.

In addition, from 2000 through current, the BSB biomass has surged by an unprecedented 1000% while exploitation (commercial and recreational removals) over that same approximate time frame has declined by more than 60%. I understand the black sea bass is considered protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning they are born female and can later change sex to become male. This sex change typically occurs when a female reaches a certain size, usually around 9-13 inches in length, and it happens during the fall and winter after the spawning season. The transition is visually driven, rather than chemically essentially meaning the stock finds a way to transform gender composition to insure the sustainability of the stock. Recruitment analysis and the surge in SSB over the period mentioned above would certainly lead one to that conclusion.

It's my understanding there's concern by the Council of future recruitment levels with BSB which are indeterminable but as mentioned the prior year history supports have been sufficient to drive a ten-fold increase in the biomass. In the fluke fishery, which has been decimated over the last two decades, larger breeders (primarily female) represent the majority of commercial and recreational harvest as it's mandated by the recreational regulations and driven by higher ex-vessel values for larger fish by the commercial sector. The annual spawn remains unprotected from commercial netting by the Council. Why would there be concern about BSB recruitment levels which have produced unprecedented increases in the biomass from 2000 to current yet a completely different set of scientific standards seem to apply to fluke recruitment which have not only hampered but been the Achilles heel of a declining fishery over that same period?

Given the exceptional surge in stock status of BSB, I urge the Council to consider expanding access to this abundant resource by revisiting current harvest restrictions. These measures, while originally necessary for stock rebuilding, now appear beyond overly conservative in light of the most recent scientific data. Increased access—whether through a longer season, higher possession limits, or more inclusive quotas—would benefit a wide range of stakeholders, including charter operators, recreational anglers, and coastal communities whose economies depend on a vibrant, accessible fishery. Sacrifices by both sectors have been made, it's time for the recreational and commercial sector to reap the benefit of those sacrifices unless there's very specific reasons not to which doesn't appear to be the case.

Science-based management is the foundation of successful conservation, and the recent data confirm that BSB are thriving under the current framework. It is only fair and logical to allow regulations to evolve in response to this success. These regulations have worked for the fish, so now it’s time for them to work for the fishermen too. Maintaining overly restrictive measures in the face of abundant stock undermines public trust and risks alienating the very communities who have supported conservation efforts in good faith.

I appreciate the Council’s continued dedication to sustainable fisheries management and trust that you will weigh this request seriously as you begin planning for the 2026 / 2027 season.

Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Thomas B Smith

Thank you Tom and couldn't have said it better!

[dales529]

More comments needed. You can say WHY but it doesn't hurt to say WHY NOT plus Gerry made it easy. Want to ever be heard and get a lobbyist then just send the public comment. We need thousands not a hundred

[Broad Bill]

So much for a thousand or even a hundred replies from the site. Honestly, I don't understand recreational anglers. Government is stealing your rights to a public resource and people sit on their hands and let it happen. Where are people's sense of pride, gumption to fight for a cause you believe in and conviction to say and mean I'm not going to stand for this bullshit anymore. We're our own worst enemy when it comes to fair and balanced regulations relating to saltwater fisheries. This thread, in itself, bears witness to the fact that very few on this site have the right to complain about regulations for any stock because quite frankly most don't care enough to get involved in any way and expect everyone else to do the work which is a formula for failure. We have the numbers but we fail repeatedly to utilize that leverage, maybe the only leverage we have.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Broad Bill

So much for a thousand or even a hundred replies from the site. Honestly, I don't understand recreational anglers. Government is stealing your rights to a public resource and people sit on their hands and let it happen. Where are people's sense of pride, gumption to fight for a cause you believe in and conviction to say and mean I'm not going to stand for this bullshit anymore. We're our own worst enemy when it comes to fair and balanced regulations relating to saltwater fisheries. This thread, in itself, bears witness to the fact that very few on this site have the right to complain about regulations for any stock going because quite frankly most don't care enough and expect everyone else to do the work which is a formula for failure. We have the numbers but we fail repeatedly to utilize that leverage, maybe the only leverage we have.

Yeah very disappointing that there were only 59 comments submitted and by the looks of it all 59 were from us. Also interesting to note that all the other fisheries that comments were due for there was only 1...

Good news is with all but 1, our comments should raise some eyebrows. Bad new is a lot of people sit on the sides and rather then do something, they do nothing.

Thanks for all here who supported this effort. Still lots of work to be done and we could sure use more hands on deck..

[frugalfisherman]

Who wants to go seabass fishing in January and February? Not me!

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by frugalfisherman

Who wants to go seabass fishing in January and February? Not me!

Ha! You’d be surprised how many do. For some, it's a tradition but to each their own and lets not put the cart in front of the horse! The one thing I wanted to be very pointed about here is let's first focus on getting more fish since everyone can agree on that. The thing that many people fail to realize is it's not the feds that decide our Seabass season and bag limits, the states do and we could carve them up however we'd like.

The problem is the feds give us a certain amount of fish and although the state decides how to carve them up, the feds then put the options we submit into their model and will deny anything the model feels has a possibility of exceeding what they'd given us.

So if you want more days in Feb you'd have to take away from lets say May. Or if you want more then 1 fish in the summer months you'd have to take fish away in the spring.

When we submit comments to the feds like we want we want more fish in the summer or give us back our winter they're thinking it's not their decision, go talk to the people in your state who set your regs.

Having more fish solves a lot of these horse trading issues and would be a nice problem to have so lets get more fish and we can then figure out how we'd like to carve them up.

This is why you can't wait to get involved until the late winter, early spring at the state meetings where the regulations are decided. It's too late then and all your doing is fighting over the scaps the feds give us.

The good news here is when the time comes, we in NJ have a very smart person on our DEP staff Peter Clarke who is our Senior Fisheries Biologist. He understands how the feds model works, is respected by them and is also a die hard fisherman.

We also have a state marine fisheries council that's come a long way since I've been following this for the last 25 years. They're approachable, accountable and made regulation setting a lot more transparent then it's ever been.

Does this mean you or me is going to get what we specifically want? Hell no but at least all these decisions are made in the light of day and public comments are no longer hidden, they are accounted for and openly discussed at the meetings.

Right now people's eyes are probably glazed over with all this detail and many might be thinking Gerry's drank the Coolaid, the system ate him and he's one of them now.

If you want the system to work to your advantage and get things done, you need to know how the systems work, who the players are, which ones want same thing that you do and when, where and how to get organized and involved.

Lets get the feds to give us more fish first.. If we accomplish that, each of us has a better chance to get the regs we want in our state, rather then fighting over the same amount of scraps.

[AndyS]

Originally Posted by frugalfisherman

Who wants to go seabass fishing in January and February? Not me!

I do !! Who wants to jerk around with 13 inch fish when you can get (on average) 5 pound fish. Not to mention the dinner plate sized porgies, purple hake, cod and pollock you get with an offshore trip. I can't find the photo but won the pool on the Doris Mae with a 7 pound sea bass. I know it will never happen again but January and February were lights out when it came to offshore sea bass fishing.

[Broad Bill]

Originally Posted by AndyS

I do !! Who wants to jerk around with 13 inch fish when you can get (on average) 5 pound fish. Not to mention the dinner plate sized porgies, purple hake, cod and pollock you get with an offshore trip. I can't find the photo but won the pool on the Doris Mae with a 7 pound sea bass. I know it will never happen again but January and February were lights out when it came to offshore sea bass fishing.

I agree Andy. Don't know if you remember but in 2013 I was on a Doris Mae trip with you with my son Ryan. Weather was insane for January, short sleeves and we absolutely destroyed the sea bass with clams and jigs. One of the best offshore trips I've ever been on. I remember going up in the wheelhouse and the captain Charles Eble, who is no longer with us, showed me the fish finder. It was lit up with sea bass 75 feet over the wreck. All monster sea bass especially on the jigs.

We're at a point where recs get the crumbs left over after commercial quotas have been decided. If we don't use our voice to our advantage, our kids will never experience trips like that and we should do what we can to make sure that doesn't become a reality.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by AndyS

I do !! Who wants to jerk around with 13 inch fish when you can get (on average) 5 pound fish. Not to mention the dinner plate sized porgies, purple hake, cod and pollock you get with an offshore trip. I can't find the photo but won the pool on the Doris Mae with a 7 pound sea bass. I know it will never happen again but January and February were lights out when it came to offshore sea bass fishing.

It wouldn't surprise me if we get some of the winter season back without having to shift our current regs around to get it. We have a long way to go and lots of things need to line up but it is possible.

Fact is that fisheries management has screwed us with Seabass for several years now by pumping the breaks and reducing the harvest while the biomass continues to surge.

Time for us to get some reward for the sacrifices we made in the past. The regs worked for the fish, now it's time they work for the fisherman too!