Sea Bass Limits?

[Perfesser]

Commercial boats hauling in record numbers of sea bass: https://www.nj.com/news/2024/07/jers...ean-temps.html
But right now, we can keep ONE?

[Broad Bill]

Three great comments from the attached article.

At peak season these days, says Gus Lovgren, a fourth-generation New Jersey fisherman, fisheries can catch 3,000 to 5,000 pounds of black sea bass in just 20 minutes. Back in the early 2000s, only 500 to 1,000 pounds out of the well-known Point Pleasant’s Fishermen’s Dock Co-Op were possible.

In New Jersey, catch limits in 2015 would have forced Burcaw in Sea Isle City to cap his spring catch at 3,000 pounds of black sea bass per week. That’s more than doubled. He can now haul in 8,000 pounds. and

For black sea bass in the mid-Atlantic, extending from New England to North Carolina, the quota has increased from just 2.2 million pounds in 2015 to 6 million pounds this year.

Add insult to injury, January through July is the spawning season so another stock with no protection during their spawn.

And the recreational angler gets this in return:

May 17–June 19: 10 fish - 23 days when fish are just arriving inshore, best shot at the stock
July 1–August 31: 1 fish - 62 days of one fish which makes the winter flounder bag limit seem generous. And each permitted commercial can haul 8,000 lbs. per week.
October 1–October 31: 10 - 31 days when the fish are headed offshore and most boats have already hauled their boats for the season.
November 1–December 31: 15 fish - 61 days when only the long range party boats are able to reach the stock.

Not exactly sure how this qualifies as a "fair and equitable allocation" of the oceans resources between sectors as mandated by MSA.

Here's a quote regarding the dynamics of the stock.

50-72°F.
Black sea bass are classified as a warm water species, meaning the species is more tolerant of warmer temperatures compared to colder. More specifically, these species prefer water temperatures of 11-22°C or 50-72°F. Kind a refutes the point of the article these fish would move north to colder waters. Again, sacrifices made by the recreational sector to rebuild the stock and when it is more than rebuilt who benefits from those sacrifices?

https://allfreshseafood.com/products...RoCP0UQAvD_BwE

At $36.99 / lb. retail, recreational will never get their fair share of the allocation regardless of how the regulations read. For that price, I'd rather go through the McDonald's drive thru and get a quarter lb. cheeseburger and fries for $20! The recreational angler can harvest 1 fish while the stock is within reach inshore while commercial operators can harvest 8,000 lbs. per week. God help us and God help these fisheries.

[AndyS]

Just be sure to sign up for the Saltwater Registry and all will be fine.

[dales529]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Just be sure to sign up for the Saltwater Registry and all will be fine.

One day and i wont wait for it you have to explain your opposition to the SW Registry? Do you think it gives commercials or the government an upper hand?

[AndyS]

Originally Posted by dales529

One day and i wont wait for it you have to explain your opposition to the SW Registry? Do you think it gives commercials or the government an upper hand?

It's not that I really oppose it, I just want to know why no one questions it.

[bunker dunker]

i'm with Andy.seems like we sign,donate and protest but never really get the
real scoops.{imo}

[Duffman]

Originally Posted by AndyS

It's not that I really oppose it, I just want to know why no one questions it.

I don’t question it because in the big picture my questioning the registry is meaningless.

The WHOLE and ONLY reason I register is I refuse to be fined for something that is free to do. I pay this state enough money. All I need is on the water fine for this meaningless registry.

[AndyS]

I remember when everyone jumped on a bus and rode to Washington.

Then they impose a Saltwater Registry and not one person asked the question "WHY"

I don't want to ask permission to go fishing in the Atlantic Ocean.

[dales529]

Basically in 2006 through the Magnason Stevens Act the Government through NOAA created a Mandatory Registry for all costal states that could be accomplished via a fee based registry $15.00 or a Salt water license (proposed around $25.00). It also left states to decide and there was an option for a free registry. With much pushback from NJ saltwater anglers on a fee based registry or a license the free registry was created in NJ I believe around 2010. Main reason for the pushback of a fee based system was NJ anglers wanted any fees going directly back into the fishery vs a "general fund" where the $$ could be used for anything state wide unlike NJ Fresh Water licenses $$. I think we all can agree on that.

Simply the registry was created to give NOAA a better data base to contact anglers about catch and effort data rather than cold calling or random dock surveys. I have to admit to never being contacted and sure most of you haven't.

It also created a "count my fish" data log at NJF&G which I believe still exists where anglers can report catch data, effort in days on the water, days off the water due to weather etc and add more data than the flawed MRIP but not many if any anglers use it. If we did there may be better data for regulations management.

Its FREE and simple but again mandatory and I personally have nothing against it but open to opinion ( I have o stake in it just never bothered me).

MANY ARTICLES AVAILABLE ONLINE AS TO THE WHY AND WHAT ITS INTENDED PURPOSE IS: JUST 1 BELOW. Google why was the NJ salt water registry created and you will find more.

https://www.nj.com/cumberland/2012/0...r_fishing.html

[Duffman]

Originally Posted by dales529

Basically in 2006 through the Magnason Stevens Act the Government through NOAA created a Mandatory Registry for all costal states that could be accomplished via a fee based registry $15.00 or a Salt water license (proposed around $25.00). It also left states to decide and there was an option for a free registry. With much pushback from NJ saltwater anglers on a fee based registry or a license the free registry was created in NJ I believe around 2010. Main reason for the pushback of a fee based system was NJ anglers wanted any fees going directly back into the fishery vs a "general fund" where the $$ could be used for anything state wide unlike NJ Fresh Water licenses $$. I think we all can agree on that.

Simply the registry was created to give NOAA a better data base to contact anglers about catch and effort data rather than cold calling or random dock surveys. I have to admit to never being contacted and sure most of you haven't.

It also created a "count my fish" data log at NJF&G which I believe still exists where anglers can report catch data, effort in days on the water, days off the water due to weather etc and add more data than the flawed MRIP but not many if any anglers use it. If we did there may be better data for regulations management.

Its FREE and simple but again mandatory and I personally have nothing against it but open to opinion ( I have o stake in it just never bothered me).

MANY ARTICLES AVAILABLE ONLINE AS TO THE WHY AND WHAT ITS INTENDED PURPOSE IS: JUST 1 BELOW. Google why was the NJ salt water registry created and you will find more.

https://www.nj.com/cumberland/2012/0...r_fishing.html

OK Dave as you stated there was a pushback that if they did charge for the registry or a license the monies brought in wouldn’t go back into the fishery…..

So my question is……where is the money going for the fines handed out for NOT registering for the SW registry? And if those fines aren’t going back into fishery, what the hell is the difference?