JCAA NEWSPAPER JULY
2014
Official Newspaper of the JERSEY COAST ANGLERS ASSOCIATION
(Published on June 17th, 2014)
Monthly Meeting at Jersey Coast
Shark Anglers, 385 Herbertsville Road, Brick
"WORKING
FOR MARINE RECREATIONAL ANGLERS"
JCAA REGULAR
MEETING:
Tuesday, June 24th, 2014
Starting at 7:30
PM
AT JERSEY COAST SHARK ANGLERS
NEXT JCAA BOARD MEETING
Thursday, July 10th, 2014
Starting at 7:30 PM at JCAA Office
OFFICIAL
NEWSPAPER OF THE
JERSEY COAST ANGLERS
ASSOC.
1201 Route 37 East, Suite 9, Toms River, NJ 08753
Phone 732-506-6565 Fax 732-506-6975
JCAA Newspaper
Publisher Tom Fote
JCAA Newspaper
Editor Paul Turi
This publication
is printed and mailed one week prior to each regular monthly meeting of the
Jersey Coast Anglers Association. One of
the prime goals of JCAA is to get accurate information into public hands as
soon as possible.
Anyone wishing to
reproduce any part of this newsletter has the permission of the JCAA and the
authors. Wherever possible, please credit the JCAA Newsletter as your
information source.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JCAA General Membership Meetings are for club
representatives and invited guests only.
These meetings are not open to the general public. If you would like to attend as a guest, call
the President at 908-913-0551 or Tom Fote at
(732) 270-9102 before the meeting date to ask permission.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2014
OFFICERS
President Paul Haertel 973-943-8201
1st
V.P. Don Marantz 908-3471434
2nd
V.P. Mark Taylor 732-245-9445
Treasurer Doug Tegeder 732-341-5674
Rec.
Sec. Tom Siciliano 609-296-3774
Cors. Sec. Paul Turi 609-660-2126
Mem.
Sec. John Toth 732-656-0139
Tournament
Dir. Paul Turi 609-660-2126
Committee &
Chairpersons listed on last page
IMPORTANT DATES
June 24th,
JCAA General Membership Mtg.
July 10th,
JCAA Board Meeting.
August 2nd,
JCAA Fluke Tournament
August 6th,
JCAA Awards Presentations
President’s Report
By Paul Haertel
Not too much has changed from last month. We have been
continuing our efforts to stop seismic blasting, beach replenishment and jetty
notching in the Loch Arbor to Elberon area, and sand mining of lumps such as
Manasquan Ridge. We are also preparing for next year's battles over the
regionalization issue as it pertains to fluke. We are seeking political help in
all these areas as well as assistance to ensure that our state will be treated
more fairly by the ASMFC in the future.
There was a lot of discussion about reducing the
mortality on striped bass at the recent ASMFC meeting. There were many
differing opinions and the process has been delayed. Even if the ASMFC decides
to reduce mortality, stricter regulations for both commercial and recreational
fishermen are expected to be spread out over three years rather than just
one. The ASMFC is expected to approve a
revised addendum at their August meeting which will then be made available for
public comment throughout the fall.
We will be voting for the Sportsperson of the Year at
our June meeting. In addition to the nominations included in this newsletter,
nominations will also be accepted from the floor at our meeting. Nominations
for our Youth Education Award must also be submitted by the June meeting.
I am asking for your help in promoting our fluke
tournament. Last year we only had 328 boats and we are behind schedule for
having even that many boats this year. It is one of our major fundraisers and
we need the support of many of our various club's members to make this a
success. The date of the tournament is August 2nd which is prime time for fluke
and the weather will be perfect. (I hope) We have a really nice boat, motor and
trailer as the Grand Prize along with thousands of dollars worth of other great
merchandise prizes. There is a $1200 cash first place prize for each of our
nine ports which is guaranteed regardless of the number of entrants. We also
have a new optional cash category for those who want to take a shot at winning
even more cash. There are more details about the tournament elsewhere in the
newsletter.
On the subject of tournaments, the Berkeley Striper
Club's 11th annual Spring Tournament concluded on 6/8. This year’s event was
the first time that it was for catch and release stripers only. The new
tournament format proved to be quite popular with a record number of entrants.
All the money raised by the club is put into a dedicated fund where the money
is eventually donated to organizations that protect or enhance our recreational
fisheries. Over the last few years BSC
has donated several thousand dollars to JCAA. Thank you BSC !
Just as we were ready to go to press, I received a
couple emails regarding the MAFMC meeting. Paul Eidman reported that they voted
in favor of conservation of river herring. The amount of by-catch allowed for
commercial fishermen has been reduced. Chris Zeman reported that the RSA program will no longer just fund NEAMAP and can go
back to fund species-specific research projects as it was intended to. Funding
starts in FY 2015. It is
refreshing to receive some good news for a change.
The special fluke regulations for Island
Beach State Park are now in effect, 2 fish at 16" or greater. Any fluke
that are kept that are under 18" must be checked in during designated
hours. There is no option to keep 5 fluke at 18". The bag limit is 2
period.
20th Annual Fluke Tournament
By
Paul Turi, Tournament Director
Our second
mailing for the fluke tournament has gone out.
Returns are slow coming in.
About 35% of the returns coming in are coming back with the Optional
Cash Category checked off. That’s a
good sign. However, we are running
behind last year’s number for the first mailing.
The
hats and t-shirts are in and we have begun mailing to those who have already
sent in their orders. The shirt looks
really great this year. Kudos to
Harrington Graphics for the design and artwork!
Affidavits
for those of you who have already entered the tournament have gone out and as
the orders come in and are logged into the computer, the affidavits are being
mailed immediately.
We
have updated our website and right now you can go to our website and print out
an entry form for the tournament, Optional Cash Category, order hats and
t-shirts and either mail or fax the orders to the JCAA office. Also, our on-line order form is on the
website. Now you can enter the tournament, the Optional Cash Category and order
hats and t-shirts and pay by credit card right from your computer.
As
I mentioned in last month’s article, in our first mailing there is an error in
a couple places on the Express Entry Form.
It indicates we will be having the awards presentations at the Golden
Nugget in AC. That is incorrect. This year we will be having our Awards
Presentations at the Holiday Inn on Rte. 72 in Manahawkin (Stafford Twp.) I have received a number of emails and phone
calls on this because of the confusion.
So let me be clear, the Awards
Presentations will be at the Holiday Inn in Manahawkin on Wednesday – Yes,
Wednesday – August 6th, 2014.
Fishing will be on Saturday,
August 2nd and the awards will be handed out on Wednesday, August 6th at the
Holiday Inn. We will begin
registrations at 5:00 PM and start the awards presentations at 7:00 PM.
As
I mentioned in last month’s article, the Grand
Prize this year will be a 14’ Starcraft Boat, a 20 HP Yamaha Motor and a
Sea Lion Trailer. The package is worth
about $9,000! In addition, this year we are adding an Optional Cash Category to the tournament. I have received a number of phone calls on
this also. It seems a lot of people
don’t know what this is. The Optional Cash
Category is just that – it is optional.
You do not have to enter that part of the tournament. For those of you who do enter the Optional
Cash Category part of the tournament, the fee is an additional $60.00 to
enter. You will only be competing
against those who enter the Optional Cash Category for the port that you signed
up for. Two-thirds of the money will be
paid out to the winner with the largest fish who entered the Optional Cash
Category and one-third will go to JCAA.
In effect, it is a winner-take-all.
You must be entered in the Optional Cash Category to be eligible to win
the money. If you weigh in the largest
fish for your port and you did not enter the Optional Cash Category, you do not
win the cash. The person who entered the
Optional Cash Category and had the largest fish will receive two-thirds of the
money collected for that port. JCAA will
retain one-third of the money.
Again,
I would like to give a big thank you to Grumpy’s
in Seaside Park. Grumpy’s donated 9 Tica rods for the
tournament. The rods have a retail
value over a hundred dollars. We will be
adding a nice reel and line to the rod and that will make for a nice port prize
for each of our 9 ports.
We
still need some more port prizes. If
your company would like to donate anything as door prizes or port prizes,
please let me know. We also still have
four ports that need sponsors who would be willing to put up the 1st
place prize money of $1,200. Right now
we have five port sponsors. RJ Marine Service in Cape May is
sponsoring the Cape May Port and is putting up the 1st place prize
of $1,200 for that port. Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City is
putting up the $1,200 for that port. Hoffman’s Marina in Brielle is
providing the $1,200 1st place prize for the Manasquan Port. South Harbor Marine in Waretown is
providing the $1,200 1st place prize for the Barnegat Bay Port. Fisherman’s
Headquarters in Ship Bottom – as always – is providing the $1,200 1st
place prize for the Long Beach Island Port.
Our major sponsors this year are West
Marine, Costa Sunglasses, Interlux Paints, The Fisherman Magazine, Yamaha
Motors, Canyon Reels and RJ Marine Service.
These companies are putting up cash and/or merchandise that is worth a minimum of
$3,000!
RJ Marine Service in Cape May not only
is donating a 14’ Starcraft Boat but they are also putting up the $1,200 1st
place prize for the Cape May Port. We
can’t thank Jeff over at RJ Marine
enough for his generosity.
Costa Sunglasses is donating a nice
prize for each of the 9 ports as they do every year. Costa has been a JCAA sponsor for many
years.
Our
friends over at The Fisherman Magazine
in addition to donating door prizes & port prizes for each of the 9 ports
is also donating full page ads to JCAA to advertise the tournament, amongst
other things.
Yamaha Motors is donating a 20HP engine
for the Starcraft Boat that RJ Marine
Service is donating.
Last
year Canyon Reels was very generous
to JCAA and this year they are coming up big-time. They are donating thousands of dollars in
high quality reels for each of the 9 ports.
We will have enough reels to make two high-end port prizes for each of
the 9 ports! Canyon Reels are high
quality reels and will make a really nice port prize.
West Marine again this year is donating
gift certificates for each of the 9 ports in addition to giving us numerous
door prizes. West Marine has also been very generous to JCAA over the years.
I
would be remiss if I did not mention Sea
Lion Trailers. Sea Lion, although not a major sponsor, is donating a Sea Lion Trailer for the 14’ Starcraft
Boat that RJ Marine Service is
donating.
Our
friends over at the Holiday Inn on
Rte. 72 in Manahawkin are helping us out in a pinch this year. They are providing a very nice ballroom for
us to have our awards ceremony this year at a very reduced price. They are also cutting their room rate for
those who desire to stay over that night.
And they are also going to give a discount or a free drink to anyone
desiring to have dinner. They are also
donating some rooms to JCAA at no charge!
Management suggests anyone desiring to stay over should make a
reservation well in advance.
Remember,
Atlantic City is only 40-45 minutes from Manahawkin via the Parkway. Long Beach Island is a stone’s throw from the
Holiday Inn. If anyone wants to come
down to LBI and make a day of it prior to the awards presentations, LBI has
some of the nicest beaches along our coast for anyone who just wants to bake in
the sun. There’s also boat rentals
available for crabbing or fishing for the day.
There are also many fine bars and restaurants on the island. Bay Village and Fantasy Island with all the
shopping and amusements will keep adults and kids busy. There are plenty of things to do on LBI for
those who want to make a day of it.
So
mark your calendar for fishing the tournament on August 2nd and the
Awards Presentations on Wednesday, August 6th. If you have any questions on the tournament
or would like to register by phone, call the JCAA office at (732) 506-6565 and I
can take your order over the phone via credit card. If no one answers, leave a message and I will
call you back.
Fisheries
Management & Legislative Report
By Thomas
Fote
MSA Reauthorization
The Magnusson/Stevens
Reauthorization is moving forward. We had
a workshop at the ASMFC meeting discussing their involvement. American Sportfishing Association, Center for
Coastal Conservation, National Marine Manufacturers Association and Coastal
Conservation Association wrote a response to the Hastings Bill on the
reauthorization. That letter is included
below. JCAA is continuing to gather
information on MSA reauthorization and will be working with other organizations
to develop our final comments. Even
though we do not expect passage this year, it is important that the research
begins. Tom Siciliano is the chairman of
the JCAA committee dealing with the reauthorization. If you want more information, please email tfote@jcaa.org and I will send you the current
position papers that are available from other organizations.
Bycatch Issues
John Oswald’s article from the
Asbury Park Press is below. It talks
about the latest release from NOAA on summer flounder bycatch taking place in
other fisheries. It seems ironic that in
1990, when I first began dealing with summer flounder, black sea bass and scup,
bycatch was an important issue. Other
fisheries were discarding more scup as bycatch than we were landing in both the
recreational and commercial fisheries.
The commercial fishery was rewarded with a larger percentage of the
share of the scup because they committed to greatly reducing the bycatch. The last time I saw a report, the scup
bycatch discards is still greater than the commercial and recreational
fisheries combined. While I was on
vacation, I received numerous emails about a bycatch of striped bass in the
menhaden fishery. I know in some
fisheries we have made significant strides in limiting the bycatch by gear
restrictions and other measures.
However, we need to do much more.
Every pound of discard has a huge impact on both recreational and
commercial fisheries. Some people insist
the unexplained natural mortality we see in some species is because of
unreported discards. NOAA, through NMFS,
must do more to reduce discards. This is
still a very important issue that costs all of us dearly.
Upcoming ASMFC Issues for the August
Meeting
Since the JCAA newspaper is only
printed in mid-August, that issue will have information on the actions of the
ASMFC summer meeting and the Mid-Atlantic Marine Fisheries Management Council
meeting in August. The striped bass,
summer flounder and eel plans could have addendums that will be ready for
public hearings. It is important that
you sign up for the JCAA alerts to keep up to date.
Seismic Blasting & Sand Mining
On June 6, the Senate
Environmental and Energy Committee heard Senator Smith’s resolutions on sand
mining and seismic blasting. Both
resolutions were cosponsored by Senator Kip Bateman. This is another example of bipartisan efforts
to protect the coast. Of the many
organizations that attended the hearing, none opposed the resolutions. Cindy Zipf of Clean Ocean Action did a
terrific job in pointing out why the seismic blasting would have a negative
impact. It is interesting that neither
Rutgers nor the Army Corp of Engineers attended to defend their proposed
attacks on the environment. I guess they
understood there was no justification for their proposals. Both resolutions were passed out of committee
unanimously. JCAA will be waiting for
the vote by the full Senate. We hope
this will happen soon. Even these
resolutions are a huge step in the right direction. They represent only a step. There is much work to be done and it is up to
us to get it done. It is also wonderful
that we have the support of NJ DEP in opposing seismic blasting because of
their concerns about protecting the marine resources. It is always beneficial to have two branches
of the government working in tandem. In
the last newspaper I sent you to the Clean Ocean webpage to sign the
petitions. If you have not done so here
is the information about the petition.
It is after the resolutions.
SENATE RESOLUTION No. 72
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED MAY 12, 2014
Sponsored by: Senator BOB SMITH District 17 (Middlesex and
Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Urges rejection
of seismic blasting plans in Atlantic Ocean near Barnegat Bay.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate
Resolution urging the National Marine Fisheries Service to reject seismic
blasting plans in the Atlantic Ocean near Barnegat Bay, New Jersey.
Whereas, The
National Marine Fisheries Service within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration has proposed authorization for marine mammal “takes” during an
oceanic seismic study which would be conducted in the Atlantic Ocean about 15
miles from Barnegat Bay in June 2014; and
Whereas, The
proposed authorization is in the public comment period, and a public hearing
will be scheduled on the matter; and
Whereas, The authorization
allows over 25 marine mammal species, six of which are endangered, to be
subjected to noise created from seismic airguns and three other acoustic blast
technologies; and
Whereas, Seismic
testing is known to have the potential to seriously harm marine life; and
Whereas, One
such test that may be used near Barnegat Bay is a multibeam echosounder (MBES),
which has been implicated in the stranding of over 100 melon-headed whales off
the coast of Madagascar; and
Whereas, The
proposed testing area is also a key habitat for squid and summer flounder,
which are important local fisheries; and
Whereas, The
tests will negatively impact an area just beginning to recover from the damage
caused by Superstorm Sandy, while the marine life populations continue to
suffer from sea level rise, marine acidification, and pollution; and
Whereas, While
scientific research is extremely important and vital to the health of the ocean
and marine life, there is no need for this particular study, which will pose an
unnecessary risk to certain marine life; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved
by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. The National Marine Fisheries Service is
respectfully urged to reject any proposal and cancel all plans relating to the
performance of seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean near Barnegat Bay, New
Jersey.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with
the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to
Richard L. Merrick, Ph.D., Director, Scientific Programs and Chief Science
Advisor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the
regional administrator for the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Commissioner of the
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and every member of congress
elected from the State of New Jersey.
STATEMENT
This resolution
urges the National Marine Fisheries Service to reverse its proposed
authorization of seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean near Barnegat Bay, New
Jersey, and cancel all plans related to such testing. The National Marine Fisheries Service within
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has proposed authorization
for marine mammal “takes” during an oceanic seismic study about 15 miles from
Barnegat Bay in June 2014. The proposed
authorization is in the public comment period, and a public hearing will be
scheduled on the matter. The
authorization allows over 25 marine mammal species, six of which are
endangered, to be subjected to noise created from seismic airguns and three
other acoustic blast technologies. One
such test uses a multibeam echosounder (MBES), which has been implicated in the
stranding of over 100 melon-headed whales off the coast of Madagascar. The proposed testing area affected by the
authorization is a key habitat for squid and summer flounder, which are
important local fisheries.
The tests, if
conducted, will negatively impact an area just beginning to recover from the
damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, with fish populations and other marine life
already suffering from sea level rise, marine acidification, and pollution.
Accordingly,
this resolution urges the National Marine Fisheries Service to reject any
proposal and cancel all plans relating to the performance of seismic testing
near Barnegat Bay.
Sand Mining
SENATE RESOLUTION No. 73
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED MAY 12, 2014
Sponsored by: Senator BOB SMITH District 17 (Middlesex and
Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Opposes U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers sand mining project at Manasquan Ridge near Axel Carson
Artificial Reef.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate
Resolution opposing the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ sand mining
project at the Manasquan Ridge near the Axel Carson Artificial Reef, New
Jersey.
Whereas, The
United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has plans to conduct a storm
damage reduction project off the coast of Ocean County, New Jersey; and
Whereas, A
portion of the plan calls for the USACE to conduct sand mining operations at
the Manasquan Ridge near the Axel Carlson Artificial Reef; and
Whereas, The
USACE plan indicates that these areas, designated as “borrow areas,” could be
used in the future for additional sand mining, so as to replenish material lost
in other areas due to erosion and future storm damage; and
Whereas, The New
Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), in accordance with
existing regulation, has identified both of these areas as “Prime Fishing
Areas”; and
Whereas, The
proposed sand mining operations at the Manasquan Ridge near the Axel Carlson
Artificial Reef will negatively impact fishing areas just beginning to recover
from the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, while the marine life populations
continue to suffer from sea level rise, marine acidification, and pollution;
and
Whereas, Storm
protection measures, including sand mining, are necessary to protect the State
of New Jersey from future damage, but the current proposal unnecessarily places
diverse fishing grounds at risk; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved
by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House strongly opposes any sand mining
operations at the Manasquan Ridge near the Axel Carlson Artificial Reef, off
the coast of Ocean County, New Jersey, and respectfully urgers the United
States Army Corps of Engineers to cancel all plans and reject all future
proposals related to sand mining operations at this or any nearby site.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with
the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to
the Commissioner of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia
District, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection, and every member of Congress elected from the State of New Jersey.
STATEMENT
This resolution
expresses opposition to United States Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE sand
mining project at the Manasquan Ridge near the Axel Carson Artificial
Reef. The USACE has plans to conduct a
storm damage reduction project off the coast of Ocean County, New Jersey. A portion of the plan calls for the USACE to
conduct sand mining operations at the Manasquan Ridge near the Axel Carlson
Artificial Reef. The New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection, in accordance with existing regulation,
has identified both of these areas as “Prime Fishing Areas.” These proposed sand mining operations will
negatively impact fishing areas just beginning to recover from the damage
caused by Superstorm Sandy, while the marine life populations continue to
suffer from sea level rise, marine acidification, and pollution. Storm protection measures, including sand
mining, are necessary to protect the State from future damage, but the current
proposal unnecessarily places important fishing grounds at significant risk.
Clean Ocean Action Petition on Seismic
Blasting
Stop Seismic Testing off the NJ Coast This June, All Marine
Life at Risk
author: Clean Ocean Action
target: President Barack Obama, New Jersey Governor Chris
Christie, Rutgers University President Robert Barchi
signatures: As of May 17 there were13,078, help us get to 25,000
by May 26, 2014
A research study
led by Rutgers University and funded by the National Science Foundation is
proposed for this June to blast the ocean with sound pulses that are orders of
magnitude louder than a jet engine taking off, every 5 seconds, 24 hours a day,
for 30 days. These explosive sounds will have devastating impacts on all marine
life, including whales, dolphins, sea turtles, fish and shellfish. They will
also harm NJ’s tourism and fishing industries.
We the
undersigned oppose the NJ Seismic blasting study proposed for this summer, and
we call upon our elected leaders including President Obama and Governor
Christie to stop this study. Furthermore, we urge President Robert Barchi of
Rutgers University to stop this study before its proposed June 3 start date.
For more information on who is
conducting the study and the impacts to marine life, visit cleanoceanaction.org
.
To receive status updates on this
issue, sign the petition go to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/230/078/429/stop-seismic-testing-off-nj-coast-this-june/.
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) is planning a new Coastal
Household Telephone Survey.
http://www.examiner.com/article/noaa-planning-new-survey-of-recreational-saltwater-fishermen
By Charles Pekow
June 1, 2014
The National
Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the U.S. Department of
Commerce (DoC) is planning a newCoastal Household Telephone Survey. NOAA is
announcing in the Federal Register of Monday, June 2, 2014 that it is taking
public comments on its plan to survey marine recreation anglers about their
trips and what they catch. But first, it is taking public comments on the idea
until Aug. 1.
NOAA
periodically surveys fishermen about when and how often they fish, how much
they catch, what types of fish they get and also some demographic information
about themselves. The agency is required to collect the data under the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act.
You can send
your comments to Jennifer Jessup, departmental paperwork clearance officer,
DoC, Room 6616, 14th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20230,
email at JJessup@doc.gov). If you have any questions or want to see a copy of
the proposed survey, contact Anjunell Lewis, (301) 427-8145,
emailAnjunell.Lewis@NOAA.gov. The Office of Management & Budget (OMB) has
not yet assigned a control number for the project. NOAA is taking public
comments before approaching OMB.
The survey will
use a random digit dialing approach to contact residences in coastal counties
to ask about their recent recreational saltwater fishing. Based on results,
NOAA will estimate how much people in the coastal towns fish. (Separately, NOAA
surveys fishermen on site, something called the the Access-Point Angler
Intercept Survey, but that is not at issue here.)
NOAA plans to
combine the results of the two surveys and give the information to its National
Marine Fisheries Service, regional fishery management councils and state and
regional fishery agencies to use in monitoring their fishery management
programs. NOAA says the survey will take about two minutes per household. It
plans to survey 214,398 homes.
The announcement
does not deal with issues such as knowing which households actually are located
in coastal communities. Many households only use cellphones, which could have
numbers from anywhere. The old system of telling one's community by phone
number no longer applies. Nor does the survey try to include people who live
outside coastal communities who travel to fish.
Bycatch report
reveals startling fluke numbers
Asbury Park
Press May 29, 14
By John Oswald
A couple of
years ago, I took a trip on a scallop boat out of Point Pleasant for a Hook,
Line & Sinker story. Once we reached the scallop grounds, the dredge was
dropped and it was dragged for about an hour before it came back up and its
contents sorted. There was a lot more there than just scallops.
Mixed in with
rounded brown shells were fluke, yellow tail flounder, monkfish, skates and a
host of other sea creatures. Everything but the scallops and the monkfish
quickly found their way back into the ocean. Trouble was, they weren't going to
survive.Some of the fluke were nearly folded in half. By law, the captain
couldn't keep the fluke and yellowtail flounder even if he wanted to.
A report issued
in March by NOAA now provides a clearer picture of just how big that kind of
bycatch is. Among other interesting facts, the U.S. National Bycatch Report
First Edition Update 1 showed that the summer flounder bycatch in non-directed
commercial fisheries in New England and the Mid-Atlantic in 2010 was
approximately 3.6 million pounds. That's a lot of fluke. What is surprising is
that most of this bycatch actually occurred in commercial fisheries managed by
the New England Fishery Management Council.
"The 2010
data is about as recent as it gets," said Chris Zeman, one of New Jersey's
representatives to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
Zeman explained
that for years, NOAA was not publishing these kinds of reports. They had the
raw data, but were not extrapolating it to obtain a clear picture of what was
going on in the fisheries. The process was also delayed by a series of lawsuits
brought by a non-governmental organization that questioned the methods for
deploying observers and bycatch reporting.
The report, says
Zeman, might answer some questions fishery managers have been asking about the
slow rebuilding of the summer flounder stock now that the fishery is no longer
experiencing overfishing.
"Even after
years of no overfishing, summer flounder populations are not growing as fast as
scientists originally predicted. That can be due to either problems with the
science or more summer flounder were being killed than we thought, or a
combination of both," he said. Unlike the recreational sector, where the
bycatch is estimated right off the top, it is unclear whether this is fully accounted
for on the commercial side.
Before 2005,
Zeman said, NOAA had very few observers aboard commercial fishing vessels, and
they were there mostly for marine mammals and sea turtles. More catch observers
were put in place after 2005, providing much more reliable data.
"Having
reliable estimates of discards at sea allows managers to make sure we're
accounting for all sources of mortality, and most importantly, setting
management measures to surgically target specific sources of mortality. Without
this information, the default response to a declining fish population is to
reduce quotas in the directed fisheries.
The good news is
that if we can find ways to reduce this bycatch, we may be able to increase
quotas for the directed commercial and recreational fishermen," Zeman
said.
The Bycatch
Report is not limited to summer flounder and includes estimates for 573 stocks
nationwide, an increase from 480 stocks in the first edition in 2011.
The next report
is due in 2015 and NOAA plans to include additional bycatch estimates. They
will include data from 2011, 2012 and 2013. The report is only for federally
managed species.
Since the data
is from 2010, Zeman said there is no way to tell if the bycatch numbers for
summer flounder are still in the same neighborhood of the 3.6 million pounds.
"It's not
something you can easily figure out because there are many fisheries involved
that are constantly changing. We really shouldn't be four years behind on the
report." But Zeman commended NOAA for preparing this report and its commitment
to the at-sea observer program" He admits there is more work to be done,
but it can lead to a reduction in discards and more fish to catch
Sportsperson of the year
By Paul Turi
Just a reminder, at our June General Membership
Meeting we will be voting on our Sportsperson of the Year.
Nominations can be made from the floor. If you wish to nominate someone, please
submit a bio of at least 250 words.
Don’t worry about typing and spelling, etc. When we have elected someone, if I need more
or less words to make the bio fit in our brochure, I will work with the
nominating club to accomplish this.
The dinner again this year will be held at the Crystal
Pt. Yacht Club in Pt. Pleasant on Sunday, November 9th, 2014. Ticket prices are the same as last year, $75
per head or $600 for a table of 10.
I am also looking for door prizes for this event, so
if you can help us out, please let me know.
If you have any questions, please contact me at the
JCAA office or by email at pturi6@comcast.net
Below is a
nomination for the Sportsperson-of-the-Year Award and Youth Education Award by
the Berkeley Striper Club.
BERKELEY STRIPER CLUB NOMINATES FRED
BOGUE FOR JCAA SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD AND JCAA YOUTH EDUCATION AWARD
The Berkeley
Striper Club would like to nominate Fred Bogue as the JCAA Sportsperson of the
Year. Fred is an avid striped bass fisherman and a dedicated member of the
Berkeley Striper Club. Fred has been a member of our club for over 20 years
during which time he has been active in all committees including awards,
banquets, picnics, tournaments and flea markets. Fred was elected to eight
terms as an officer for collective service of three years as vice president and
five years as president, and has served on the Executive Board for the past
seven years. During his presidency, the membership grew from 50 to 200 as Bogue
strove to maintain the balance between recreation and conservation. Fred is a
two-time recipient of the Bill Sculerati award, presented to members who
exemplify sportsmanship and dedication to the Club.
Fred is an
advocate of tag and release, and has managed the Club's database and program
since 1993. He publishes annual studies to track size, migration and mortality,
and has participated in tagging symposiums and workshops through NOAA and the
ASMFC. Fred has promoted tagging within
the Club by conducting how-to seminars and presenting his yearly studies. He established an annual tagging weekend with
the primary goal to tag a body of fish for more meaningful return results. The Berkeley Striper Club has tagged 32,000
fish in total and Fred's personal record is 3,200.
Under his
guidance BSC started a scholarship
program in 1998 for students of marine biology at Stockton, which has, in recent
years, evolved into the John Bushell Memorial Youth Education Program. This
initiative is focused on underprivileged children from local communities. The program raises funds to purchase fishing
equipment, prizes and food and involves club members in a day of hands-on. The
children are taught knot tying, casting and safety, and after being fed lunch,
are taken on the beach to work one-on-one with a club volunteer. The program has been active for five years,
and this season each child went home with their own rod and reel. Fred is HOFNOD (Hooked On Fishing Not On
Drugs) certified through the Future Fisherman Foundation and the New Jersey
Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Fred's
dedication to his fellow fishermen was evident during the aftermath of Sandy
when he organized a Club cookout to promote camaraderie among displaced
members. He helped a fellow member
clean out his flooded home and after collecting Christmas trees in his
neighborhood, participated in the New Jersey Beach Buggy Association's dune
restoration project at Island Beach State Park.
Highlights From MAFMC Meeting
By Chris
Zeman
Mid-Atlantic Council Meeting Update
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (MAFMC) met in Freehold, NJ on June 10-12. The biggest news
from the meeting came from NOAA and its Science Center about the Research Set
Aside (RSA) Program. Since 2008, most of
the funds generated from the summer flounder and black sea bass 3% catch
set-aside would be used to fund NEAMAP – a spring/fall inshore survey that
supplements the NOAA Bigelow offshore survey.
Starting in 2015, NOAA reported that it will fully fund NEAMAP. This means that RSA funds can now be used for
its originally intended purpose – to fund species and fishery-specific
cooperative research projects. This is a
major development that will allow for more cooperative research projects that
can lead to improving our science, catch reporting, reducing discards and
overall management. It is important that recreational groups and individuals
submit research proposals to ensure that RSA funds are directed toward
recreational fisheries. For more
information about how to submit a research proposal, feel free to contact me
directly at chrisze@optonline.net or
call me at 617-461-3212.
NOAA Recreational Listening Session
On Wednesday, NOAA hosted a
listening session to discuss how to improve its management of our Nation’s
recreational fisheries. Russ Dunn, NOAA
Fisheries national policy advisor for recreational fisheries, hosted the
listening session. NOAA is presently
developing a national policy for recreational fishing. This is a very important process and I was
pleased to see a good number of recreational fishermen in the room. My comments primarily focused on the need
for commercial and recreational parity – meaning equal and uniform treatment
with regards to priority setting, budget allocations, cooperative research,
fishery disaster funding and overall involvement. This does not mean managing fisheries the
same way or setting similar management measures, because they are different and
management should recognize and accommodate the differences in its management
approaches. One clear example of how
present management is not treating commercial and recreational fisheries
equally is NOAA’s recent distribution of federal fishery disaster aid mostly to
New England commercial fishermen, despite the strong need for aid for
recreational fisheries in New York and New Jersey. I also repeated the need to replace or
significantly revise the MRIP recreational catch reporting program. NOAA will continue to receive comments on its
recreational national policy, so please contact Russ Dunn and let him know what
needs to be included in the national policy for recreational fisheries.
Summer Flounder Comprehensive Amendment
The Council initiated a
comprehensive review of how it manages the commercial and recreational summer
flounder fisheries and will be accepting public comments during the summer on
what needs to be changed. This is a
long-term process and is expected to take at least two years. For the recreational fishery, it seems that
everything is on the table and under review – including commercial and
recreational allocations, regional management and other management approaches,
and measures to reduce discards. This is
not a complete list and it is important for recreational fishermen to submit
comments this summer on what they want to see the Council consider under this
comprehensive plan review.
Black sea bass reopening of Wave I
The Council is developing a
Framework Adjustment to allow for the reopening of Wave 1 to black sea bass
fishing during the 2015 fishing year.
This is good news and will allow for a recreational black sea bass
fishery during January and February when there are limited opportunities for
recreational fishermen. The only
wrinkle in this process is that, for the first time, NOAA intends to count Wave
1 catch against the recreational annual catch quota. In most cases, having to account for catch is
no surprise and should be expected, but this is an unusual situation because
Wave 1 catch was never accounted for due to limitations in MRIP and this catch
was never included when the recreational allocation was originally established. This process is ongoing and the Council will
be taking final action on this during its August meeting in Washington, DC.
River herring/Shad bycatch cap reduced in commercial mackerel fishery
The Mid-Atlantic Council took
additional action to conserve depleted river herring and shad populations on
the East Coast. As part of its annual
specifications for the Atlantic mackerel fishery, the Council imposed an 89mt
cap on total bycatch of river herring and shad.
The cap would increase to 155mt if the total mackerel catch exceeds
10,000 mt. The prior cap was set at 236
metric tons. This means that the
commercial fishery will close if it catches 89 mt of river herring and shad
bycatch. This lower catch cap can allow
quicker recovery of river herring and will hopefully lead to a quicker end of
New Jersey’s moratorium on all directed catch of river herring.
Shore-Based Enhanced Fishing Opportunity Program for
Summer Flounder at Island Beach State Park Opens Saturday, June 14
June 13, 2014
On Thursday,
June 12, 2014, NJ Department of Environmental Protection (Department)
Commissioner Bob Martin signed a Notice of Administrative Change adjusting the
size and possession limits for summer flounder (a.k.a "fluke") for
anglers fishing from shore at Island Beach State Park (IBSP) during the 2014
open season.
The Shore Based
Enhanced Fishing Opportunity Program (Program) for summer flounder at IBSP will
begin Saturday, June 14, 2014. Summer flounder is New Jersey's most popular
recreational saltwater species. Last year, New Jersey anglers caught an
estimated 7.6 million summer flounder and kept 1.2 million of those fish.
Anglers participating in the IBSP
Program may retain 2 fish greater than or equal to 16 inches (total length)
only at IBSP during the current 2014 New Jersey summer flounder fishing season,
which opened on May 23 and remains open until September 27. The Program will be
available to "shore-based" anglers only, defined as fishing from a
pier, jetty, beach, bank, or marsh. Anglers participating in this Program may
NOT fish from a boat, kayak, canoe, personal water craft, or arrive to the
shore by means of water craft.
Shore-based
angling shall be by hook and line only. Summer flounder greater than or equal
to 16 inches but less than 18 inches shall not be removed from IBSP, filleted,
consumed or otherwise mutilated until the fish is affixed with a tag at the
Department's check station, located approximately one mile south of the IBSP
entrance, which will operate between the hours of 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM only.
Anglers must retain the Department's tag affixed to the fish, and proof of
legal entry to IBSP until returning home or until just prior to consumption if
the fish are to be consumed prior to the angler returning home.
Anglers that
possess summer flounder harvested at IBSP may harvest summer flounder outside
IBSP provided they abide to the 18-inch size limit and 5-fish possession limit
applicable to all other waters (for example, if 1 fish is harvested at IBSP, 4
fish 18 inches or greater may be harvested in waters outside of IBSP). (Please
consult the Marine Digest for regulatory information.)
In addition to
monitoring the recreational summer flounder harvest at IBSP, the Department
will be collecting data on other important recreational species as well by
conducting a creel survey at the numerous beach access sites on IBSP. The
interviewers will record number of anglers, number of hours fished, number of
fish caught and take measurements of fish kept. This information will be
utilized to determine the feasibility of the Program as well as provide
important data for coastwide management of the species.
For additional information,
anglers can contact the Department's Marine Fisheries Administration at
609-748-2020.
Membership Report
By John Toth
Invoices
for 2014 club membership dues have been sent out. Please make every effort to send in your club
dues in a timely manner. Also, please
take the time to completely fill out the Dues and Sponsorship form and the Club
Survey form that we need to update our mailing list.
Thank you for sending in your 2014 dues -
Seaside Heights Fishing Club, Fortescue Anglers Association and Newark Bait
& Fly Casting Club.
Also, any clubs,
companies or individuals who have ads in our JCAA newsletter, please send in
your payments to our address: JCAA, 1201
Route 37 East, Suite 9, Toms River, NJ 08753.
If there are
problems with the JCAA sending newsletters to the wrong addresses or to the
wrong club members, please let me know so that corrections can be made. I can be reached at (732) 656-0139 or at tothjohn@verizon.net.
As always, Thank
You, for your continued support of the JCAA!
Forage Fish
By Capt. Paul Eidman,
Committee Chairman
Public Comment Hearing for American Eel
Hearing July 10, 7PM
Fishermen and
other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on Draft
Addendum IV by either attending
public hearings or providing written comments. The Draft Addendum is
available on the Commission website (wwww.asmfc.org)under Public Input. The
public comment deadline is 11:59 PM (EST) on July 17, 2014. Comments should be submitted to Kate Taylor, Senior FMP
Coordinator, 1050N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, VA 22201 or at
comments@asmfc.org(Subject line: American Eel). Final action on the Addendum is
scheduled to occur in
August.
American Eel Draft Addendum IV
In May, the
Commission’s American Eel Management Board approved Draft Addendum IV to the Interstate Fishery
Management Plan for American Eel for public comment. The Draft Addendum proposes a suite of options to address the
commercial glass, yellow, and silver
eel fisheries along the Atlantic coast. Management options under consideration include glass and yellow eel
quotas, a catch cap for the yellow eel fishery, a moratorium on the glass eel fishery, and a
seasonal closure and license cap for the silver eel fishery in the Delaware River (NY).
The Draft
Addendum also includes glass eel harvest allowances for aquaculture purposes and a
conservation-based allocation program in which the states may earn aglass eel
quota via stock enhancement programs that increase glass eel passage. The Draft Addendum intends to build
upon the management measures established under Addendum III in order to reduce overall mortality and increase
conservation of American eel
stocks. The Board’s
actions respond to the findings of the 2012 benchmark stock assessment indicating the American eel
population in U.S. waters is depleted. The stock has declined in recent decades and the
prevalence of significant downward trends in multiple surveys across the coast is cause for
concern. Causes of decline are likely due to a combination of factors including historical
overfishing, habitat loss, food web alterations, predation, turbine mortality, environmental
changes, toxins and contaminants, and disease .States of Maine through Georgia will be conducting public
hearings on the Draft Addendum
throughhout June and July. The details of those hearings follow.
New Jersey Division of Fish and
Wildlife
July 10, 2014; 7 PM*
Atlantic County Library, Galloway
Branch
306 Jimmie Leeds Road
Galloway, New Jersey
Contact: Russ Allen at
609.748.2020
*Hearing immediately follows
Marine Fisheries
Council meeting which starts at 4
PM.
River
Herring and Shad Catch a Well-Deserved Break
MAFMC meeting update from Freehold
New Jersey
Good news in the
forage fish world. The Mid Atlantic fishery management council voted to reduce
the amount of river herring and shad species that are dumped overboard as
bycatch in the commercial Atlantic Mackerel fishery. The council voted to limit
the bycatch of river herring and shad to 89 metric tons, a greater than 60
percent reduction from the previous level.
This was a
complex level to set because there hasn’t been a viable Mackerel catch in a half
a dozen or so years, so some council
members were hesitant to set a bycatch limit too high for fear that if the fish
came back, they would get shut down quickly. River herring (Alewife &
Blueback) and shad (American, Hickory) populations are at historic lows due to
a combination of a number of factors. With the advent of giant trawlers towing
nets of unprecedented size between them, mowing the ocean relentlessly day
after day, overfishing at sea is the most concentrated and observable factor in
the last 20 year demise of these fish. Jersey-based
anglers have watched numbers of these highly prized baitfish vaporize in local
headwaters and are no longer allowed to catch and liveline herring at all.
We are currently
spending millions of dollars to remove dams, build fish ladders and improve
habitat in upstream spawning areas while this antiquated dumping practice
continues out at sea at an unprecedented industrial scale. Fisheries biologists
estimate that almost 4 million river herring are killed at sea as bycatch each
year and that this is undermining our land-based efforts to recover these
species.
We commend the
council members that voted in favor of conservation. This is a strong
indication that the council recognizes the need to limit the number of these
fish being wastefully killed off, and the importance of these species to the
ecosystem. The next federal step will be
to have these small but vital forage species managed as stocks in the fishery
to insure future abundance. Important to note that until adequate funding is
put in place on a state level, and better stock data is obtained will the
current recreational moratorium be lifted.
ASMFC Striped Bass Draft Addendum
Development Continues
The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass
Management Board met to review and consider approval of Draft Addendum IV to
Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass
for public comment. The Draft Addendum will propose new fishing mortality
reference points, as recommended by the 2013 benchmark stock assessment, and
associated management measures to achieve the proposed target fishing mortality
rate. While the Board did not approve the document for public comment, it
approved substantive changes to the document and will reconsider a revised
draft for public comment at the Commission’s Summer Meeting in August.
The
most significant change was the addition of a three-year timeframe to reduce
fishing mortality to its target with options to achieve the reduction in
harvest incrementally over the three years. This extended timeframe is intended
to lessen the impacts of taking the required harvest reductions in one year. As
a result, the Draft Addendum will propose measures to achieve the required
reduction all in one year or incrementally over three years. The Board also
received a report from the Technical Committee on the development of Chesapeake
Bay specific fishing mortality reference points for inclusion in the Draft
Addendum. Due to the nature of the fishery, which targets smaller and
predominantly male fish, the Technical Committee could not develop bay-specific
reference points at this time. It reported the reference points approved for
management use in the 2013 benchmark stock assessment represent the best
available scientific advice to manage fishing mortality on the entire striped
bass population. The proposed coast wide target fishing mortality rate is
designed to maintain the spawning stock biomass at its target level over the
long-term. The effects of the bay’s harvest of smaller fish on the total coast
wide stock are already incorporated into the coast wide population reference
points due to different selectivity patterns for the bay and coastal fishing
fleets. Based on data through 2012, the Atlantic striped bass stock is not overfished
and overfishing is not occurring under the proposed reference points. While the
stock has declined, it remains at levels similar to 1995 when the stock was
declared recovered. The revised Draft Addendum will continue to focus on the
same management measures that are currently used to regulate the coastal and
Chesapeake Bay striped bass fisheries– recreational bag and size limits, and
adjustments to the commercial quotas. The Board established a subgroup to work
closely with the Plan Development Team to help guide the inclusion of the new
options. The revised Draft Addendum will be considered by the Board for
approval for public comment in August, with public hearings conducted
throughout the fall and final addendum approval slated for October at the
Commission’s Annual Meeting. If approved, the states would then implement
management measures in early 2015.
New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Report
By
John Toth
The regular May
26th meeting of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance (NJOA) fell on the Memorial Day
Holiday and it was rescheduled to June 2nd. On behalf of the JCAA, I attended
this meeting, and the following agenda items were discussed:
Seismic Testing - Cindy Ziph from Clean
Ocean Action was the guest speaker at this meeting and her presentation concerning
seismic testing dominated most of the discussion at this meeting. The purpose of seismic testing is to assess
deep sea sediments from 60 million years
ago to the present to better
understand climate change. The National
Science Foundation is conducting this study and it has enlisted universities
(including Rutgers) to assist it with this project. The test location is just 15 miles off the
Barnegat Inlet in a 230 square mile area. The study will blast sound waves that
are louder than a jet take off (230 decibels) every 5 seconds continuously 24/7
for 30 days from June through July and may extend into August if
necessary. The loud blasts will be
emitted from up to 8 guns firing at once.
Loud sound waves
of this magnitude cannot have a positive effect on sea life and Cindy Zipf
discussed the possible damage it can have on whales, dolphins, squid, scallops
and just about every fish in the ocean.
The migration patterns/ life of marine life like whales and dolphins
that are known to use sound waves can be seriously disrupted and disorient
these creatures. Our fishing season can
also be negatively impacted by this blasting by fish moving away from the
harmful effects of this testing. Just
about every recreational organization and even commercial anglers are united
against seismic testing. Whether seismic
testing can be stopped is unclear at this time. While the stated purpose is to
check for rock sediments (60 million years ago) for climate change, can another
purpose of this testing be for oil and gas deposits????
Beach Replenishment - Cindy also raised
concern about the Army Corps of Engineers taking sand from productive fishing
areas and if this sand being used is free from toxic materials. Paul Harris (NJ Beach Buggy) commented that
it is important that the sand used for this purpose be of the same type that
marine animals can sustain/breed in it like sand crabs. If not, their life cycle and others are in
jeopardy.
Jetty Notching - Paul Harris also
reported that he suggested to NJ DEP that it should consider building a bridge
over a jetty that is notched as a solution to this contentious issue. The bridge would allow anglers to have
continuous use of a jetty and the Army Corps of Engineers would get the notching
it wants. The DEP is concerned about the
cost of this recommendation. Sergio
Radossi, member of the NJ Marine Fisheries Council, indicated that this council sent a letter to
the Army Corps of Engineers opposing their jetty notching project.
Artificial Reefs - Pete Grimbilas
reported that the legal regulations restricting use of it to both recreational
and commercial anglers is still under review by the DEP legal department.
Regionalization - It was reported that
the party/charter boat industry is not that happy with the allowing of 16 inch
fluke being caught at Island Beach State Park.
Their concern is why would anglers go on their boats when they can catch
two 16 inch or more from the surf?
ASMFC Striped Bass Draft Addendum Development Continues
Governor's Surf Fishing Tournament Report
By
John Toth
The Governor's
Surf Fishing Tournament was usually held on the first Sunday in October. However, this first Sunday in October also
brought cold and windy weather many times with it. Additionally, the fishing opportunities
seemed to diminish with only 21 fish being measured in the 2013 tournament with
the biggest fish weighing in at an 18 1/2 inch bluefish, not much to get
excited about. This continued lack of
excitement resulted in less angler participation over the years. Something had to be done to change this
picture!
This tournament
was moved to the third Sunday in May, May 18th, to see if it could
be better for this tournament. It
certainly did and not only was the weather nice, but the fishing really
improved! Along the beach, the rods were bending with many bluefish and striped
bass caught. A 36 inch bluefish caught by Chris Follmer from Hasbrouck Heights
won the Governor's Cup. New Jersey
anglers were not the only ones fishing in this tournament. A number of them also came from Pennsylvania
and Staten Island, NY.
The Jersey Coast
Anglers Association is a sponsor of this tournament and I along with Lt.
Governor Kim Guardagno, David Chanda, Director of the NJ Division of Fish &
Wildlife, Tim Burden from the NJ Beach Buggy Association and John Rogalo from
the NJ Federation of Sportmen's Clubs, were on hand to give prizes to the lucky
winners from the various categories in this tournament (striped bass and
bluefish). What was really fun to see
was the small kids and teens running up to get their prizes and seeing the
excitement on their faces! It looked
like they won the lotto! It also seemed
to me that the girls/women who received their prizes ran up or walked quickly
for their nice prizes while the boys and older guys seemed to strut up for
their prizes with the "look at me attitude." I guess that is another one of the
differences between our sexes! It seemed
everybody was happy with this date change and it looks like the third Sunday in
May will be the new date for this tournament.
I also heard unofficially that 200 more anglers participated because of
this date change and, hopefully, more anglers will fish in this tournament in
2015!
Youth Education Report
By Greg
Kucharewski
JCAA YOUTH EDUCATION AWARD NOMINEES
Paul Osborne, Jersey Shore
Chapter Trout Unlimited
The Manasquan Fishing Club is nominating Mr. Paul Osborne,
Jersey Shore Chapter Trout Unlimited for the 2014 JCAA Youth Education Award.
Paul has represented Trout Unlimited with educating
students attending area schools for a number of years. Students that participate in Trout in the
classroom can learn about the health of their local waterways, water
temperature readings and how trout are sensitive to changes in water quality. Trout in the classroom is now completing 9
years in existence and the Jersey Shore Chapter Trout Unlimited is proud of
their accomplishments.
Every year Paul and other members of TU travel to Pequest
trout hatchery and pick up trout eggs and deliver the eggs to 30 plus schools
through Ocean and Monmouth Counties. Paul
is dedicated to teach students the art of fly casting and fly tying. He incorporates the study of insects and cold
water conservation. The program is designed
to teach students about the importance of a healthy watershed through hands-on
workshops, identify insects, measuring stream health/water quality and
protecting our aquatic resources for future generations.
At the end of the school year the 2.5 inch Brook Trout
fingerlings, as many as 50 or more per school, are released into the Toms River
at the River Wood Park or the Tree Farm, aka the Forest Education Resource
Center Jackson. Many students were
excited to release Brook Trout fingerlings from; Berkeley Elementary, Stafford
Elementary, Howell Middle School and New Egypt High into the Toms River. The school’s teachers and students make the
releasing event a conservation education trip.
Paul takes pride working with NJ DEP, Forest Education
Resource Center, NJ F&WL Education Department and the Jersey Shore Chapter
Trout Unlimited. We are lucky to have a
volunteer like Paul and the members of Jersey Shore Chapter Trout Unlimited to
teach students about caring for our aquatic resources.
Don Marantz,
Newark Bait and Fly Casting Club
The Shore Surf Club is proud to nominate Mr.
Don Marantz for the 2014 JCAA Youth Education Award. Mr. Marantz is an active member of the Newark
Bait and Fly Casting Club for forty years.
During this time Don has worked tirelessly to promote youth fishing and
the protection of our aquatic resources for recreational fishing families. Through his volunteer efforts he has worked
to make sure that children and their families are introduced to fishing and
community environmental activities.
His volunteer activity has inspired others to
get involved. Don and the Newark Bait
and Fly Casting Club have given countless volunteer hours so children
will have opportunities to enjoy fishing and teach others about
conservation. His list of
accomplishments is extensive but we will only mention the following: The annual
indoor educational seminar for children involving boy
scouts and girl scouts - Spring fishing derby for children - Fall fishing derby
for people with disabilities – He represents the club at outdoor shows and the
Pequest trout hatchery open house giving advice to young anglers.
As past president of the Jersey Coast Anglers
Association and current board of directors member, Don donates countless hours
to support the betterment of a stable angling future for youngsters to
enjoy. Don has also established a
solid relationship with legislators and state officials to promote more HOFNOD
programs in New Jersey. When Don sees
something he feels will be a good fit for both young anglers and the fishing
community, he takes a hold of the idea, runs with it and puts it into
action. This was the case when Don
testified with others at the State House in Trenton before the NJ Senate
Environmental Committee in favor of HOFNOD Bill 638. The bill appropriates $200,000 from the Drug
Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund to the Department of Environmental
Protection to fund the cost of implementing the expanded NJ HOFNOD program.
Throughout his
volunteer years, Don has over-extended himself to raise funds for the Newark
Bait and Fly Casting Club and the Jersey
Coast Anglers Association. This
allows these two organizations to contribute towards the purchase of HOFNOD
materials and fishing opportunities for children in urban areas.
Don’s dedication
to youth fishing programs, environmental awareness, and getting the job done is
the reason the Shore Surf Club would like to nominate Mr. Don Marantz for the
2014 JCAA Youth Education Award. We
appreciate his efforts for all the years of tireless service he has given
towards youth education and the promotion of NJ HOFNOD.
FRED BOGUE
The Berkeley Striper Club nominates Fred Bogue for the JCAA
Sportsperson-of-the Year Award and JCAA Youth Education Award.
(See Fred Bogue’s bio elsewhere in this
paper)
JCAA YOUTH EDUCATION STATION
The JCAA Youth Education station at the Governor’s Surf
Fishing Tournament and Armed Forces Day Open House was a great success. We thank Lois Price for assisting at our
casting event and passing out information about NJ HOFNOD. Children received small patriotic prizes for
casting a line of support for our veterans.
BERKLEY HIGH SCHOOL FISHING
Now is the time to register your high school
fishing team for the 2015 Berkley High Fishing Club Challenge. If you participated last year you know the fun
we had with the monthly challenges and all the great prizes available
throughout the season. The opportunity
to win first, second, or third place in the challenge can add hundreds or even
thousands of dollars to your clubs arsenal of fishing supplies. If you are new to the Berkley High Challenge, don’t miss this great opportunity to team
with the most notable brand in the fishing tackle industry - BERKLEY
The Berkley High
Challenge promotes the joy of fishing while learning techniques to develop the
skills to create lifelong anglers. Your club can be big or small, skilled or
novice, freshwater or saltwater, or can fish for any species. It’s not about
the biggest or the most fish, it’s about the joy of the sport.
We don’t focus
on tournaments but we are launching the NEW YEAR now, in JUNE, so that we can
follow and reward your team’s summer time fishing activities. But all that will come later. Now is the time to sign-up. Go to
the Berkley website home page and click on the trophy photo to get started now.
http://www.berkley-fishing.com
YOUTH ACTIVITIES
BRICK HIGH SCHOOL FISHING CLUB
Students at
Brick High School were busy during National Fishing and Boating Week. Club members fished twice and have a third
fishing trip scheduled for July 9th on a party boat.
BAY FISHING
TOURNAMENT
The Fish Hawks Saltwater
Angler’s Club will kick off their 1st Annual Bay Fishing Tournament
on August 1, 2014. It will end on August 31, 2014. The tournament will have two divisions,
adults and children (up to & including 17 years of age.) Entrance fee is very reasonable, $15.00 for
adults and $10.00 for youngsters. All
proceeds go to the Fish Hawks Youth Education & Training programs.
I suggest you
get some fishing practice in before the 1st Annual Bay Fishing
Tournament and learn as much as you can about Kingfish and Blowfish. The tournament is geared towards family fun
fishing in the bay. Results will be
posted weekly on the Fish Hawks Web Site: www.fishhawksnj.com.
CAPE MAY YOUTH
FISHING CAMP
The JCAA Youth Education
Committee will assist Dr. Eleanor Bochenek, Director,
Fisheries Cooperative Center, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers
University at New Jersey Audubon, Nature Center of Cape May with their summer
fishing camp August 18-22, 2014.
NJBBA ANNUAL YOUTH SURF
FISHING TOURNAMENT
Don’t miss
it. The next NJBBA 21st Annual Surf
Youth Fishing Tournament will be held on September 6, 2014. NJBBA members do a great job of making
children and their families have a fun day fishing the surf at Island Beach
State Park. There is always lots of
prizes, goodie bags, learning stations, and plenty of how-to information about
surf fishing. For Information about the
event contact Chairman: Tom Coopey
908-415-3805 tomnjen126@msn.com
NJ
OUTDOOR EXPO
The NJDEP's fifth annual NJ WILD Outdoor Expo will be held
Saturday and Sunday, September 13-14, at the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management
Area in Jackson Township, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, rain or shine. Admission and parking are free. Most activities are free (a few require a modest
fee). For more information, visit
http://www.wildoutdoorexpo.com/ . This fun-filled family event is designed for visitors to
discover new ways to appreciate and enjoy New Jersey's great outdoors. Participants have an opportunity to try a
broad spectrum of outdoor activities such as fishing, kayaking, hiking,
shooting sports, rock climbing, camping skills, geocaching and wildlife
watching. Demonstrations of sporting and
tracking dogs, historical re-enactments, SCUBA dives, turkey calling, nature photography
and much more await.
JCAA
20TH ANNUAL FLUKE TOURNAMENT AUGUST 2ND, 2014
AWARDS
PRESENTATIONS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6TH, 2014, HOLIDAY INN, RTE. 72,
MANAHAWKIN, NJ
