NJDEP SMZ Request to the MAFMC

[njdiver]

On September 23, 2016 the Mid Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC) published their SMZ Monitoring Team’s report on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's request for Special Management Zone (SMZ) Designation for 13 Artificial Reef Sites in the EEZ, the report is available here:

http://www.mafmc.org/s/Tab05_NJ-SMZ-Consideration.pdf

Here is a quote from that report:

“Recommendations

1. Based on evaluation of all relevant factors and issues as outlined in Amendment 9 to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass FMP, the SMZ Monitoring Team recommends that the Council designate all 13 New Jersey's artificial reefs located in the EEZ as SMZs. The SMZ designation should stipulate that no fishing vessel or person on a fishing vessel may fish in the 13 New Jersey Special Management Zones with any gear except hook and line and spear fishing (including the taking of fish by hand).”

At their October 5th meeting at the Stockton Seaview Hotel, 401 S New York Rd Galloway, NJ, the MAFMC will discuss the above report. It is scheduled for 1:00 – 2:30 Wednesday the fifth.

http://www.mafmc.org/council-events/oct16-council-meeting

[Joey Dah Fish]

Keep these people out of the control of our reefs period

[ALS Mako]

Keep these people out of the control of our reefs period

I think this is part of keeping commercial gear (fish pots) off the reefs joey. Sometimes the pols do get it right.....sometimes.

[Joey Dah Fish]

That's how it starts Stve just ask the peeps in Florida. Once the gain control they then ban rec guys too.

[njdiver]

"The SMZ designation should stipulate that no fishing vessel or person on a fishing vessel may fish in the 13 New Jersey Special Management Zones with any gear except hook and line and spear fishing (including the taking of fish by hand).”

This is only a prohibition of gear type not a ban on commercial fishing. There are hook and line commercial permit holders in NJ.