NJDEP Fluke Survey - Action Needed ASAP!!

[Gerry Zagorski]

On February 2, 2017, the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board, part of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), approved changes to this coming year's summer flounder quota for New Jersey. It mandated a one-inch size increase to New Jersey's current recreational summer flounder minimum size limit (raising it from 18-inches to 19-inches) and decreased the possession limit from 5 fish to 3 fish. New Jersey is appealing this change.

In reaching its decision the Board did not determine or consider the potential economic impact of the new quota on the summer flounder industry in New Jersey. This survey is designed to help estimate the extent of the economic impact of these recently approved summer flounder management regulations on recreational fishing. Your responses about recent trends in harvest size, abundance, and throwback mortality will help inform future decisions that promote conservation while minimizing adverse economic impacts.

We strongly urge you to complete the survey as thoroughly and accurately as possible within the next 5 days. The survey should only take about 15 minutes to complete. Your participation in this survey is voluntary and your identity throughout remains anonymous. Nowhere is your name or email requested or captured. Your cooperation, however, is much-needed to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the results. Please know that your answers will be kept confidential.

The link to the survey is:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FNP5L3C

[Bill T]

Survey completed. Let's hope it does some good.

[tjd24]

Done

[Rich]

Done!

[Jay F]

Done!

[Bill G]

Done

[njfish4life]

Done.. got it also through email.

[Rubberhead]

Done

[TerriMc223]

It took a few minutes and was user friendly. The survey asks a number of questions about number of trips and $$ spent fishing for fluke per season,so I assume they are attempting to get a better idea of the comsumer spending on fluke fishing.

[Sullivan]

Done

[Angler Paul]

IMPORTANT FLUKE SURVEY
Our State is seeking evidence to show that we will suffer a severe economic loss if the 3 fluke at 19” is put into effect. If you want us to win the appeal you have to indicate on the survey that you will fish for fluke less, take less overall fishing trips, spend less money, etc. It would also be good to show that we would follow regulations or suggestions to reduce mortality of short fluke by using larger hooks etc. If we are willing to do that, it will also help our case. It won’t hurt to let them know that many people already are not complying with the regulations.

Paul Haertel – JCAA Board Member/Past President

[Angler Paul]

IMPORTANT FLUKE SURVEY
Our State is seeking evidence to show that we will suffer a severe economic loss if the 3 fluke at 19” is put into effect. If you want us to win the appeal individuals will have to indicate on the survey that they will fish for fluke less, take less overall fishing trips, spend less money, etc. Captains can indicate they will have less customers, take less overall trips, make less money to support their families, may go out of business, etc. It would also be good to show that we would follow regulations or suggestions to reduce mortality of short fluke by using larger hooks etc. If we are willing to do that, it will also help our case. It won’t hurt to let them know that many people already are not complying with the regulations.
Please take the survey -
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FNP5L3C
Paul Haertel – JCAA Board Member/Past President

[reason162]

If you want us to win the appeal you have to indicate on the survey that you will fish for fluke less, take less overall fishing trips, spend less money, etc.

How about answering the survey honestly Mr. Haertel?

[Capt.Yasar]

How about answering the survey honestly Mr. Haertel?

yep; just did that. its a long survey, whoever create these surveys sure have more than enough time on their hands.

[SaltLife1980]

Done

[Sharkyispy]

Took the survey, answered how I truly felt the reduction in quota would impact my spending for charters, personal boat trips out and the businesses in the communities involved. I have an issue though with question #23.... Why the hell would i want to pay for a permit to catch smaller fish that what is being proposed at 19 inches and 3 fish? Why is that even being suggested?:confused:
How will paying for a permit to catch the current size fish help to meet a ridiculously calculated quota that they want to reduce??? IMO, this is a lead in to paying for fishing or licensing as required in other states....my .02

[Skolmann]

Done

[hammer4reel]

Took the survey, answered how I truly felt the reduction in quota would impact my spending for charters, personal boat trips out and the businesses in the communities involved. I have an issue though with question #23.... Why the hell would i want to pay for a permit to catch smaller fish that what is being proposed at 19 inches and 3 fish? Why is that even being suggested?:confused:
How will paying for a permit to catch the current size fish help to meet a ridiculously calculated quota that they want to reduce??? IMO, this is a lead in to paying for fishing or licensing as required in other states....my .02

before this survey came out, a RUMOR was heard about a pay for play permit coming out. A different version of CATCH SHARES , where you pay for what you take from the resource.
The question about what your yearly salary is BS too. who cares how much a fisherman makes.


.

[Sharkyispy]

before this survey came out, a RUMOR was heard about a pay for play permit coming out. A different version of CATCH SHARES , where you pay for what you take from the resource.
The question about what your yearly salary is BS too. who cares how much a fisherman makes.


.

Had seen the previous buzz about the permits which made this stand out even more as , Let's get a feel for how many people would do it before we make them do it......Oh my yearly income at $250k+/year is going to show them how much the community is going to lose as a result:D;)

[dfish28]

I will soon have branding irons online to make fluke look like 4 spot flounder...
Pre orders are welcome, will have a lot ready to ship by opening day if not earlier, torches can be purchased separately at your local hardware/plumbing supply stores due to shipping restrictions, sorry for the inconvenience.

But I still filled it out, and don't like that question either Mike

[Gerry Zagorski]

It took a few minutes and was user friendly. The survey asks a number of questions about number of trips and $$ spent fishing for fluke per season,so I assume they are attempting to get a better idea of the comsumer spending on fluke fishing.

Exactly!!

[REEL DISCIPLE]

Done Deal-Survey Complete

[Gerry Zagorski]

Took the survey, answered how I truly felt the reduction in quota would impact my spending for charters, personal boat trips out and the businesses in the communities involved. I have an issue though with question #23.... Why the hell would i want to pay for a permit to catch smaller fish that what is being proposed at 19 inches and 3 fish? Why is that even being suggested?:confused:
How will paying for a permit to catch the current size fish help to meet a ridiculously calculated quota that they want to reduce??? IMO, this is a lead in to paying for fishing or licensing as required in other states....my .02

This is a very slippery slope here so I answered I would not be willing to pay and when asked if there was such a program, how much I wold be willing to pay I put zero.....

Unless someone could convince me otherwise, I'm dead set against paying for the privilege to fish for what is a natural resource. The ocean isn't some pond or stream where we are paying to catch stocked fish.

[hammer4reel]

This is a very slippery slope here so I answered I would not be willing to pay and when asked if there was such a program, how much I wold be willing to pay I put zero.....

Unless someone could convince me otherwise, I'm dead set against paying for the privilege to fish for what is a natural resource. The ocean isn't some pond or stream where we are paying to catch stocked fish.


Thats exactly how Tracey and I filled out ours

[SplitShot]

Sent .... but what should race & income have to do with the situation?? :rolleyes: And certainly not willing to pay for a permit!! What's the hidden agenda behind these questions? :confused:

[Angler Paul]

How about answering the survey honestly Mr. Haertel?

By all means answer honestly. However, many people have asked me why they should fill out the survey so I was trying to explain why to complete the survey and what information our State is seeking to win the appeal.

[billfish16]

Done

[Topeka Boy]

done

[slammer]

Done.I would not pay one dime for a permit!

[Ry609]

I have an issue though with question #23.... Why the hell would i want to pay for a permit to catch smaller fish that what is being proposed at 19 inches and 3 fish? Why is that even being suggested?:confused:
How will paying for a permit to catch the current size fish help to meet a ridiculously calculated quota that they want to reduce??? IMO, this is a lead in to paying for fishing or licensing as required in other states....my .02

I said the same thing! Why should we have to now pay to keep fish that we were allowed to last year, and how does that money prevent a so called "depletion of the stock"? Pretty sure that breeder is still being taken out of the water whether or not we paid to do so! Hopefully this survey helps us.

[dales529]

Done and not willing to pay extra for fishery management mistakes. If they asked for money to fix the data collection methodology no problem

[Dclark2]

Done

[Pennsy Guy]

I would but keep getting flagged on question #9(7-8 times) tried on another site--same deal...wtf...not a big fluker but every voice helps...

[stevelikes2fish]

Done

[Fin Reaper]

All Done!

[John85]

Please do not agree to the pay to play scheme question #23. Thank you.

[Humanzee]

Done.

[dakota560]

Just finished the survey. As mentioned, how anyone could even think of asking a question about pay to play with slot fish is beyond comprehension. It's another form of a salt water license but worse.

[Mike K]

Done. I've got no problem paying for a few extra Fluke, I'm already paying over 3000 a year on the boat loan, another 2000 on boat maintenance plus 2100 for the slip.

[GDubya07]

Please do not agree to the pay to play scheme question #23. Thank you.

Done and why should we pay for a free public resource , it is just another money grab . El Bastardo's - Just say No

GDubs-:cool:

[catsmeow]

Done

[Halibuttech]

i did the survey, it was not hard to figure out and the questions should give them an idea how it will affect flounder fishing

[GEOFISHNJ]

Done

[Detour66]

Done !!!!

[jcstriper1]

Done!!!

[Joey Dah Fish]

Done

[frugalfisherman]

Keep filling out those surveys and writing those letters. YOU SEE WHERE THAT GOT YOU.

[Mako231]

Done

[togzilla]

Done, but as Hillary Clinton would say "What difference does it make." I said this years ago on this site, the ASMFC is infected with these PEW and environmental idiots whose true intentions are to destroy recreational fishing. 20 years ago the PEW idiots used to protest fishing tournaments and that did not go well for them so they got smart and got involved politically. No need to destroy the eggs from the golden goose, just destroy the goose. We are losing more and more party and charter boats and these new fluke regulations could be the death blow. Once these business are gone they are gone for good and we lose for good. Just my 2 cents but our country is rotting from within with bureaucratics and an ever increasing govt. overreach. If I have offended any members on this site then good!!!