Fishing Communities in Dire Trouble!!

[captbogan]

Party Fishing Vessel and Charter fishing vessels that carried more than 6 passengers --Businesses that have Gone Under in New Jersey (not replaced) since the Bad Reauthorizations of Magunson-Stevens in 1996 and 2006

Bayone-----------------------Bucky
Perth Amboy----------------Sea Pigeon
Leonardo---------------------Freddy C
Highlands--------------------Crack-a-Dawn
" "----------------------Eagle
" "-----------------------Jersey Girl
" "-----------------------Ranger
Belmar-----------------------Catherine II
" "-----------------------Mohawk Explorer
" "-----------------------Mohawk IV
" "-----------------------Eileen
" "-----------------------Ginny Lynn
" "-----------------------American Eagle
Brielle------------------------Atlantis
" "----------------------Capt Kel

Point Pleasant-------------Norma KII
" "----------------------Miss Norma K
" "----------------------Deep Adventures III
" "----------------------Deep Adventures IV
" "----------------------Sea Devil
" "----------------------Cock Robin
Barnegat--------------------White Star
" "----------------------Miss LBI
" "----------------------Doris Mae
" "----------------------Searcher
" "----------------------Jersey Devil
Atlantic City----------------Capt Applegate
Sea Isle City----------------Capt Robbins
" "----------------------Miss Ocean City
Fortesque------------------Angler
Cape May------------------Mid 90's: 29 party boats----Currently: 9 party boats

During Same Years, new to the industry:
Perth Amboy---------------Sea Hawk (for sale?)
High Lands-----------------Dorthy B (transferred from NY)
Pt Pleasnt------------------Voyager

This is a count of 50, once viable businesses, that are gone for good (In NJ alone). This is NOT anecdotal information. These were US Coast Guard, federally documented vessels. NMFS wants us off the ocean --they have done a good job. Fisheries management has been hi-jacked by special interest groups that are making money by putting us out of business. They are penalizing fishermen on fish stocks that are rebuilt as high as 300%! Summer flounder biomass stock rose from 35.9 mil lbs in 1995, to 88.9 million lbs by 2014 (more than double) --this was achieved through our sacrifices --not fisheries management (who I've heard get paid $400 plus per-day, put up in a fancy hotel, all expenses paid, for their time at the meetings.)
The Original intent of Magnunson Stevens was good: Increase fish stocks and maintain a viable fishing community through sound fisheries management. This is no longer the case. Fishing communities no longer matter.
Above is only a list of larger recreational for-hire fishing charter and party boat businesses that have disappeared since the Magnunson-Stevens reauthorizations of 1996 and 2006. It does not include family run tackle shops and fishing marinas and boat rental marinas --and all the residual loss of business that has suffered under the inequity of these unfair fish rulings.
And would be improbable to estimate the numbers of a whole generation of lower-income people who have given up -- or not even learned-- saltwater fishing due to the fact that the cost doesn't warrant --no chance of bring home dinner.
Fisheries management has successfully divided and conquered fishermen; from Recreational vs Commercial, private boat vs for-hire boat, State against State, beach fishermen vs boat fishermen.
All the while, the enviro-industry (and make no doubt, it is a money making industry) are laughing all the way to the bank. Behind doors, these same people are earnestly working to create Marine Sanctuaries to further restrict our..."Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness", (which was our unalienable right, spoken of in the Declaration of Independence).
If you look at the lobbyist, Marine Fish Conservation Network, for example, you will see a wolf in sheep's skin; Pretending to be concerned about fishing communities. MFCN is on Capitol Hill, lobbying to put a stop to any bill that would introduce common sense flexibility into our fisheries management. 200 organizations are represented and many individuals contribute to the MFCN lobby business, thinking they are helping us, not realizing they are in truth, working against us. Other lobby groups with deep pockets: Environmental Defense Fund, PEW Trust Fund, PETA and many more.
During this same 20 year period, marine estuaries (according to NOAA, 2/3 of all marine life begins in the estuary) continue to be built upon --and polluted into --and beach replenishment continues to ruin marine habitat by stealing sand from underwater hills and ridges and pumping into onto the beaches, only to get washed away during the next storm. (It's a shame that govt continues to use the tax money of hard working people to dump marine habitat onto the beaches, yet access for surf fishermen continues to be diminished.) It seems the enviro-industry has kept most quiet about this because I guess they are okay with replacing fishing communities with condos and sail boats.

The Axe needs to be laid to the root. Magunson Stevens needs to be fixed --returned to its original intent. If our Fisheries Management Council is not going to stand up for our fishing communities, we must do our part by reaching our representatives. Send an email --make a call --use social media: facebook, twitter, ect. Information on how your rep can be reached has never been easier. You do not need to be eloquent, you don't need to be long winded, you only need to let your reps know how the fisheries system is broke and that Magnunson Stevens needs to be fixed before our fishing communities are solely given over to the elite. Support Bill HR 200 and HR 2023.
Our Representatives in NJ and NY have been very quiet on these two bills --They need to wake up. I urge you to rattle their cage.
If you fish, Please, "Do not go quietly into that good night." (T.Dylan) Join the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) online.


1997 NJ Fishing Regs *2017 NJ Fishing Regs Italicized

Summer flounder----35.9 mil lbs bio stock in 1995--------------88.9 mil lbs in 2014*
14.5", no close, 10 fish limit------------------------------
18" May 25 - Sept 5 - 3 fish limit

Black sea bass----stock rebuilt 229%---not overfished---overfishing not occurring*
9", no close, no limit-----------------------------------
13?" May 26--June 29 -10 fish limit
July 1-Aug 31 -2 fish limit
Oct 22-Dec 31 --5 fish limit

Scup (Porgy)--------------stock rebuilt 300%+*
No Size no close, no limit-----------------
Proposal of 15 fish limit with closed seasons

Winter Flounder
10" Mar 1-May 31, Sept 15-Dec 31 -no limit--------
12" March 1-Dec 31 -2 fish limit

Bluefish
no size or close 10 fish limit-----------------------------
no size or season 15 fish limit

Weakfish
14" no close 14 fish limit----------------------------------
14" no close 1 fish limit

Tautog
13" no close no limit--------------------------------------
15"Jan 1 -Feb 28 -4 fish limit
April 1-April 30 -4 fish limit
July 17-Nov 15 -1fish limit
Nov 1-Dec 31 -6 fish limit

Cod
19" no close no limit------------------------------------------
21" no close no limit

Striped bass
28", no close, 2 fish-----------------------------------
Over 28" one fish, over 43" one fish

River herring
No size, no limit, no close----------------
Closed year round to recreational fishermen

*Information retrieved from NMFS


Capt Bob Bogan
Party Boat Gambler
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

[Moonzy1]

Without a doubt the best composed and most compelling post I have seen on this topic yet. Backed w/ real data and timeline.

The best and only way I now of you can win this type of fight.....and some money. Which you cannot obtain without the former.



you have motivated me capt.

Thank you

[laketrout]

Excellent post Bob. I was just comparing the quotas myself a few days ago and was saddened. I am also a member of the RFA, and have been for many years. Although well intended, I don't have confidence the RFA can do anything to change things. I'm still waiting for them to bump up the winter flounder quota. I just have given up hope that anything will change in the favor of the recreational fisherman.

And yet the discard of millions of pounds of by-catch continues from the commercials. Did the recs kill the ling, whiting, flounder, weakfish, etc. The only reason the blackfish are the last to go IMO is because the commercials cant drag for them as effectively (although the roller draggers certainly do damage). Thankfully, we got the pots off the reef.

Regulators need to accurately account for commercial by-catch and come up with a solution that hinges the by-catch against their quota. This issue is the proverbial "Elephant in the Room" issue which no regulators will take issue on. I commend Norway for finally dealing with this issue this year by banning the discard of all bycatch, as they see it as unethical.

Our story, the story of the recreational fishing community, will end just the way the hand line cod fisherman of New England did (unless changed).

[Scotty]

Add the Bandit (Belmar) to the list

[AndyS]

Add on top of that a Saltwater Registry also.

Can't vouch for all the boats, I think a few captains hit the age of retirement.

[SaltLife1980]

There is a lot of good info there. Eye opener for sure

[captbogan]

Add on top of that a Saltwater Registry also.

Can't vouch for all the boats, I think a few captains hit the age of retirement.


20 years ago, most of these businesses were passed down to the next generation. But I don't think I could do that to my kids, Andy

[captbogan]

I was just informed by one of my tackle dealers that there is an excise tax in NJ on fishing tackle made in the USA. He said he'd rather buy American made but that it's cheaper to buy from China because of the extra tax on Made in USA.

An excise tax is a tax that is often levied on "superfluous Items or unnecessary items"

[bbfisherman]

It is sad to see what was a large vibrant industry become what it is today. I remember summer nights looking out to sea and seeing a city made up of party boats night blue fishing. Unfortunately neither the democrats or republicans really care about the recreational fishing industry. Whatever party was or is in power has done nothing to save the recreational fishing industry here in NJ.

[NoLimit]

We are not politically organized. Attending these public meetings in remote locations does nothing.

[stevelikes2fish]

Thank you Captain for the above article. It's being shared on social media as we talk here. When we ALL unite and take a stand, then maybe heads will turn. It will take 100% participation of this great forum. We need to get organized. It is time to fight back!!!

[Reel Class]

Great post Bob. I'm sharing this also.

[hammer4reel]

Thinking there are another four or five not on that list gone from AH area.

Definetly shows how harsh the last few decades have been on the fishing industry here .

Other states don't have to feed others like our resources here do nationwide .
I think if you want the benefits of what comes off our shorelines you should have to live here .

Don't see Colorado and other western States sending us their elk etc.
So don't see why we have to give up our great resources for all the other states that we should be enjoying for living here

[pectoralfin]

Black Sea Bass-Commercial quota increased 50%. Recreational decreased about 8%

Bluefish- If we don't catch our quota, "Transfers from the recreational sector to the commercial are allowed in the FMP as a means to avoid drastic fluctuations in the commercial fishery quotas. However, these transfers are only made if they do not adversely impact the recreational fishery."

And more cuts to come!!!

[Capt. Debbie]

A great post with a staggering difference.

Problem is to prove stats you need a history every 10 years. 1976, 1986, 1996.etc. That shows what is normal and what Magnuson did. Tremendous amount of work. Capt Bob obviously did a tremendous amount of research to gather all this too.

When I first started fishing in then 60's almost all the boats save the Fisherman are gone before Magnuson. Delmar, Lazy Bones, Palace, LB Fishing Pier, etc. Businesses evolve and shrink too.

The PB's obviously work from fares received. People pay the fares. The rest are reasons why the number of fares (people fishing) go up and go down.

I'm not sure I would fish more often if fluke regulations were for 10 fish at 14 inches. Or weakfish were 10 fish at 10 inches. Usually the season open/ close dates dictates me going or not. Would we stop fishing if it were like NYS was 2 fluke at 20 inches? I would not. I guess some might.

Often motivation to fish is you like the sport and the day out and away. Not necessarily a home caught dinner awaits. Of course that's nice too.

Remember the old saying: even a bad day of fishing is better than a GOOD day at work? I think season open /close dates drive fishing more so than how big and how many I can keep.

Again, it a lot of parsing things out. Capt Bob did a GREAT JOB!

[Gerry Zagorski]

Great post Bob and it certainly puts things in perspective with facts to back it up.

Magnuson needs to be reformed for any long term relief or we are going to be fighting for scraps like we find ourselves doing every year.

[Hunter 2]

Thanks for the informative post Captain.

[reason162]

Correlation doesn't necessarily = causation.

Fewer people fish today, and the reasons are myriad. But feel free to satisfy your confirmation bias in w/e piece of data you come across.

[GDubya07]

Great post and information

It is a shame what is going on

GDubs-:cool:

[dfish28]

One of the best correlative posts I've seen on these topics, thank you Captain for taking the time to put this out there on "paper", now we just need a set of eyes from the right place to read it, maybe need a Washington D.C. Fishing.com to get interest, hopefully we can say "in time, this too shall pass"

[Abrasion]

You forgot the Queen Mary. As soon as they can find a buyer for the boat its game over.

[bigfish1011]

Dont worry- trump will save you and make fishing great again

[Inishmore3]

One of the most excellent posts ever on this site. Thank you for your hard work.

I think the White Star has been gone for a very long time. Don't remember the year. Last I knew Kenny was a limo driver on the high seas. Of course that limo is a multi million dollar yacht. I don't know why Charlie stopped. He told me it was regulations. John Larson passed away but they keep going on. Lenny keeps the dream alive. But they fluke a lot now. The CAIII keeps going but once Gina and Will get older I don't think there is anyone to take over. I also doubt they would want family to go through what they, you and all other captains and owners have through the years.

The bottom line is he landscape of Barnegat Light has changed over the last few years. It's sad. Another part of our childhood and adulthood gone forever.

[SaltLife1980]

The CAIII may live on after gina and will through Forest. He is fishing commercially now i believe. The worst part for them on LBI is that Sept is hot fishing down there on the reefs. When we go down we hammer the fluke non stop. No that its over on the 5th they are stuck at dock till what... seabass or tog? They dont get the traffic that other boats get at the docks. For the most part when we are down there and we have been going for over 20 years its people on vacation and a hand full of loyal customers. So now they loose out big time.