Save the bunker
 

On November 5, let's remember who ordered the NJ delegation to the ASMFC meeting in Baltimore last December to vote AGAINST any significant protection for what's left of the bunker population. When New Jersey consistently voted with Virginia it was voting against the interests of all recreational anglers and for the interests of Omega Protein, the company that has been annihilating the bunker population.:cool:

Re: Save the bunker
 

Look, I am not one to piss in anyone's cheerios, however, I must disagree.. In all my life, I have never seen anything like the huge masses of bunker in Sandy Hook and raritan bays past couple years.. i mean miles of them, schools as far as the eye could see, this year and last.. Perhaps I am just seeing whats in the bays, and there may be more of a population problem than I am aware of, but man, the bunkers I have seen past several years has been unlike anything I can remember. and I have been fishing NJ waters for 50 years on and off...

Re: Save the bunker
 

Bob-Unfortunately we are not seeing the schools stretch for miles out in the ocean, all indicators agree that commercial reduction fleets are decimating this resouce. Water quality in Chesapeake Bay stinks because there is no bunker, oyster fishing stinks because there is no bunker and a virus bloomed and wiped out the oyster beds, crabbing there stinks because the stripers have switched over to juvenile crabs because there is no bunker. The stripers you catch in the upper bay look scrawney and have skin sores because there is no bunker. Start to see a picture ? All of this is to protect Omega and approximately 60 employees and a couple of very wealthy owners. Unfortunately we never see the big picture until it is too late. We need the bait boats, we don't need the reduction fleets.

Re: Save the bunker
 

Sternline - do you have any particular names in mind ??

Re: Save the bunker
 

Just one name. Clue: He is the one person who has the authority to order NJ delegates to the ASMFC to vote one way or another. Clue #2: You can vote for or against this person on Tuesday.

Re: Save the bunker
 

Most of the bunker this year were not ''spawners''.We are missing a year class.Although there were bunker schools around it is nothing like what it supposed to be.In the past Raritan Bay was loaded with mature bunker all fall.This is not the case anymore.No mature bunker no peanut bunker no bunker to mature and spawn.If you saw the quantity of bunker we had 40 and 50 years ago you would be amazed!

Re: Save the bunker
 

Understood, and I stand corrected.. You guys are out in the ocean all the time,near and far, each and every day.. You are getting a broad view that I am not...
I saw the big bunker numbers in the bays past few years and figured the population was like that everywhere... I appreciate the explanation..bob

Re: Save the bunker
 

I don't know about 40 or 50 years ago, but I would say the bunk population is definitely better than it was in the 1990's when I was running charters out of Belmar and Raritan bay. That I have no doubt about that.

So don't vote for Christie is the cryptic message? Not really sure why it's cryptic? What is this like Harry Potter for "he who must not be named"? LMAO

Re: Save the bunker
 

I get it, lets vote for the "Nice Lady" who's party is pro catch share and see how bad things will get. The current Pres.'s administration could care less about us. His appointee's are pushing their agenda and refuse to listen to the people. It doesn't matter that it cost jobs in the middle of a recession. They don't want us to fish, hunt, or own firearms. At least you can talk to Gov. C. He will be at the rally this weekend. If you have concerns you can voice them. I generally don't vote the party line but this time I AM !

Re: Save the bunker
 

How anyone could ever vote for Barbara Buono I'll never know.I wouldn't vote for her if it meant no more bunker ever.Even if it meant no more stripers!So be it.These Democrats are destroying our once great nation.It would take a hell of alot more than a few bunker to change My mind!

Re: Save the bunker
 

I agree 100 %, I wanted to see where Sternline was going with this. I would like to ask Stern this, with all of the stuff going on in NJ last December, post Sandy, Do you really think Christie thought for 1 second about the status of bunker here in NJ or anywhere else ?? Thats laughable. Those delegates voted without his input, and our problem lies with them, not Christie, who has been very responsive to the needs of the Shore.

Re: Save the bunker
 

[QUOTE=Capt. Frank]I don't know about 40 or 50 years ago, but I would say the bunk population is definitely better than it was in the 1990's when I was running charters out of Belmar and Raritan bay. That I have no doubt about that.

/QUOTE]

Hey, Capt. Frank, what you are forgetting is that until 2002 the reduction industry (that is, Omega Protein) was scooping up most of the bunker schools in New Jersey waters. Then we passed a law--thanks to all the folks who understood what was happening--that kicked the reduction industry out of our waters. So, yes, then we started seeing bunkers like nobody had seen in a long time. But these are just the remnants left by the reduction industry. The bunker population along this whole coast has crashed because Omega Protein is annihilating the babies in the Chesapeake and annihilating the schools of adult spawners in federal waters, that is beyond the 3-mile jurisdiction of New Jersey. Every coastal state except Virginia has now banned the reduction industry, but we are fast approaching the point where the species will not be viable as an important fish. That's why our delegation should not have been voting with Virginia at that crucial ASMFC meeting.

Re: Save the bunker
 

Too bad you weren't at that meeting in Baltimore, because you would have learned that the New Jersey delegation got their voting instructions from the governor. Do you really think that Tom Fote, who worked for years trying to get the ASMFC to save menhaden from the reduction industry, would otherwise have voted with Virginia and Omega Protein? If you don't believe me, ask him. The governor of Virginia directly asked Christie for this vote, and that is a verifiable fact.

Re: Save the bunker
 

We captains show up all the meetings we possibly can.We make a living in a short window!Capt. Rich does he share plus!He cares as do all of us.Get ur dun united!!!!I have been to some many meetings it makes my head spin talking to so called''marine biologists''.Common sense is not common.

Re: Save the bunker
 

My reply was not intended as a criticism of Capt. Rich for not attending the Baltimore ASMFC meeting. But it was intended to set the record straight about what we learned, first hand and directly, about the governor's betrayal there. The anglers of New Jersey have been fighting this fight since the 1870s. In 1882 (that's not a misprint) the governor vetoed the bill to ban the menhaden reduction industry from New Jersey waters. It was basically the same bill that we did pass in 2001, the bill that allowed bunkers that made it into our waters to be safe while they stayed here. That's why we've had so much great striper and bluefish fishing in most recent years. But now, with the bunker population crashing coastwise, we may be witnessing some ominous results. If the bunker were here now, those stripers would be gobbling up our jigs.

Re: Save the bunker
 

My reply was not intended as a criticism of Capt. Rich for not attending the Baltimore ASMFC meeting. But it was intended to set the record straight about what we learned, first hand and directly, about the governor's betrayal there. The anglers of New Jersey have been fighting this fight since the 1870s. In 1882 (that's not a misprint) the governor vetoed the bill to ban the menhaden reduction industry from New Jersey waters. It was basically the same bill that we did pass in 2001, the bill that allowed bunkers that made it into our waters to be safe while they stayed here. That's why we've had so much great striper and bluefish fishing in most recent years. But now, with the bunker population crashing coastwise, we may be witnessing some ominous results. If the bunker were here now, those stripers would be gobbling up our jigs.

Re: Save the bunker
 

So you seem to know the results of the NJ delegation and this vote? And, "that is a verifiable fact" if you know this, would you be kind enough to provide these facts? A little out of touch than I used to be. Am one of the original 13 members who formed the Jersey Coast Anglers Association when fellow bass fishermen met to save our access to netting herring under the Deal Lake flume. Next and most paramount JCAA was the protection of Menhaden. Hard to believe what I just read!

Re: Save the bunker
 

Yes, alas, it's true. The NJ delegation voted unanimously against the proposals for a significant limit on the reduction industry's catch of menhaden and voted unanimously with Virginia (that is Omega Protein) on every important vote. The boys from Virginia played their cards very cleverly and won a "compromise" that amounts to a token reduction in the catch. The proof that this is not limiting Omega's rape of the ocean is the fact that they moved two more of their factory ships (which they call boats) from the Gulf to the Atlantic.

Re: Save the bunker
 

Sternline, my question is , how is voting for the "Nice Lady" or anyone else on the ballot going to help ? You haven't changed my mind.

Re: Save the bunker
 

Hey, Ol Pedro, I didn't start this thread to change the outcome of the election. In fact, I don't think this message board should be a forum for or against political candidates. I started this in response to the post from "NJ Reef Rescue" that was a lengthy political advertisement for Christie, asking us to attend an event honoring him as a big friend of recreational anglers. No matter which candidate one supports for governor, we should all be putting pressure on whoever is governor, now and in the future, to protect the marine environment and our interests as anglers. There are two key issues for us: SAVE THE BUNKERS and POTS OFF THE REEFS. The present governor has an abysmal record on both these issues. He actually sold us down the river at the crucial ASMFC on menhaden last December and has supported commercial interests over recreational on the reef issue. So whether or not anglers vote for him, they certainly should not be honoring him as a friend of us fishermen. In fact, if you do support him and attend his rally, why not ask him to change his positions and help us save the bunkers and get the pots off the reefs?

Re: Save the bunker
 

"On November 5, lets remember" sounds like you are trying to influence our votes.

Re: Save the bunker
 

You should have said this in the first place and not what is in the first post. I agree that this isn't a political forum. I'm also surprised that this thread hasn't been closed. As I said before show up at the rally and express exactly what you have stated.

Re: Save the bunker
 

Why would they close this thread? ...because of some political overtones? Look up the definition of "political" and you will see many of these threads and their posts are of a political nature. I would not have known that our NJ delegates and representatives voted, in not such favor, to protect OUR bunker and played politics instead. That bothers me and in fact pisses me off. What does that bumper sticker say about fishing and voting? Thank you for this "political" thread

Re: Save the bunker
 

Fishfish, I have come to expect being censored for stating my views Political or otherwise in the past . This thread didn't take a turn south and has been kept civil so far. I'm glad that you gathered some knowledge from this.

Re: Save the bunker
 

Let me tell you why I am not voting for the incumbent governor: For any NJ politician to announce he is a Dallas Cowboys fan rather than one of the 3 "local" NFL teams proves he is a boob.
Wonder how far a Texas politician would get announcing he is a fan of the Redskins?

Re: Save the bunker
 

I thought that the Cowboys were America's Team ? New Jersey doesn't have an NFL Team.( I always did like the Giants at least they play in New Jersey ) I'm a Chargers Fan what does that say for me ?