[Angler Paul]

11/29/16


NOAA,

The Jersey Coast Anglers Association is composed of approximately 75 fishing clubs and represents thousands of saltwater anglers. We would like to go on record as opposing the 30% cut in the quota for summer flounder. Summer flounder is the most important saltwater fish for our recreational fishermen and any further reduction will have a devastating economic effect on our charter and party boats as well as the tackle stores that are very dependent on our fluke fisherman. In New Jersey boat registrations have dropped by 50,000 from 2007-2014 and charter and party boats as well as tackle stores have been going out of business in record numbers.
We certainly want a sustainable fishery but believe that you are keeping the spawning stock biomass at too high of a level. We understand that there has been poor recruitment during the last few years but this is not directly linked to the spawning stock biomass. During the last four years we have had the highest spawning stock biomass ever recorded and yet we have had poor recruitment. We had much better recruitment when the SSB was significantly lower. We believe that this fishery would be sustainable even with a much smaller biomass and that your proposed quota is far too low.
We also believe that something should be done to reduce catch and release mortality. At the 18" size limit, 95% of the fluke harvested are females. The size limit should be lowered to allow more males to be harvested which would help reduce the c&r mortality.
Lastly, we request that a new stock assessment with improved data be completed as soon as possible. We urge you to leave the quota for 2017 the same as it was for 2016. Then after the next stock assessment, adjustments could be made as necessary.



Respectfully submitted,
John Toth, President
JCAA