NJ 2017 Fluke Regulations

[Gerry Zagorski]

Just got done listening to the tail end of the Mid Atlantic Fisheries Management Council meeting. Today the subject was Fluke. Dave Daily (Dales) from the NJ Chapter of the RFA was on the call as well.

Just in case you were not aware, based on stock assessments were we looking at a 40 some % reduction in quotas for 2017. That means stricter regulations.

The initial rumors getting floated around were we'd be at 2 fish @ 19 inches.

This is not set in stone since there is a lot more to follow over the next few months but, based on what I heard it seems more likely 3 or 4 fish @ 19 inches... If 3 fish, a longer season, if 4 fish, a shorter season.

So, I guess we should be happy it's not as bad as we initially thought, right?

WRONG!! This happens every year... They float doom and gloom regs, throw us a last minute bone with an extra fish, we feel better and drop our guards...

The problem with this line of thinking is the cumulative effect is has... Just like the old anecdote of the frog in the pot of water on the stove... You put him in there when the water is boiling and he jumps right out... If however you put him in cold water and raise the heat gradually, he doesn't notice and before he knows it, he's boiled.

Same thing with the Fluke regs.... They take 1 fish from us this year, another next year and 5 years from now we are wondering how the hell we got boiled.

We all need to stay vigilant here, not let our guards down and continue to fight for our rights every day and every year.....

Some may be thinking how can I help... I'm only one person and only have so much time and energy to fight... The good news is we have local and national organizations you can contribute to and as a collective have a much larger voice.

Here are 3 examples.
- http://www.joinrfa.org/join/Recreational Fishing Alliance
- http://ssfff.org/ Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund
- http://www.jcaa.org/ Jersey Coast Anglers Associations

Some might be thinking, I've contributed to these organizations in the past and what have they done for me? Fact is they all go to these meetings representing our interests, lobby politically, invest and support in better science needed to assess fish stocks and they are our collective voice.

Just think if our interests weren't being represented where we'd be....Left unchecked and to their own and others well organized environmental and social group agendas, we wouldn't be allowed to fish at all... Are you thinking that assumption is being over stated here??? Just google Federal Marine Protected Areas and you'll see what's happening...

Thanks for bearing with my rant here and please get involved in supporting these and other organizations. Give what you can and take solace that you did what you could to save our great sport for future generations. It's worth the investment and these organizations deserve and need our support!!