THE worst part of the new summer flounder regulations has already begun – people are losing their jobs.
The Viking Fleet, a big employer of captains and mates for their party boats in Montauk, has already dropped workers. Customers are just not willing to make the trip to Montauk to catch three fluke.
The same thing is happening in Captree, Freeport and Sheepshead Bay. The one saving grace is that there are so many bass around that captains can fish part of the day for fluke and the rest for bass and blues.
As we told you Friday, at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission meetings this past week in Washington, D.C., New York state was told it was still not in compliance with federal regulations and needs to reduce the recreational take even more.
The party and charter boats owners in New Jersey are just as worried. Anglers from New York are already heading to Highlands and Pt. Pleasant and other New Jersey ports to board party boats so they can fish under the Garden State’s regulations that are much more liberal than those from New York.
All those extra rods in the water will no doubt put New Jersey over the top of their quota, which would put our neighbor to the south in the same boat that we are for next season.
This is why a number of the Atlantic states would like to see a coast-wide quota rather than one for each state. This way no one can get that hurt from a reduction when it is spread out over a number of states.
Of course, this is also about politics. Both Senators Clinton and Schumer have powerful voices in Congress and if they really care about their constituents, they would get behind the recreational anglers of New York.
I’m told both senators are aware of the situation; let’s see if they think there are enough votes in it for them to stick their necks out.
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This coming week will see a series of public meetings in New Jersey in order to discuss proposed regulations for recreationally caught striped bass.
The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, along with input from the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council, developed several recreational-fishery options that would allow New Jersey to maintain compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Plan for Striped Bass.
Meeting times and locations are: Tuesday, 7-10 p.m. at Hackensack Meadowlands Environmental Commission Auditorium, 2 Dekorte Park Plaza in Lyndhurst; Thursday, 7:30-10 p.m. at the Brick Township Municipal Building, 401 Chambers Bridge Road in Brick Township; and June 7, 7-10 p.m. at the Avalon Borough Council Chambers, 3100 Dune Dr. in Avalon.