IT LOOKS as if 2006 will not be good year for those who rely on fluke fishing for a good part of their income.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission gave in and OK’d a 23.59 million pound quota – a considerable drop from the 30.3 million pounds the Atlantic States were allotted in 2005.
The low quota will put a lot of party and charter boats out of business. The fact that the coastal states did not even put up a fight for the 26 million pounds the Mid-Atlantic Council has hoped to adopt for the next three years is a mystery.
New York was one of the states that voted in favor of the lower quota. I’m told that Gordon Colvin, who heads marine fisheries for New York’s DEC, did not want to be locked into a three-year deal and would prefer to fight it out after one season if there is a big improvement in the summer flounder fishery.
He has a point, but with other people’s livelihoods on the line, it’s a big gamble.
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New Jersey should be getting a new striped bass bill in 2006.
This past month, the N.J. Senate Environment Committee and Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees both unanimously approved legislation that will change the state’s striped bass size and bag limits to two fish at 28 inches each.
Votes by the full Senate and Assembly are expected this month and the bill is expected to be signed by acting Gov. Codey before he leaves office in mid-January.
In addition, the bill prohibits filleting or the removal of the head or tail of any striped bass at sea. Before, you could not even fillet the fish at home until you were ready to eat it. For many years, anglers who cleaned a striped bass before going home or even had filets in the freezer were technically in violation of the law.
There is still time for your community or local organization to sign up to host a fun youth fishing derby in 2006, but the deadline for doing so, Jan. 31, is fast approaching.
The program is Wal-Mart Kids All-American Fishing (KAAF). The reason for the early deadline is because the free-of-charge KAAF derby organizer support kits are built in advance, based on approved event registrations.
Bringing a KAAF derby to a community is a simple process for just about any kind of organization willing to plan, coordinate and host an on-the-water fishing event for local youth. More information and an online application are available at http://www.kids-fishing.com.
ken.moran@nypost.com
