Next week, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will hold their 82nd Annual Meeting from October 21-24 at the Westin Annapolis at 100 Westgate Circle in Annapolis, MD. Since 1942, ASMFC has served as the deliberative body of the Atlantic coastal states, coordinating the conservation and management of 27 nearshore fish species. Each state is represented at the ASMFC by three different commissioners, including the director of the state’s marine fisheries management agency, a state legislator, and an individual appointed by each state’s governor. When it comes time to vote among the 15 member states, each state gets one vote after caucusing with their three individual members.
In New Jersey, Joseph Cimino represents the state Division of Fish & Wildlife, with Heather Corbett as his ongoing proxy should he miss a meeting. At last year’s annual meeting, Cimino was also elected as the commission chair for a two-year term. Also representing New Jersey are Jeff Kaelin, a representative of the commercial fishing sector from Lunds Fisheries in Cape May – tabbed by Gov. Phil Murphy as his appointed delegate – while Senator Vin Gopal of Ocean Township is the legislative rep with Capt. Adam Nowalsky functioning as his proxy.
See the full slate of ASMFC members.
These ASMFC commissioners work together to deliberate over interstate fisheries management, science, habitat conservation, and law enforcement in Atlantic Coastal out to the 3-mile line where federal waters begin. For reference sake, when it comes to management measures outside the line in federal waters, that’s when New Jersey, Delaware and New York anglers watch management efforts unfold at the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC). By the way, MAFMC will meet jointly with the ASFMC’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board and Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board next Thursday, October 24, at which point the council (federal waters) and commission (state waters) should hammer out details on 2025 black sea bass measures.
With a 20% cutback proposed for sea bass, many saltwater anglers and coastal business owners are a bit on edge. Without being Chicken Little here, I’m even more afraid of next Wednesday’s striped bass meeting. As part of the ASMFC management regime, there are a number of boards, committees and panels designated for single species management. On October 23 from 1:30 to 5 p.m., the ASMFC’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board (often referred to in management summaries simply as Board) will be reviewing the 2024 stock assessment update for striped bass, and may, quote, “consider management response (if necessary).”
Is the sky falling on striped bass? Well, things aren’t good from a management perspective, especially when considering that recreational data surveys are likely overestimating angler effort by as much as 30 to 40%, while continued poor recruitment numbers from both the Chesapeake and Hudson surveys shows fewer young-of-the-year fish. Basically, there aren’t enough baby stripers to make up for harvest and mortality rates coming out of the fishing effort surveys, which puts the 2029 rebuilding targets for stripers in jeopardy.
The Board approved an emergency action in May of 2023 to change the recreational size limit initially for 180 days through October 28, 2023, calling for a 31-inch maximum size limit to be implemented to reduce harvest of the strong 2015-year class; in August of 2023, they extended the emergency action through October 28, 2024 or until implementation of Addendum II to Amendment 7 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan, whichever comes first. That “addendum” was approved and implemented as of May 1, 2024, which means the emergency action continues.
I hate to be the harbinger of doom, but after next Wednesday, I think we may find ourselves in another state-by-state striper war that could very well make last year’s “emergency action” debate look more like a rock, paper, scissors battle at 3rd grade recess.
