The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued an emergency action on blueline tilefish for waters of the Virginia/North Carolina border that will allow for recreational possession limit of seven blueline tilefish per person, per trip. The June 4, 2015 decision is a temporary ruling which goes into immediate effect and remains in place through December 2, 2015.
The ruling is based upon a recommendation of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and is expected to reduce fishing mortality and help ensure the long-term sustainability of the stock.
According to the official notice from NMFS and the Department of Commerce, the seven blueline per person bag limit will help constrain fishing mortality and reduce the risk of overfishing on blueline tilefish while the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Councils develop a longterm management plan for blueline tilefish throughout its range.
“The recreational component of this fishery is very small compared to the commercial component and our records indicate that only 12 percent of anglers catch seven blueline tilefish per day,” NMFS said, adding “implementing the less restrictive recreational measures mitigates socio-economic impacts on the recreational fleet without undermining the conservation benefits coming from the primary focus of this rule which is to stop the commercial fleet’s landing of high levels of blueline tilefish.”
In the May 21 edition of The Fisherman Magazine for New Jersey and Delaware Bay, a local editorial encouraged anglers to contact U.S. Senator Corey Booker (D-NJ) in an effort to influence the Secretary of Commerce to support the seven fish bag limit as endorsed by the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Many readers who took action received follow-up calls from Sen. Booker’s staff offering support.
The original proposal to implement a one blueline, per vessel, per day recreational limit was issued by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council in an effort to address North Carolina commercial vessels flagrantly overfishing their regional quotas. Opposition from members of the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council and anglers north of the Virginia/North Carolina line countered that that the request by the southern regional council was overstepping bounds on a fish that doesn’t migrate north and south.
“Bluelines, like all tilefish, live in borrows and do not migrate, living their entire lives in a confined area of the continental shelf,” said Nick Cicero of the Folsom Corporation, a leading New Jersey Based manufacturer and distributor of fishing tackle. Cierco went on to add that the agency had no local stock assessment and no local catch data on blueline tilefish to support the more draconian measures requested by the South Atlantic council.
In addition to the seven blueline tilefish bag limit for offshore anglers, NMFS has also mandated a commercial possession limit of 300 pounds whole weight per trip.
The Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife in proposing a regulation in line with NMFS’s emergency action, will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 24 in the DNREC auditorium, Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Go to www.dnrec.delaware.gov for more information.