Despite the fact participation in NJ’s recreational fluke fishery was significantly off during 2013, the preliminary MRIP wave data showed that we had over fished our quota by approximately 47 percent. Fortunately for New Jersey, the wave 4 data was recently significantly revised for fluke and this was good news for us. Wave 3 data remained the same and showed that we harvested 279,658 fluke.
However, wave 4 data was changed from 1,159,303 to 730,086 fish, which resulted in a reduction of 429,217 fish. The total harvest for 2013 without the wave 5 data is now 1,009,744. Our original quota was for 977,998 fish but ASMF later approved and extra 88,000 fish so our total quota for the year ended up being 1,065,998 fish. Therefore, at the current time we are 56,254 fish under our quota but again that does not include wave 5 data.
Wave 5 data is expected to be out around 12/15 and I expect it to push us over our quota. We just have to hope that it does not push us over by too much. Last year MRIP showed that 224,969 fish were harvested during wave 5 but that is far above our historical average. We will just have to keep our fingers crossed. Also, remember that the overall coastal quota is being cut for 2014. the overall coastal quota is being cut from 7.63 millions pounds in 2013 to 7.01 million pounds in 2014 that results in an additional 8 percent. So overall, it seems likely we will face a reduction next year but it will not be the draconian measures that we would been forced upon us if the figures were not revised. There is also a possibility that the ASMFC could approve some extra fish for us in 2014 once all the states have set their regulations.
This is similar to what happened this year when NJ was eventually were granted an eight-day extension to its season. However, even if something along similar lines is approved for 2014, it appears that NJ will be forced into having a shorter season, a higher size limit and perhaps a lower bag limit if the MRIP numbers are allowed to stand. The numbers are preliminary, meaning that they could be changed – but don’t bet on it.
The one thing that I can think of that might help is to participate in the New Jersey Recreational Saltwater Angler Survey (www.njfishandwildlife.com) It is important for all those who kept fishing logs to enter their info into this survey and vital to include the bad days where few or no fluke were caught. The ASMFC might allow NJ to develop regulations using this information rather than the MRIP survey.
What we want to avoid is a war between states. New York’s Senator Charles Schumer has proposed a bill called the "Fluke Fairness Act." This bill would force the ASMFC and MAFMC to use a regional approach in fluke management. The bill would create three regions and New Jersey would be included in the region that would extend from Delaware to Connecticut. While we may sympathize with our fishing friends in New York who do have some tough fluke regulations, the end result would be that New York would end up with more fluke at New Jersey’s expense.
