U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today sent a letter, signed by the majority of the N.J. Delegation, to the newly-confirmed Secretary of the Department of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, expressing the need to delay any 2017 restrictions placed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) on the New Jersey fishing industry. The letter highlighted the overwhelmingly negative impact the new regulations would have on New Jersey shore communities.

     “If implemented, a reduction of this magnitude will have harsh and immediate economic consequences for families and businesses along New Jersey’s 130 mile shoreline—many still struggling to fully recover from Superstorm Sandy,” said Smith. “The impact will be felt not only in fisheries and fishing communities, but by the local businesses that rely upon the industry, the governments that depend on the revenue generated by these activities, and other industries—such as tourism—that are a staple along the Jersey Shore. The Delegation is working on a full court press that will delay, and ultimately severely alter, the implementation of this devastating decision.” 

     The proposed regulations would increase the size limit of the acceptable catch to 19 inches, but would decrease the allowable bag limit to just three a day. This would create a burden on New Jersey fishermen all along the shoreline and, as the letter clarifies, is based on insufficient data.

     While stressing the importance of limiting overfishing and keeping stocks stable, the letter noted that New Jersey’s own data indicated that the flounder population has been stable since 1992, with some surveys indicating a slight but measurable improvement over that same timeframe. It calls on the Department of Commerce to review and compare all of the scientific data available and work with the delegation to ensure the sustainability of the stock while protecting the viability of the coastal communities. The full text of the letter can be found here.

     “A balanced approach, based on up-to-date and accurate science, is the only way to ensure that we reach the correct balance to prevent overfishing,” said Smith. “The use of unreliable or absent data to determine the size of the stock would be—at best—ill-advised, and would likely cause deep harm throughout our state.”

     In addition to Smith, the letter was signed by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Reps. Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02), Tom MacArther (NJ-03), Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) and Leonard Lance (NJ-07).

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