The following is an edited excerpt from an e-mail from Tom Fote from the Jersey Coast Anglers Association after he attended a meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (AFMFC):

It is pretty bad when the only good news I have to report from the
ASMFC meeting is that we did not allow a commercial rollover of the
striped bass quota, and instead of a complete moratorium on weakfish,
we only reduced the six- fish bag limit to one.

So far this year I have made the motions and voted to reduce the winter flounder catch to a two-fish bag limit and a 45-day seasonm and the weakfish fishery to one fish per day.

The only alternative I had was a complete closure.

I used to think there was a light at the end of tunnel and we would see
increased recreational fishing opportunities. I used to come home
thinking I did something for the good for the resource and the people
I represent. Now I come home depressed and disillusioned. I no longer
expect good news but just hope it is not a disaster.

NJ's catch is over the recreational target on summer flounder, and the
coast is over the recreational target on black sea bass, but not on
scup.

It is our turn to take the hit from Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey (MRFSS) . According to MRFSS preliminary data, NJ, DE and MD are all over the recreational target on summer flounder, but as a whole, the coast is under quota.

NJ is over by 191,096 fish not pounds.

There is an increase in quota for 2010, but I am not sure it will cover the MRFSS overage.

It will mean no relaxation of regulations in NJ, DE and MD. NY is under target so
they may be able to make some changes.

The data collected by MRFSS is unpredictable and not scientific. The National Academy of Science does not believe this data can be used for the current decision making, since it is unreliable.

On black sea bass, the coastwide quota will be exceeded, according to
MRFSS preliminary data. Unlike summer flounder, where most states have
closed their fishery already, there is still fishing going on in state waters for black sea bass.

For that reason, we do not what the final outcome will be.

Remember, as of right now there is no increase in black sea bass quota for 2010, because of the inappropriate action by the MAMFC, and because SSC failed to reexamine the 2010 quota.

According to MRFSS preliminary data, our scup catch is over target in the northern region and under target in the souther region. We are in the southern region, and there is an increase in quota for 2010.

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