Editor's note: See also:

JCAA: NOAA Makes an Arbitrary, Unfair Decision to Close Sea Bass Fishery

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From an edited e-mail from Tom Fote from the Jersey Coast Anglers Association:

If (NOAA's below request) for black sea bass is put in place it will only give us a season from May 22nd until September 12th.

Even with the increase in quota on black sea bass we are still going to have the most restricted season that I can remember.

NMFS still does not have the data for 2009 waves 5 and 6 (September until December 31). This means that they do not have the real numbers with the closure in place. So they use surrogate numbers from 2008.

This (is also) what they did for Summer Flounder ... and I am not sure we really need a 1% reduction.

For black sea bass, the ASMFC used a 44% for reduction of the recreational quota. When I asked the question WHY!! I did not get an answer that I felt (I) understood.

So the good news is we got an increase in black sea bass quota (but the) bad news (is that) even with the increase, we have no winter and fall season.

That means summer flounder and black sea bass will be open and closed for almost the same season.

This will cause a huge economic impact on NJ and other states' fishing industries and the recreational anglers' fishing experience.

Tom Fote
JCAA Legislative Chairman

(From NOAA):

NOAA Fisheries Service's Northeast Regional Administrator reviewed the New England Fishery Management Council's request for temporary emergency rulemaking to implement an increase in the 2010 black sea bass quota.

Through this action we will help prevent significant direct economic loss for fishery participants and associated industries that would be subject to lower commercial and recreational harvest levels. An additional amount of black sea bass landings will also be able to be set aside for research activities.

Through this temporary emergency rule, NOAA increases the 2010 black sea bass total allowable catch from 2.71 million lb to 4.5 million lb. After deducting discards, the total allowable landings will increase from 2.3 million lb  to 3.7 million lb.

To view the emergency rule as filed in the federal register today, please visit our website:

http://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/hotnews/

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