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"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! "
"All is well, all is well"
As far as rec mortality and game fish goes....this can be simply regulated and throttled to whatever mortality is acceptable while maintaining the bulk of the economic benefit. NJ chose not to do this and take "all their fish" before anyone else can catch them.
IMO, they technically DO NOT have a game fish status:
New Jersey is allocated a commercial harvest quota of striped bass under the Striped Bass Interstate Fisheries Management Plan as administered by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Since New Jersey does not allow netting or sale of striped bass, this quota was transferred to the recreational fishing sector resulting in the origin of the SBBP. <<<<<FIRST MISTAKE!!! Where is the conservation here????
The current allocation from ASMFC is 321,750 pounds to be distributed between individual anglers and party/charter boats. Should NJ overshoot this quota in 2011, any overage would be subtracted from the 2012 quota. Although this program does allow for the harvest of an additional striped bass for New Jersey anglers, the Division encourages catch and release whenever possible so this species can prosper for future generations.
I ask you why does any angler need that many big striped bass to take home?
the banner below has said this for years.
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