NJ IS BUNKER REDUCTION BOAT FREE!

[DaveS]

A tremendous victory today in the NJ Senate today, The State Senate has just passed the A3512/S2252 by a vote of 24-8! This bill finally gets rid of out of state bunker reduction boats from our state waters forever! Now you New England guys will start seeing more menhaden in your waters too!

[Tattoo]

Good, now all you guys can stay in Jersey!

[Fishpart]

The owners of the boats will certainly find another location where they can capitalize on their investment...... I can't see anyone letting machinery like that sit idle

[JohnR]

Good victory for you Jersey Guys. You all put a HUGE amount of work into getting that done and deserve all the credit!!!! Great work guys & gals!!!

How far out does that cover? Is it just until the EEZ?

They have been somewhat held at bay in New England but it's not a "forever" deal. I think it get's rexamined every few years ...

[jettyjockey18]

Originally posted by John R

How far out does that cover? Is it just until the EEZ?

They have been somewhat held at bay in New England but it's not a "forever" deal. I think it get's rexamined every few years ...

the law would prohibit the reduction boats from fishing within 3 miles of the coast...

small scale purse seiners still work in upper narragansett bay and mount hope bay in the spring time i thought...i think that they have been held at bay north of rhody because there hasn't been hardly any pogies since the mid 90's

with this nj law, maybe well start to see them return (and the good fishin with em)

[JohnR]

If I remeber right, the Atlantic Star used to spend a week or two off Gloucster & the Cape to get all it could and then move on ubtil it got the boot but the biggest impact would be made by NJ shutting them down...

small scale purse seiners still work in upper narragansett bay and mount hope bay in the spring time i thought...

There was a deal between Arc Bait and some Rec representation that limited access. It was questionable because some people determined that it was not an effective closure (I don't have all the details) with areas "closed off" not areas that were practical producing areas in the first place.

There is still small scale bunker boats around New England but they're just that, small...

Now, imagine if we could all get together and get them out beyond 12 miles? Or with a major limit their total take. Under the best circumstances, it would still take years for those stocks to rebuild to proper maintainable levels...

[Arby]

Originally posted by Tattoo
Good, now all you guys can stay in Jersey!

Don't worry, we'll still sneak up there under cover of Darkness!!

[AnthonyN]

I don't think pogy boats are allowed in the upper narraganset bay anymore or in any of the rivers i may be mistaken though. I think Mt. Hope bay is shut off too to pogy boats. The pogy boats used to go into some of the inlets and rivers and clear out everything in there.