New Jersey is backing down from a potential fight with the federal government over fishing rules. The New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council on Tuesday night voted to adopt strict emergency regulations for keeping striped bass, a top target species for the Garden State’s lucrative recreational fishing industry.
Under the new rules, which will be in effect for the remainder of this year’s season, anglers will only be able to keep one striped bass that measures between 28 inches and 31 inches long per trip. That’s down from the previous slot limit of 28 inches to 38 inches. The emergency rules were put forward by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, a regulatory body made up of 15 states along the East Coast, in response to new data showing recreational catch of striped bass had surged last year. ASMFC officials have been trying to restore the overfished stock to full health by 2029, and the sudden spike threatened to make that goal almost impossible.
New Jersey, which has historically had one of the most active recreational striped bass fisheries, was the only state to vote against the emergency rules when the ASMFC commissioners voted. Local charter boat operators have been vocal in their concerns that the strict rules will scare away customers and harm their livelihoods. States were given a July 2 deadline to adopt the measure, or risk being found out of compliance by federal regulators. If that happened, federal officials could have placed a total moratorium on striped bass fishing in the Garden State.
