A3326/S2323:
A3326 The "New Jersey Freedom to Fish Act." Agriculture and Natural Resources
S2323 The "New Jersey Freedom to Fish Act." Environment
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BILL
Smith and Corodemus Introduce NJ Freedom to Fish Act
(Trenton)- Today 2/10/03, Assemblyman Robert J. Smith (D-4th), Chairman of the
Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, and Assemblyman Steve
Corodemus
(R-11th) introduced the NJ Freedom to Fish Act. This bill establishes
requirements that must be met before any of the state's marine waters
can be
closed off to rod and reel fishing.
"Recreational fishing is one of the most popular outdoor activities in
this
state. It adds a lot to our quality of life here in New Jersey," said
Assemblyman Smith. "New Jersey has a thriving recreational fishing
industry
which includes anglers, boat builders, retailers, party and charter boat
businesses, marinas, and many others up and down our coast."
"Nearly a million anglers fish in New Jersey waters each year making a
major
contribution to the state and local economies," added Mr. Smith. "This
bill
establishes standards that must be met before any of our marine waters
can
be closed to rod and reel fishing."
According to a 2002 report from two independent consulting firms,
805,870
anglers fished in New Jersey waters in 2001 a total of 10,857,000
fishing
days for a total economic output of $1.4 billion.
"Our ocean, bays and estuaries are some of New Jersey's most important
natural resources and they must be managed effectively," said
Assemblyman
Corodemus. "The marine environment can be adequately protected without
unnecessarily closing off areas to rod and reel fishermen."
Recreational fishermen have long demonstrated a commitment to
conservation
through abidance with minimum size requirements, bag limits, seasonal
closures, and the use of non-lethal rod and reel fishing gear. Rod and
reel
fishing is a highly selective, inherently inefficient method of catching
fish that traditionally has not led to overfishing.
The NJ Freedom to Fish Act prohibits closures to rod and reel fishing
unless
there is a clear indication that this type of fishing is causing a
specific
conservation problem and that less severe measures will not be adequate.
This bill would also require periodic review of any closures, a
scientific
basis for the size of any closure, and provisions to reopen areas to rod
and
reel fishing whenever the basis for the closure no longer exists.
"This initiative is in response to the radical environmental movement to
close off vast areas of our oceans by creating no fishing marine
protected
areas (MPAs)," said Jim Donofrio, Executive Director of the Recreational
Fishing Alliance (RFA). "Right now, recreational and commercial
fishermen in
California are facing a closure of some of their state's best fishing
grounds."
"We're not out to ban MPAs," added Mr. Donofrio. "We want to establish
standards in NJ before any closures can be made."
"NJ fishermen are fortunate to have friends like Assemblyman Smith and
Assemblyman Corodemus in office," said Gene Doebley, RFA-NJ Chapter
Legislative Chairman. "The NJ Freedom to Fish Act is a proactive bill
that
will enhance our ability to go out and enjoy the great fishing
opportunities
we have here in New Jersey."
"The use of MPAs in one form or another is not new," said Assemblyman
Smith.
"What is new is the push to exclude recreational fishing with no
rationale
for doing so and that is simply unacceptable."