Article by Larry Jock
DE Anglers Must Get NJ Registration?Number to Fish in NJ Waters
The Division of Fish & Wildlife advises Delaware anglers who fish in the New Jersey portion of the Delaware Bay and River, or in New Jersey’s coastal waters, that they are now required to sign up for New Jersey’s Saltwater Recreational Registry Program.
The New Jersey registry, which is free, went into effect May 4, and anyone fishing in the state’s marine or tidal fresh waters, or landing their catch in New Jersey, must have the new registration certificate. The only exceptions are anglers under 16 years of age or anyone fishing on a New Jersey-registered for-hire vessel (charter or head-boat). Regardless of what license or permit an angler may hold from another state (including Delaware), or from the federal government, they still are required to register with New Jersey when fishing there.
The only way to register for the certificate is through the website of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: www.saltwaterregistry.nj.gov. (Please note: Unlike with the Delaware F.I.N. program, there is no toll-free number to call for anglers without Internet access.) Anglers who register will need to print out their registration certificate and have it available for inspection should they be asked by New Jersey enforcement officers.
Fishermen who are unfamiliar with the state boundary lines in adjoining waters like the Delaware Bay should consult navigational charts or refer to electronic navigational aids like chart plotters to determine their exact location. The state boundary line in the Delaware River and Bay generally follows the federal shipping channel. Delaware anglers should be advised that all of the Delaware Bay shipping channel lighthouses except “Fourteen Foot” light are situated in New Jersey waters.
In the Delaware River (waters above Liston Point) Delaware’s waters extend to the New Jersey shoreline above the northern end of Artificial Island (where the nuclear power plant is located). If anglers anticipate fishing in or near New Jersey, it is recommended that they obtain the free New Jersey Saltwater Recreational Registry certificate.
Delaware Sets 2011 Flounder Regulations
DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife has formally adopted new recreational fishing regulations for summer flounder in Delaware which go into effect May 11. The new regulations retain a four-fish creel limit for summer flounder, or “fluke,” while reducing the minimum size limit from 18½ inches to 18 inches.
Besides the new minimum size, this year’s regulations include a closed season on flounder from October 24 through December 31. The Division of Fish & Wildlife also reminds anglers that, until May 11, the current 18½-inch minimum size limit (and four-fish creel limit) for summer flounder remains in effect.
According to Fish & Wildlife fisheries administrator Craig Shirey, recent increases in summer flounder abundance have allowed a liberalization of management measures for the 2011 fishing season. The new regulations are designed to maintain Delaware’s compliance with the coast-wide summer flounder management plan and allow for the continued rebuilding of the summer flounder population.
Shirey was hopeful that, “should our coastwide summer flounder management efforts continue to be effective, further relaxation of the regulations may be warranted in future years.” However, he also pointed out that changes in a fishery’s management are dependent on many factors including spawning success, natural mortality, and annual harvest.
Maryland Revises Striped Bass and Bluefish Advisories
Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) revised advisories increase the recommended meal limits for striped bass for nearly every population group for fish caught in the Chesapeake Bay or in Maryland’s Atlantic coastal waters. The new recommendations stem from recent test results that showed a significant decline in levels of contaminants in striped bass from Maryland waters. Also, MDE data suggest that contaminant levels are even lower in striped bass fillets prepared, as the Department has long recommended, without fatty portions of the fish.
“Maryland's fish consumption advisories help us make the best choices about what fish we eat and how often we eat them as part of a healthy diet," said MDE Acting Secretary Robert M. Summers. "Contamination has decreased in the striped bass we tested, and although we do not have the data to identify a specific explanation for the decline, PCBs have been banned in the United States since 1979, and we're encouraged by this positive indication of the improving quality of our waters."
The revised advisories also include recommendations on the consumption of bluefish caught in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Coast.
Under the new advisories, the recommended meal limits for the general population for smaller striped bass caught in the Chesapeake Bay increased by 50 percent, from two per month to three per month. Also, the advisories no longer include the “avoid” recommendation that had existed for women and children for certain striped bass.
The differences between the old and new advisories reflect a significant decline in the level of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in striped bass analyzed by MDE. Median PCB levels fell by more than half between fish analyzed from 2001 to 2005 and fish analyzed in 2009 and 2010. MDE does not have the information needed to draw specific conclusions about the factors that led to these results, but the Department is encouraged by this data and will continue to track contaminant levels in striped bass and other fish.
When filleting, MDE recommends removing fatty portions where PCBs tend to concentrate, including the belly flap and the dark meat along the side of the fillet. To evaluate this recommendation in striped bass, MDE compared PCB levels in non-fatty dorsal fillet samples to whole fillet samples. PCB levels were reduced by 75 to 91 percent in the dorsal samples, with the general trend being a greater reduction with increasing size of fish. These results support the value of the filleting recommendations and give Marylanders a good reason to consider how they prepare striped bass fillets, in addition to following the meal limits in the striped bass advisory.
MDE is also releasing an advisory for bluefish caught in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coastal waters. MDE has been able to obtain PCB data on bluefish smaller than 15 inches and greater than 28 inches but not on fish between 15 and 28 inches. Based on the available data for bluefish, MDE recommends a limit of two meals per month for bluefish less than 15 inches in length, but to avoid consumption of bluefish 15 inches and longer. These advisories could change as MDE learns more about the medium-size bluefish.
