Thursday, December 20, 2018

Some ice was available

I know from http://www.njfishing.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=8 NJ Freshwater Fishing.com that guys got out on Budd Lake and Lake Hopatcong two days after I posted about the possibility. Haven't paid attention since then, but looking at the forecast for the week ahead, nothing's promising.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Modern Fish Act on the Way to President's Desk

Here's a press release from the Recreational Fishing Alliance. Any of you who fish the salt may be interested, and even if you strictly fish the fresh, it's interesting to see politics in favor of recreational fishing. There's a lot of money involved in saltwater fishing, but also an ongoing crisis regarding fish populations. A key to understanding what it's all about is to consider actual fish stocks and foreseeable recruitment, to couch my language in the words of management, instead of thinking that species are in peril as a sort of blanket assumption.


Recreational Fishing Alliance   
Contact:  Jim Donofrio / 888-564-6732  
For Immediate Release
December 19, 2018   

U.S. House Passes Modern Fish Act
First-Ever
      Sportfishing-Focused Legislation to Pass Congress Heads to President's
      Desk


Washington,
      D.C. 
- December 19, 2018 - Today, the U.S.
      House of Representatives passed S.1520, the Modernizing Recreational
      Fisheries Management Act of 2017 (Modern Fish Act). Today's vote was the
      final step toward sending the landmark legislation to the President's
      desk after it
passed the
      Senate on December 17
.

"The
      Modern Fish Act is the most significant update to America's saltwater
      fishing regulations in more than 40 years and the recreational fishing
      community couldn't be more excited," said Johnny Morris, noted
      conservationist and founder of 
Bass Pro Shops.
      "On behalf of America's 11 million saltwater anglers, we're grateful
      to Speaker Ryan, the 115th Congress and all the elected leaders who came
      together to support and enhance recreational fishing across America."

The
      priorities of the recreational fishing and boating community were
      identified and presented to federal policy makers in 2014 by the
      Commission on Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Management in a report
      "A Vision for Managing America's Saltwater Recreational
      Fisheries." The Commission was known as the 
Morris-Deal Commission,
      named for co-chairs Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, and Scott
      Deal, president of Maverick Boat Group. Four years later, many of the
      recommendations of the Morris-Deal Commission are found in the Modern
      Fish Act.

"America's
      anglers and members of the recreational fishing and boating industry are
      among the most responsible stewards of our marine resources because
      healthy fisheries and the future of recreational fishing go
      hand-in-hand," said Scott Deal, president of
Maverick Boat
      Group
. "A huge thank you to our
      congressional leaders who answered the call of the recreational fishing
      community to improve the way our fisheries are managed."

America's 11
      million saltwater anglers have a $63 billion economic impact annually and
      generate 440,000 jobs, including thousands of manufacturing and supply
      jobs in non-coastal states. Furthermore, $1.3 billion is contributed
      annually by anglers and boaters through excise taxes and licensing fees,
      most of which goes toward conservation, boating safety and
      infrastructure, and habitat restoration.

"It is a
      historic day for America's 11 million saltwater anglers thanks Senator
      Roger Wicker, Congressman Garret Graves and our many champions in
      Congress who fought until the very end for recreational fishing to be
      properly recognized in federal law," said Jeff Angers, president of
      the 
Center for
      Sportfishing Policy
. "For
      the first time ever, Congress is sending a sportfishing-focused bill to
      the President's desk."

The Modern
      Fish Act will provide more stability and better access for anglers by:

  • Providing
               authority and direction to NOAA Fisheries to apply additional
               management tools more appropriate for recreational fishing, many of
               which are successfully implemented by state fisheries agencies
               (e.g., extraction rates, fishing mortality targets, harvest control
               rules, or traditional or cultural practices of native communities);


  • Improving
               recreational harvest data collection by requiring federal
               managers to explore other data sources that have tremendous
               potential to improve the accuracy and timeliness of harvest
               estimates, such as state-driven programs and electronic reporting
               (e.g., through smartphone apps);

  • Requiring the Comptroller General of the
               United States to conduct a study on the process of mixed-use fishery
               allocation review by the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Regional
               Fishery Management Councils and report findings to Congress within
               one year of enactment of the Modern Fish Act, and

  • Requiring the National Academies of
               Sciences to complete a study and provide recommendations within tw
    o
               years of the enactment of the Modern Fish Act on limited access
               privilege programs (catch shares) including an assessment of the
               social, economic, and ecological effects of the program, considering
               each sector of a mixed-use fishery and related businesses, coastal
               communities, and the environment and an assessment of any impacts to
               stakeholders in a mixed-use fishery caused by a limited access
               privilege program. This study excludes the Pacific and North Pacific
               Regional Fishery Management Councils.



America's recreational fishing and boating
      community applauds Congress for this historic vote and looks forward to
      final enactment of the Modern Fish Act following the President's
      signature.


-end-

About Recreational Fishing Alliance
The Recreational Fishing Alliance is a national, grassroots political action organization representing recreational fishermen and the recreational fishing industry on marine fisheries issues. The RFA Mission is to safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers, protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our Nation's saltwater fisheries. For more information, call 888-JOIN-RFA or visit www.joinrfa.org
  
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