January 24, 2014 — New Jersey fluke fishermen claim New York is trying to take their fish.
The border war of sorts has been going on for several years but appears to finally be heading toward a vote on the issue in February.
New Jersey has the bulk of the quota for fluke, also known as summer flounder, on the East Coast. New York is No. 2 and wants to increase its harvest.
“It’s New York looking at extra fish we have in New Jersey. It’s as simple as that,” said Tom Fote, of the Toms River-based Jersey Coast Anglers Association.
A proposal to manage fluke with states lumped into regions is heading to a Feb. 4 vote of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, a compact of East Coast states that manages migratory fish.
There are several options that representatives of the nine coastal states that catch fluke, from North Carolina through Massachusetts, will vote on. Each state has three representatives on the ASMFC but gets a single vote.
Read the full story at the Press of Atlantic City