TRENTON – Legislation which would prohibit commercial fishing on New Jersey’s artificial reefs in order to preserve the sites for recreational fishermen has cleared the Senate Environment and Energy panel.
The bill, whose sponsors include Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-West Deptford Township, would prohibit, within New Jersey’s waters, any person from using commercial fishing gear, such as lobster pots, trawl nets, gillnets and other gear, within 300 feet of artificial reefs created under the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s artificial reef program. The only exceptions would be for rod-and-reel-gear, hand lines, spears or recreational gigs.
Additionally, the bill would require the state Department of Environmental Protection to apply to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to designate the 13 artificial reefs in federal waters – more than three miles off the coast of New Jersey – as Special Management Zones. This would allow New Jersey to impose similar restrictions on commercial fishing on these artificial reefs in federal waters. While New Jersey manages and maintains artificial reefs in federal waters, they currently do not have jurisdiction to restrict access to recreational fishers.
The bill heads to the full Senate for consideration.
Read the story from the Gloucester County Times