[Nj_federation_alert] ALERT!

[ap.maurosr at verizon.net]

UPDATE:

Bills A3986 and S2635 will be posted for a vote(removal of pots from reefs.) The bill for refence purposes is listed below.

Please send this email to your "30 Something" distribution lists (or to anyone you know) and ask them to call Speaker Roberts and Senate President Codey to let them know we are serious about the passage of this bill.



Speaker Roberts
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/Roberts.asp
Brooklawn Shopping Plaza
Route 130 & Browning Rd.
Brooklawn, NJ 08030
PHONE NUMBER: (856) 742-7600 

Senate President Codey
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/Codey.asp
DISTRICT OFFICE ADDRESS: 449 Mount Pleasant Ave.
West Orange, NJ 07052 
PHONE NUMBER: (973) 731-6770 


Without a flood of support from us the bills may simply be posted for the sake of going through the motions. Ensure that this is not the case by contacting the Speaker and Senate President as well as you Assemblyman/Assemblywoman and Senator.

You can find them at this link:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/Default.asp

Ant



ASSEMBLY, No. 3986 


STATE OF NEW JERSEY

212th LEGISLATURE

  

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 22, 2007

 



 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN

District 11 (Monmouth)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblymen Albano, Van Drew, Wolfe, Holzapfel, Diegnan and Assemblywoman McHose

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Prohibits the use of certain fishing gear on artificial reefs.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

     As introduced.

   



An Act prohibiting the use of certain fishing gear on artificial reefs and supplementing P.L.1979, c.199 (C.23:2B-1 et seq.).

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    No person, within the marine waters of the State, may use, leave unattended, set or deploy fishing gear, other than rod-and-reel, hand line, spear, or recreational gig within 100 feet of any area for which the department, or any other State agency, has been issued a permit by the United States Army Corp of Engineers for the construction of an artificial reef.

 

     2.    The department shall apply, within three months from the date of enactment of this act, to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to designate all artificial reefs constructed under the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Artificial Reef Program within federal waters as Special Management Zones pursuant to section 648.146 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations.

 

     3.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill would prohibit, within the marine waters of the State, any person from using, leaving unattended, setting, or deploying fishing gear, other than rod-and-reel, hand line, spear, or recreational gig, within 100 feet of artificial reefs created under the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s artificial reef program.  Violators would be subject to the penalties established for violations of the Marine Fisheries Management and Commercial Fisheries Act.  

     The bill also requires the Department of Environmental Protection to apply to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to designate New Jersey artificial reefs in federal waters as Special Management Zones.  The purpose of this application would be to limit commercial fishing taking place on New Jersey’s artificial reefs in federal waters.   

     The overall purpose of the bill is to reduce gear conflicts and the hazards associated with commercial fishing gear being utilized near artificial reef sites.


Anthony P. Mauro, Sr.
Chairman, New Jersey Outdoor Alliance http://www.njoutdooralliance.org