NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife - NJ Fishing Moratorium on Atlantic Coastal Sharks Delayed by Federal Government


NJ Fishing Moratorium on Atlantic Coastal Sharks Delayed by Federal Government Notice of Rule Proposal: Atlantic coastal sharks – Proposed Amendments to N.J.A.C. 7:25-18.1 and 18.12 (March 30 Update) March 22, 2010 New Jersey faced a moratorium on shark fishing this season due to non-compliance with regulations required in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (ASMFC) Atlantic Coastal Sharks Interstate Fishery Management Plan. The federal government has agreed to give New Jersey until July 30 to implement the regulations necessary to avoid a moratorium on NJ's shark fishery. New Jersey's plan to implement the required regulations was outlined in a letter from DEP Commissioner Bob Martin to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As a result of the commitment by Commissioner Martin, the federal government has delayed imposition of a fishing moratorium. A shark fishing moratorium may be imposed on July 30 if New Jersey fails to meet its regulation implementation schedule. The DEP encourages all anglers to voluntarily comply with the ASMFC shark plan regulations prior to their implementation in New Jersey. The regulations can be found on pages 12 and 18 of the 2009 Marine Issue of the Fish and Wildlife Digest (pdf, 525kb) and will be published later this spring in the 2010 Marine Issue of the Fish and Wildlife Digest.