NJ DEPARTMENT of ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
NATURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES
DIVISION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

Notice of Rule Proposal
Marine Fisheries: Crab and Lobster Management, N.J.A.C. 7:25-14, and Marine Fisheries, N.J.A.C. 7:25-18

PUBLIC NOTICE
Take notice that the NJ Department of Environmental Protection is proposing amendments to the rules governing the management and harvest of certain fish within the State at N.J.A.C. 7:25-14, and N.J.A.C. 7:25-18.  The proposed amendments address license availability and reporting requirements in the commercial blue crab fishery, the issuance of commercial crab pot and trot line licenses, the revocation and suspension of those licenses, and the nullification of reporting violations in limited circumstances with regard to suspension and revocation of those licenses.  Proposed amendments also address various aspects of the blue crab, tautog, bluefish, black sea bass, and summer flounder fisheries, including the closing and reopening of seasons, the removal of previous reporting violations and nullification of reporting violations in appropriate circumstances, restrictions on the use of gill nets, the allocation of certain fishery quotas, crab pot and fyke net reporting requirements, the expansion of the definition of fish dealer to include bartering, and clarification that the prohibition on the sale of less-than-minimum-length fish also includes bartering of such fish.

The proposal is scheduled to be published in the New Jersey Register dated July 20, 2015. A copy of the proposal is available at: www.nj.gov/dep/rules/proposals/20150720a.pdf, and the LexisNexis free public access to the New Jersey Register, www.lexisnexis.com/njoal.

Written comments may be submitted electronically by September 17, 2015 at www.nj.gov/dep/rules/comments or in hard copy to:

G. Colin Emerle, Esq.
Attn:  DEP Docket Number: 06-15-06
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Legal Affairs
Mail Code 401-04L, PO Box 402
401 East State Street, Floor 7
Trenton, NJ 08625-0402