[ClamPower]

This is not meant to be political, its supported by Ds and Rs, for-hire, commercial, and recreational fishermen, and by scientists and environmentalists. But the help of NY saltwater fishermen is needed to turn a proposal into reality.

As of May 29th 2018, The NY Legislature has introduced bills that, if passed, will prevent industrial-scale menhaden purse seine boats from coming and taking the schools of bunker that are currently supporting NY's fisheries on every shore. Even the whales, seabirds, dolphins, osprey etc.. are benefiting.

Eight other states, including CT have already done this - but not yet NY.

And with very little of the NY legislative session left (days to weeks), the bills won't get moved the floor for a vote without some encouragement from fishing constituents. This should be an easy lift. Please call your New York State Senator and New York State Assemblymember and ask that they don't leave Albany this legislative session without passing Senate Bill 8570 (LaValle)/Assembly Bill 10506-A (Englebright). If you don't know who your Senate or Assembly representative is, you can look that up with a simple google search for "find my NY assemblymember" or "find my NY Senator". Those websites will have e-mail options but with so little time left a phone call is better - even if you make it at night and leave a voicemail.

 

[Hunt n' Fish]

How many purse seiners are licensed to harvest in NYS waters? Are they managed under the same quota ad the rest of the licensed bunker netters?

 

[ClamPower]

Important bunker info

only 1 out of state boat doing it at the moment - but more than that are licensed to do it - they just by the permits but have not used them in over a decade.

catches are counted against the state in which the fish are landed. Right now NY quota is not seperated by gear - NY just got an increase in quota, combined with increased in abundance of fish and high demand, makes NY attractive to these boats coming here from neighboring states that currently allow it (8 states dont including CT).

 

[Hunt n' Fish]

1 guy scratching out a living is hardly a threat. He's been operating all along, prior top the cuts 3 or 4 years ago, and with the recent increases to all the state's.

I recall the former owner of this site, George Scocca, talking about NY and NJ kicking out the reduction boats. I was surprised to learn there is still one purses seine licensed to operate here. But with the annual bunker kills in around the island since our quotas were cut, I'm certainly not concerned about this one license holders activity.

 

[captjoekingcod]

I think harvesting them is better than letting their dead rotting bodies plug our bays and rivers...