Artificial Reef Issues - good habitat and good
diving
On August 15, 2016 The Army Corp of Engineers published a Public Notice - CENAP-OP-R-2016-00755-84, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has now requested authorization to continue placement of artificial reef materials within the fifteen (15) previously authorized sites in the Atlantic Ocean. The current proposal consists of the following specific actions: (1) to continue deployment of artificial reef materials at the 15 existing reef sites; and (2) to add 2 additional artificial reef sites to the state-wide program bringing the total number of artificial reef sites along the coast of New Jersey to 17. The locations of the artificial reef sites are identified in the attachment. NOTE: Public Notice was amended with accurate clearance information on August 26, 2016. and then on 8/25/2016 amended the notice and extended the comment period to 9/30/2016. The document is available here:
http://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Portals/39/docs/regulatory/publicnotices/2016-00755-amendment.pdf
On September 23, 2016 the Mid Atlantic Fisheries Management Council published their SMZ Monitoring Team’s report on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's request for Special Management Zone (SMZ) Designation for 13 Artificial Reef Sites in the EEZ, the report is available here:
http://www.mafmc.org/s/Tab05_NJ-SMZ-Consideration.pdf
The report will be discussed at their October 5th meeting in Galloway, NJ and hopefully a decision to modify or accept it will be taken.
On September 21st the reef program sank the 68-foot trawler, Austin, as part of the Axel Carlson Reef, 4.4 nautical miles southeast of Manasquan Inlet.
The 115-foot surf clam vessel, Lisa Kim, is scheduled to be sunk as part of the Wildwood Reef, 8.3 miles northeast of Cape May Inlet this Friday, weather permitting.
The boats are among as many as 10 vessels the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife plans to deploy by the end of fall.
On November 2, 2015 the NJDEP published final rules on new Artificial Reef
Regulations.
A letter announcing the rules can be viewed at:
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2016/marlet-reefgear02-11-16.pdf
The
regulations can be seen here:
http://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/adoptions/adopt_20151102a.pdf
Maps
are here:
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/images/marine/reef_sandyhook.jpg
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/images/marine/reef_axelcarlson.jpg
On February 2nd the New Jersey Register published a proposed rule amending our artificial reef regulations. The proposal would limit commercial and recreational fixed gear (potting) to three small sections on our two inshore reefs. The Sandy Hook (1 zone) and Axel Carlson (2 zones) reefs will have small sections known as “full access zones” where potting will be permitted. Limitations on size of strings, times for attending them and penalties are included in the proposal.
Public comments can be submitted thru April 2, 2015 by using the following website:
http://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/comments
Press releases are available here:
http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2015/15_0012.htm
http://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/notices/20150202a.html
The regulations can be obtained at either of the following:
http://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/proposals/20150202a.pdf
http://www.lexisnexis.com/njoal/
(Click on NJ - New Jersey Register in left hand column, put in reef
for search)
Graphics of the “full access zones” are available here:
http://www.njfishing.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=80417&d=1424141473
http://www.njfishing.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=80418&d=1424141505
January 8,
2015 -
Early this evening
the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council (NJMFC) voted unanimously to move the
Artificial Reef Regulation on to be published as a Proposed Rule in the NJ
Register on February 2nd. This compromise between the Commercial and
Recreational fishermen was brokered by the NJMFC Artificial Reef Advisory
Committee, NJ Marine Fisheries Bureau and the NJDEP Commissioner’s Office. It
allows the use of sections of the two reefs within State waters (Axel Carson and
2010 - The New Jersey Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued the
Third Edition of Guide to Fishing and Diving New Jersey Reefs - out of print.
