SENATE, No. 1471

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED SEPTEMBER 19, 1996

By Senators CIESLA and CAFIERO

An Act concerning summer flounder 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.    The commissioner, with the advice and approval of the council, shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations establishing vessel trip limits on the amount of summer flounder that may be caught or landed in New Jersey. The vessel trip limits shall be based upon the objective of extending the length of time for which a fishery season for summer flounder remains open to the maximum extent practicable and feasible until any harvest quota for New Jersey that may be established by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council or any other interstate or federal agency is exhausted and the season must be closed.

    2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill would require the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, with the advice and approval of the Marine Fisheries Council, to adopt appropriate rules establishing vessel trip limits on the amount of summer flounder that may be caught or landed in New Jersey. The vessel trip limits would be based upon the objective of extending the length of time for which a fishery season for summer flounder remains open to the maximum extent practicable and feasible until any harvest quota for New Jersey that may be established by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council or any other interstate or federal agency is exhausted and the season must be closed.