57 



Testimony of 



JOHN H. DUNNIGAN 



Executive Director 

 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 



before the 



Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans 



Committee on Resources 

 House of Representatives 



April 1, 1996 

 Tom's River, New Jersey 



Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, 



Thank you for the opportunity to testify today concerning efforts to conserve and manage 

 bluefish, one of the prized recreational and commercial fish species of the Atlantic coast. The 

 process of setting and implementing public policy for the conservation and use of this valuable 

 species presents state and federal fishery managers with a unique and myriad set of challenges, 

 both from the standpoint of the biology of the resource and the human interactions with the species 

 through fisheries. Thus, for the fishery manager, bluefish are a blessing and a bane; at once both 

 interesting and frustrating. 



Status of the Bluefish Resource and Fishery 



Bluefish {Pomatomus saltatrix) are a migratory pelagic species generally found in 

 continental shelf waters in temperate and semi-tropical oceans around the world. Off the eastern 

 United States and Canada, bluefish range from Nova Scotia to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico 

 from Florida to Texas. The stocks in the Gulf of Mexico appear to be separate from the Atlantic, 

 although some mixing doubtlessly occurs. For purposes of fisheries management, the assumption 

 has always been that bluefish along the Atlantic coast comprise a unit stock. Adult bluefish migrate 

 northward in the spring and summer, southward in the fall and winter. Bluefish produce large 

 numbers of eggs, and are sexually mature at about 20 inches, generally age two. Spawning occurs 

 in two principal areas: the South Atlantic bight and the Mid-Atlantic bight In the South Atlantic, 

 spawning occurs in the spring and fall. In the Mid-Atlantic spawning occurs from June to August 

 Bluefish grow rapidly in their early years. At one year old they range from 9 to 1 1 inches; and at 

 two years from 15-20 inches. Bluefish over age 8 are not common. 



DRAFT:Testiniony of John H. Dunaigaa April 1, 1996 



Subcommittee on Fislieries, Wildlife and Oceans P*gc 1 



