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mitted. What is responsible for the decline in bluefish stocks? 

 There does not seem to be a simple answer. 



For some species, overfishing or a loss of habitat are clearly the 

 reasons for the decline in the stocks. This does not seem to hold 

 true for bluefish. The commercial fishery has remained constant 

 since the 60's. 



There has been no dramatic increase in the commercial fishery 

 to blame for the decline in the bluefish stocks. The recreational an- 

 glers dramatically increased their catch in the 60's with no restric- 

 tions and had no measurable effect on the stocks. 



The ten fish bag limit imposed in the early 1990's did nothing 

 to stop the collapse of the stocks. The bag limit was not imposed 

 to preserve the stocks but implemented as a poorly conceived con- 

 servation measure. 



The dramatic collapse of the stocks followed rather than preceded 

 the bag limit. I am not a scientist but I have been involved in fish- 

 eries for a long time. It takes no scientific training to realize as for- 

 age fish that feed the bluefish stock decline, the bluefish will soon 

 decline as well. 



From the 60's to the 80's sand eels were in abundance, especially 

 in the New York Bight. I could go out Barnegat Inlet and travel 

 to Manasquan Inlet and constantly record sand eels on my chart 

 recorder. This is no longer true. 



The discovery of an isolated pod of sand eels is the exception 

 rather than the rule. These sand ells provided the fattening need 

 for the bluefish fall migration. Today's bluefish are described as 

 runners, long and slender with little of the usual body fat. 



As a response to stress, many species decrease their reproduc- 

 tion. No wonder the stocks of bluefish are declining. We have theo- 

 ries but no definite explanation for the decreased in forage stocks. 



Until the forage stocks increase and the conditions improve, we 

 must implement a management plan to insure that the spawning 

 stock biomass of bluefish is large enough to rebuild the stocks. The 

 heyday of the 80's may never return but we cannot allow the stocks 

 to fall beyond the point of recovery. 



What will be the impact of eliminating the Mid-Atlantic Council 

 from the management of bluefish? The elimination of the Mid-At- 

 lantic Council from bluefish management would be a disaster. Pub- 

 lic input would be curtailed severely. 



By comparing the records of the Mid-Atlantic Council and the At- 

 lantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, we can clearly see that 

 the Mid-Atlantic Council affords the citizens of New Jersey with 

 much more access and more ability to participate in the decision- 

 making process. 



Last year, the Mid-Atlantic Council held two meetings in New 

 Jersey, in Atlantic City and Long Branch. The Atlantic States Fish- 

 eries Commission has not held a meeting in New Jersey since 1988. 



This year's scheduled meeting in Philadelphia was relocated to 

 Norfolk, Virginia. Until the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Com- 

 mission revises its meeting schedule to provide access to all states 

 and their citizens, then we need the Mid-Atlantic Council to fill in 

 the gaps and insure public participation. 



How should the Bluefish Management Plan be amended? We 

 need to insure the historical split of this fishery. During the 80's 



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