reational fishery, for example, the only measure that we can imple- 

 ment if we want to try to reduce fishing mortality is to change the 

 bag limit. The bag limit is at ten fish per day and even that meas- 

 ure was quite controversial in New Jersey when it went into effect 

 in 1989. 



If we want to try to reduce fishing mortality say by 20 percent, 

 it doesn't mean that you just reduce the bag limit by 20 percent 

 since very few fishermen are harvesting at the rate of the bag 

 limit. 



If you want to try to reduce fishing mortality, if the only thing 

 you can do is reduce the bag limit, you might have to reduce it 

 from ten to five or to four or something like that in order to pick 

 up enough of the fishery to have the requisite change in fishing 

 mortality that you are looking for. 



The plan doesn't allow us to vary size limits, or to vary seasons. 

 We need more tools in this fishery management plan for the coun- 

 cil and for the states to use in arriving at a management program 

 that meets both the needs of the resource and the needs of the fish- 

 ermen and I think similarly so for the commercial fishery. 



It is very difficult to just take a simple rule that says that we 

 will calculate the recreational fishery, multiply it times 0.2 and 

 that is the commercial quota. A lot of that has been based on some 

 history that is behind us now and we ought to have as managers, 

 the Commission and the Council, the opportunity to look more 

 carefully at what we are really trying to do with this fishery. 



It is critical that we get the amendment to the Bluefish Fishery 

 Management Plan done this year. Everybody, I think, agrees with 

 that. We have been frustrated, all of us, for the last couple of years 

 that the processes have taken so long to wrap up so we would place 

 great emphasis on making sure that the management process this 

 year can respond to the need to have the plan implemented as soon 

 as possible. 



Now dealing with the question of the proposed withdrawal of the 

 Secretarial approval of the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan, the 

 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is going to wait until 

 we have an opportunity to look at the specific language of the Fed- 

 eral Register Notice that was published last Thursday before we 

 make any formal substantive comments on what is being proposed. 



We are, however, disappointed at the manner in which this mat- 

 ter was handled. We were not given notice. The Council was not 

 given notice. This is not the way that partners should be working 

 if they are trying to work together on a cooperative fishery man- 

 agement program. 



We have every reason to believe that this was not the idea of the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service to try to handle it this way. We 

 assume that it came from elsewhere in the Administration. 



The leadership of the National Marine Fisheries Service has 

 been very gracious in working together and trying to build a solid 

 working relationship between the states and the Federal Govern- 

 ment so we are disappointed in the way it was handled. 



We will be commenting specifically on the substance of the pro- 

 posal as soon as we have an opportunity to do so. Mr. Chairman, 

 with that, I think I would like to stop now and take any oppor- 

 tunity to answer questions. Thank you again for inviting us today. 



