has occurred. Commercial fishing now takes in a full 20 percent of 

 the stock and is subject to the quota limitation. 



The plan currently allows only one form of harvest control for the 

 recreational sector, a ten-fish bag limit. Attempts to decrease the 

 bag limit to some lower number, say five or eight or four, whatever, 

 have been met with extreme opposition. 



An amendment to the Bluefish Plan will be proposed soon to 

 offer different tools to manage the fishery. Some of the manage- 

 ment tools being discussed include the minimum size requirement 

 or establishing a bluefish season. If it is scientifically verified that 

 the bluefish is in serious trouble, actions will be taken to restore 

 the stock. 



We in New Jersey have lived through the decline of an economi- 

 cally valuable fish population prior to this. In the late 1980's, as 

 Congressman Pallone and I well remember, population of the At- 

 lantic striped bass started to seriously decline and by 1984, the 

 stocks were in such bad shape, that emergency measures were 

 needed if the species were to survive. 



Congress took aggressive action by writing and passing the At- 

 lantic Striped Bass Conservation Act. This Act set up a federally 

 backed mechanism for states to manage the stock. This resulted in 

 a complete moratorium on the fishing of striped bass in states with 

 sigiiificant fisheries. All indications are that the Act was successful, 

 so successful that just this past year, the stock has been declared 

 totally recovered and fishing has resumed throughout the Mid-At- 

 lantic region on a recreational basis. 



When fishing in state waters resumed, the National Marine Fish- 

 eries Service planned to open up the Exclusive Economic Zone or 

 the E.E.Z. to commercial fishing of striped bass. In response to that 

 proposal, I introduced a bill which Mr. Pallone also supports quite 

 actively to continue the moratorium in the E.E.Z. for at least five 

 years and until a fishery management plan has been developed to 

 manage the stocks. After the sacrifices fishermen made to help re- 

 cover the stocks, in my opinion and I believe in Mr. Pallone's opin- 

 ion, it would be unwise to allow fishing pressure to build up to an 

 unsustainable level once again. 



Are we witnessing a similar problem with bluefish? The purpose 

 of this field hearing is to discuss that very question. We will also 

 be discussing the status of the bluefish population, the best man- 

 agement options and other issues surrounding the fishery. 



I will be looking to the National Marine Fisheries Service and 

 the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for their com- 

 ments on the Bluefish Management Plan and ways it can be im- 

 proved to enhance the stock and, of course, I will be looking for- 

 ward to hearing from our witnesses. 



I would now like to recognize Mr. Pallone v/ho is a very active 

 member of the Subcommittee for any opening statement that he 

 may have. 



STATEMENT OF THE HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR., A U.S. 

 REPRESENTATIVE FROM NEW JERSEY 



Mr. Pallone. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I will be brief be- 

 cause I do want to hear from everyone. Let me just say a few 

 things though. First of all, if I could only say and I think most peo- 



