Saltwater Fishing & Boating Newsletter

Striped Bass Draft Addendum VI Public Hearings

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has approved and released Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum VI (PDF) for public comment. There will be two public hearings held in New York to announce the details of the addendum and gather public input.

Marine & Coastal District:

September 4, 2019, 6 p.m.
Ballroom (Golf Course Observatory) at Bethpage State Park Clubhouse
Bethpage State Park
99 Quaker Meetinghouse Road
Farmingdale, New York 11735
(Google Maps)
PLEASE NOTE: This venue has been updated.

Hudson Valley Region:

September 12, 2019, 6 p.m.
Region 3 Headquarters
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
21 South Putt Corners Road
New Paltz, New York, 12561
(Google Maps)

We encourage you to review the draft addendum and submit written comments by October 7, 2019 at 5 p.m. For additional questions or to submit comments, please use the contact information below:

Mail: Max Appelman, FMP Coordinator, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, 1050 North Highland Street, Suite 200A-N, Arlington, VA 22201
E-mail: comments@asmfc.org (subject: Striped Bass Draft Addendum VI)
Phone: (703) 842-0740
Fax: (703) 842-0741

Largest Expansion of Artificial Reefs in State History

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo launched the second year of the largest artificial reef expansion in New York State history, as part of the State's ongoing initiative to develop a stronger, more diverse marine ecosystem and provide habitat for fish and other marine life off of New York's shore.

So far in 2019, Fire Island Reef and Matinecock Reef have received recycled materials that were cleaned of contaminants and donated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NYS Department of Transportation, New York Power Authority, New York State Canal Corporation, and NYC Department of Transportation. 

The materials used for the reef expansion were strategically-placed hard and durable structures such as steel vessels, rock, concrete, and steel pipes. Once materials settle on the seafloor, blackfish, black sea bass, cod, and summer flounder, move in to inhabit the new structures, and encrusting organisms such as barnacles, sponges, anemones, corals, and mussels will cling to and cover the material. Over time, these recycled structures will become habitat similar to a natural reef.  

Use the Artificial Reefs Interactive Map to find out more about reef site characteristics, materials used, coordinates of patch reefs, and the history of deployments. If you visit one of New York's artificial reefs, submit your observations using the Artificial Reef Volunteer Fishing & Diving Survey. Visit our website to learn more about the benefits of Artificial Reefs.

Recreational Scup Regulation Changes

DEC recently proposed new regulations that will open up the recreational scup (porgy) fishery to all year and increase the party/charter boat possession limit to 50 fish per angler from September 1 – October 31.

Previous regulations allowed recreational harvest from May 1 – December 31 and the party/charter boat possession limit was 45 fish per angler from September 1 – October 31.

The minimum size limit remains set at 9 inches, and possession limit for recreational anglers is 30 fish per day per angler, except anglers aboard licensed party/charter boats from September 1 – October 31 may harvest 50 fish per day.

DEC will accept comments on the proposed rulemaking through September 9, 2019.

Send comments to:

Rachel Sysak
NYSDEC - Division of Marine Resources
205 North Belle Mead Road, Suite 1
East Setauket, NY 11733
Phone: 631-444-0469
Email: FW.Marine@dec.ny.gov

See the complete list of Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations.

Long Island Estuary Day: September 14th

The second annual Long Island Estuary Day, hosted by the Long Island Sound Study, South Shore Estuary Reserve, and Peconic Estuary Program will be held on Saturday, September 14, 2019, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Theodore Roosevelt Park located at 25 West End Ave., Oyster Bay, NY (Google Maps). This event is free and open to the public.

This year’s Estuary Day will focus on marine debris and its impacts on the environment. Our goal of a reduced waste event will support our theme. A variety of family-friendly activities will take place throughout the day, including beach seining, beach-combing, crafts, boating, and educational lectures about marine debris and Long Island.

In addition to the main Estuary Day event from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Friends of the Bay is hosting an organized beach cleanup from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Beekman Beach. Estuary Day guests can also join the Waterfront Center for a sail from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

You can find additional information on New York Sea Grant's website.

NOAA Fisheries Cooperative Research Seeking Stakeholder Input

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Cooperative Research Branch wants to hear from the region’s fisheries stakeholders. Stakeholder input is key to creating a strategic, forward-thinking plan that outlines clear and actionable steps for building community and developing effective cooperative research projects. By cultivating meaningful industry partnerships to support effective research programs, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center can produce credible results addressing fishing gear efficiency, better data usage, and stronger markets for fisheries stakeholders.

For more information or to provide feedback, contact Giovanni Gianesin at Northeast Fisheries Science Center, (508) 495-2308. 

For more information visit, DEC's Saltwater Fishing web page.