Saltwater Fishing and Boating Newsletter

In this issue:

• New Artificial Reef Materials and On-going Research
• We Need Your Feedback on Recreational Summer Flounder and Scup!
• Release of Final Report from New York Ocean Acidification Task Force
• Notice of proposed rulemaking
• Upcoming Meetings:

New Artificial Reef Materials and On-going Research

DEC will be collaborating with The Nature Conservancy and Stony Brook University on scientific studies at Atlantic Beach Artificial Reef off The Rockaways throughout 2024.

The research is designed to test different monitoring methods aimed at measuring the habitat value of reefs with the potential to inform how new reefs are constructed to maximize value to fish and other marine life. Please visit the DEC website for more information about artificial reef locations.

The work should not interfere with any fishing activities, and the team would like to talk to anglers who regularly fish on the reef in an effort to learn from them and receive advice. Primary point of contact is Carl LoBue at clobue@tnc.org.

We Need Your Feedback on Recreational Summer Flounder and Scup!

DEC will hold a public meeting to review potential 2024-2025 recreational saltwater fishing regulation options for summer flounder (fluke) and scup. The hybrid meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 6 p.m. at DEC Division of Marine Resources, 123 Kings Park Blvd. Kings Park, NY. Visit DEC’s website for additional information.

Anglers are encouraged to review the options below and complete the Recreational Summer Flounder and Scup Feedback Survey to provide feedback on potential regulations for 2024-2025.

The options for 2024-2025 recreational summer flounder, that will achieve the required 28% reduction are:

The options for 2024-2025 recreational scup, that will achieve the required 10% reduction are:

Release of Final Report from New York Ocean Acidification Task Force

The New York State Ocean Acidification Task Force (OATF) has announced the release of its Final Report, Ocean Acidification: Its Causes, Impacts, and Mitigation; A Report to the New York State Legislature. Ocean acidification (OA) is a major threat to our ocean’s health and an acidifying ocean brings with it threats to marine life and the services that the ocean provides.

In 2016, the New York State Legislature established the OATF to identify the causes and factors contributing to ocean acidification and evaluate ways of addressing the problem by applying the best available science. The members of this OATF are governmental, academic, and private sector stakeholders with the shared goal of protecting our ocean ecosystem from OA. In July of 2023, the OATF released a draft report which allowed for public comment. Those public comments were utilized in the development of the final report which was released in December 2023. Recommendations in this final report are intended to reduce the impact of OA in the coastal waters of New York, while supporting global and national goals for reducing factors contributing to global carbon emissions, climate change, and ocean acidification.

Find more information, including information on New York’s Ocean Action Plan, on DEC's website.

Notice of proposed rulemaking

On December 1, 2023, DEC filed a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend 6 NYCRR Part 40 Marine Fish, Part 43 Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management, Part 44 Lobsters and Crabs, and Part 50 Miscellaneous Marine Species and to adopt a new Part 38 Fishery Data Management.

This rulemaking will propose the following changes to current regulations:

• Clarify, strengthen, and consolidate regulations requiring the reporting of fishing and purchasing activities by fishermen and seafood dealers, and to consolidate the rules ensuring the confidentiality of fishery data collected from fishermen and seafood dealers.
• Adopt regulations requiring the use of electronic vessel tracking devices in the lobster and Jonah crab fisheries in certain federal waters, as required by the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) in its most recent addendum to the pertinent fishery management plans (FMPs).
• Require Party and Charter Boat License holders to submit vessel trip reports online within 48 hours of the end of the fishing trip.
• Update the location of the Division of Marine Resources Headquarters in regulation to the new address in Kings Park throughout all DMR regulations. Other changes will include updating references to the Bureau of Marine Resources to the Division of Marine Resources.

A virtual public hearing for this rulemaking will be held on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, at 2 p.m. Additional details can be found on the DEC website.

The public comment period is open through March 7, 2024.

Written comments can be submitted to: 

Maureen Davidson  
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation     
123 Kings Park Blvd   
Kings Park, NY 11754   
E-mail:  fw.marine@dec.ny.gov

Upcoming Meetings:

Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Meeting

Date: Tuesday, January 23 through Thursday, January 25
Location: Westin Crystal City, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington VA 22202
Additional meeting information can be found on ASMFC's website.

2024 Recreational Summer Flounder and Scup Public Meeting

Date: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 6:00 p.m.
Location: DEC Division of Marine Resources, 123 Kings Park Blvd, Kings Park

Marine Resources Advisory Council (MRAC) Meeting

Date: Tuesday, February 6 2:00 p.m.
Location: DEC Division of Marine Resources, 123 Kings Park Blvd, Kings Park

6 NYCRR Parts 40, 43, 44, 50, 38 – Reporting, Electronic Tracking, and Updates Virtual Public Hearing

Date: February 27 2:00 PM
Location: Virtual meeting information can be found on the DEC website