(1st LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT) – Moving to protect a key industry, Sen Jeff Van Drew and Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matthew W. Milam on Thursday sent a letter to the administration asking it to expedite approval of the summer 2011 flounder fishing regulations.
The lawmakers sent the letter to state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin. They noted the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council voted on April 7 to enact the regulations for this year’s season, which would run from May 7 to Sept. 25.
“With less than 10 days before the start of the proposed 2011 summer flounder season, it has come to our attention that these regulations have yet to be approved by the NJDEP,” they wrote.
The lawmakers said the industry is key to the region’s economy, job creation and tourism efforts, and thus the regulations need quick approval.
“Summer flounder is the most popular catch not only in Cape May County, but all along the New Jersey coast,” Van Drew said. “Failure to approve these regulations and start the season on time will have a detrimental effect on an already beleaguered industry.”
“These reasonable regulations should not be gathering dust on a desk somewhere in Trenton,” Albano said. “They should be approved as quickly as possible to ensure the region’s economy, fishing and tourism industries are well positioned for a strong 2011.”
“We cannot afford to wait,” Milam said. “The industries tied to these regulations need assurance that everything is going to able to proceed without delay, or else we will begin to see negative impacts on businesses and residents alike.”
