Bill Text: NJ A2404 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Allows use of fish pumps to remove menhaden from purse seines in certain circumstances.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste Committee [A2404 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A2404-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ERIK K. SIMONSEN
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Assemblyman JOHN DIMAIO
District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman McClellan
SYNOPSIS
Allows use of fish pumps to remove menhaden from purse seines in certain circumstances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the taking of menhaden and amending P.L.2013, c.74.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 11 of P.L.2013, c.74 (C.23:3-51.9) is amended to read as follows:
11. Removal, from a purse seine, of fish harvested from the waters of the State shall be by fish pump, brailing, or dip net [only]. [No] A fish pump [shall] may be on board any vessel operating under a license, for the purpose of taking menhaden for bait or human food purposes, [unless the pump is completely covered and securely fastened with a brightly colored tarp or other material, and the pump intake or hose is disconnected from the pump and is securely stowed away from the pump so that it is not readily available for use when the vessel is fishing in State waters] provided that the fish pump is a wet pump, of either capsule or centrifugal design, and the pump discharge hose is placed at or below the vessel's water line in order to minimize the potential for excess aeration of surface waters in proximity to the fishing operation .
(cf: P.L.2013, c.74, s.11)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would revise the law concerning the use of fish pumps to remove menhaden from purse seines in certain circumstances.
This bill would allow a wet pump to be used to remove menhaden from a purse seine, provided that the fish pump is a wet pump, of either capsule or centrifugal design, and the pump discharge hose is placed at or below the vessel's water line in order to minimize the potential for excess aeration of surface waters in proximity to the fishing operation.
Current law requires that the removal, from a purse seine, of fish harvested from the waters of the State be by brailing or dip net only and further provides that a fish pump may not be on board any vessel operating under a license for the purpose of taking menhaden for bait or human food purposes, unless the pump is completely covered and securely fastened with a brightly colored tarp or other material, and the pump intake or hose is disconnected from the pump and is securely stowed away from the pump so that it is not readily available for use when the vessel is fishing in State waters.
