Economics of the Recreational Fishery
Living marine resources support important recreational and commercial fisheries in New Jersey. The Bureau of Marine Fisheries is responsible for management programs which protect, conserve and enhance these resources and their habitat. The bureau conducts research and inventory projects designed to provide data on fishery resources and on the various user groups to develop and implement sound management plans.
During 1996 total commercial landings for New Jersey were in excess of 179 million pounds with a dockside value of approximately $94 million. Cape May continued to be one of the nation’s leading commercial fishing ports with landings of more than 83 million pounds worth nearly $31 million. The bureau issued approximately 5,289 netting licenses of which gill nets comprised 58%. The other 42% consisted of licenses for otter trawls, purse seines, haul seines, fyke nets, pounds nets, parallel nets, bait nets and lobster pots. In addition, licenses were issued to more than 391 commercial crab potters, 269 crab dredgers, and 5,007 recreational crab pot users. Revenue from all licenses exceeded $250,000.
