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Boater Update – Mandatory Winter PFD Wear New Regulation

auto-inflatable-life-jacket.jpgStarting this November, no owner or operator of a recreational vessel less than 26 feet, including rowboats, canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards shall permit its operation between November 1st and May 1st, unless each person on board such vessel is wearing a securely fastened United States Coast Guard-approved wearable personal flotation device of an appropriate size while such vessel is underway. A person inside the cabin of a cabin vessel shall be exempt from this requirement.

In short, A USCG approved life jacket is required to be worn at all times, outside of a cabin on a boat under 26 feet during the cold-water months, while in motion, from November 1st to May 1st.

The goal of this legislative update is to prevent hypothermia deaths, and to decrease the risks placed upon first responders during winter search and rescue operations on the waters of New Jersey.  In almost every instance of a vessel related drowning, the victim was not wearing a life vest.

New Jersey’s coastal features are unique in regard to our offshore fishing, inlets, and tidal bays which result in a greater average recreational vessel size when compared to inland states with similar PFD regulations. This new regulation is in the best interest of the safety of operators and passengers on all New Jersey’s waterways.

To learn more, visit: https://nj.gov/njsp/marine-services/current_events.shtml.

2023 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Retention Limit

Summary

NOAA Fisheries is adjusting Atlantic bluefin tuna daily retention limits for recreational fishermen. The adjusted limits go into effect on May 6, 2022, and extend through December 31, 2022, unless modified by later action.

No Change From 2022

Vessel/Permit TypeDefault Retention Limit per Vessel per Day/TripAdjusted Retention Limit per Vessel per Day/Trip
Private vessels with a Highly
Migratory Species (HMS)
Angling category permit
1 school, large school, or small
medium (27 to <73”)
  • 2 school bluefin tuna (27 to <47”)
  • 1 large school/small medium (47 to <73”)
Charter boats with an HMS
Charter/Headboat permit fishing
recreationally
1 school, large school, or small
medium
  • 3 school
  • 1 large school/small medium
Headboats with an HMS
Charter/Headboat permit fishing
recreationally
1 school, large school, or small
medium
  • 6 school
  • 2 large school/small medium

Who is affected?

The changes apply to HMS Angling and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessels when fishing recreationally. The daily retention limits are effective for all areas except for the Gulf of Mexico, where NOAA Fisheries does not allow targeted fishing for bluefin tuna.


Catch reporting

HMS Angling and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessel owners are required to report the
catch of all bluefin retained or discarded dead within 24 hours of landing or the end of each trip by: