# New Jersey Fishing and Aquaculture:

Harvesting the Garden State’s Waters

### Introduction

For over 300 years, New Jersey’s commercial fishermen have been bringing home some of the finest fish and shellfish caught a nywhere in the world. The burgeoning seafood industry that grew up along the state’s coastline shaped how a large part of the landscape would come to look, as fishing villages later evolved into the familiar towns of the Jersey Shore, often with the seaf aring life at their core.

Look around those towns, known more today for th e tourists they reel in than the fish brought ashore, and you can still find the ha rd-working fishermen and aquaculturalists making their living from the bounty of the wate rs. Far from the “salty seadogs” portrayed on celluloid, today’s fishermen are apt to know as much about conservation and the life cycles of various fish as they do about hooks, lines and nets. They are keenly aware that over-fishing will bring problems for their busine ss, so they do their best to ensure there will be an ample supply of a variet y of species in the future.

Last year alone, over 100 differe nt species of finfish and she llfish were harvested in the Garden State. Local product is shipped to so me of the most discerning seafood markets in the world. New Jersey monkfish are on disp lay at wholesale markets in Seoul, South Korea. New Jersey tuna is sliced in sushi bars in Tokyo. New Jersey squid is served in tapas restaurants in Madrid.

In 2003, New Jersey boats brought in over 170 million pounds of fish, valued at over $120 million paid to fishermen at the dock.

Clearly, the harvesting of seafood has played an important role in New Jersey’s history. But fishing and aquaculture are more than just a part of the state’ s heritage. Six major fishing ports are located in this state – Atla ntic City, Barnegat Li ght, Belford, Cape May,

Point Pleasant and Port Norris – with a co mmercial fleet of more than 1,500 vessels employing nearly 3,000 fishermen. New Jersey also boasts 15 seafood processing plants and 81 wholesalers employing more than 2,200 workers.



### Working the waters -- then and now

A visit to the Viking Village se aport in Barnegat Light shows just how much the work of those who bring in the bounty of the s ea remains a part of everyday life.

The Village, a bustling operation on the nort hern tip of Long Beach Island, is currently home to 38 fishing boats, the most the busine ss has ever seen. On any given day, vessels like the Virginia Lynn are preparing to head out to sea. The crews of these large fishing boats employ a number of techniques. Some ar e long-liners, who drag lines with hooks spaced far apart. Others are “dredges,” with ne ts on frames used for gathering shellfish.Whatever their m e thod, the captains and crews of these vessels know the pressure is on to

rem a in viable. Incre a sin g global co mpetition h a s turned m a king the m o st of each v oyage into a ne cess ity.

As Ernie P a nacek, g e n e ral m a nager of Viking Village pu t it: “Becau se you hav e to

com p ete with m o re people in the b u siness, you need a better, higher-quality product.”

The net resu lt is an em phasis on m o re boa ts m a king shorter trips a nd bringing their catch

hom e faster. This cuts the tim e between catch and consumption, giving consum er s a better-tasting, safer and higher-qualit y product than ever before.

Like m a ny ports, f i sh in g communities in Ne w Jersey are d e f i ned not only by sha r ed

comm it m e nt to and dependence on fishing, but al so by a high degree of kinship. Fourthand fifth-generation fisherm e n can be found at our ports as well as newcom ers from other fishing nations.

The value of the seafood harvest extends well be yond the industry itself . The effects of a prosperous seafood industry are felt in other waterfront activities su ch as shipbuilding,

m a intenance and repair, support services (equ ipm e nt, fuel, m a terial s and supplies) and

ecotour ism

. Most im portantly, the d o lla rs earn e d in f i shing communitie s tend to re m a in

in those comm unities, adding in crem entally to the lo cal econom y and in turn

streng thenin g the re latio n ship betwe e n the industry and its hom e port.Growing urbanization, suburban sprawl and rapid growth of v acation communities are increasingly pressuring not only the fish ing and aquaculture industries but also environmental and water quality in the state. This growth leads to competition for open space and skyrocketing real estate costs and taxes. As in the past, the industry must adapt to its changing surroundings.

Clearly, the men and women working in Ne w Jersey’s seafood industry represent the result of evolutionary changes in how the catch makes its way from the oceans and bays

to the dinner table.



### The importance of seafood in diet

The diets of American consumers have under gone something of an evolution themselves, and seafood is playing a more prominen t role today than in the past.

To be sure, Americans spend more time thi nking about their food today. No day passes

without some new or rehashed information a bout health-conscious diets and the dangers of obesity. This has led to consumers who ar e more demanding than ev er about the health benefits of what’s on their plates.

A USDA report in the summer of 2004 urged adding more fish to the diet to assist in reducing Americans’ waistlines as well as cutting the risk of coronary artery disease. The USDA report recommended that fish contai ning heart-protecting omega-3 fatty acids should be doubled to two servings a week, at 6 to 8 ounces per serving.

Seafood also has the advantage of being conve nient, quick and easy to prepare, fitting perfectly with Americans’ demand for healt hy foods that fit into our busy schedules.

As these dietary recommendations make thei r way into consumer demands, it will be even more advantageous to have a thrivi ng seafood industry in Ne w Jersey. As with produce and other agricultural products, consumers pr efer fish that is as fresh as it can be, making the existence of an a bundant local supply crucial.



### Planning for the future

The information in the following report illustrates that it is not only nostalgia that dictates New Jersey do all it can to preserve and e nhance its seafood indus try, but also sound economic logic.

Clearly, embracing aquaculture and fishing as integral parts of the state’s agricultural output is good for all of New Jersey. That is why the New Jersey Department of Agriculture has embarked upon a marketing prog ram to support this important sector of our agricultural community.Through branding as “Jersey Seafood” thos e products caught or cultivated here, producers can assure co nsum ers that this seaf ood is supremely fresh, as well as m e eting new national requirem e nts for labeling seaf ood’s country of origin and m e thod of production.

W ith the right assistance, New Jersey’s s eafood industry should enjo y a healthy future, just as it has enjoyed a rich heritage.

# New Jersey’s Six Major Ports

Rich Histories, Richer Futures

Belford

•

• Point P l easant

• Barnegat Light

• Atlantic City

• Port Norris

• Cape May

New Jersey’s six major fishing ports share a common develop ment. Originally, each was home to Native American tribes harvesting finfis h and shellfish from nearby waters. Next came the European settlers, harvesting the wa ters for their own f ood. They also saw the

economic o pportunity in catch i ng even more and selling it in nearb y cities such as Philadelphia and Wilmington. After decades as fishing centers, during which related businesses like boat-building spru ng up, most of the ports al so developed a significant

touris t trad e, creating b o th a cus t o m er base an d a nuisance as tour ism developmen t put further pressures on natural resources. Event ually, environmental conc erns such as overfishing and natural diseases would force the fishermen to adapt to changing conditions.

### Atlantic City: Fish and Chips

The Atlantic City seaport grew out of what was originally known as Absecon, or alternately, “Absegami,” “Absecom” and “Abs egum” by its original inhabitants, the Lenni Lenape Indians.

In 1614, Dutch Captain Cornelius Jackson Me y (for whom Mays Landing and Cape May would later be named, despite the misspel ling) explored the Mu llica and Great Egg Harbor Rivers. Mey named what is now Atla ntic County “Eyren Haven,” or “harbour of eggs,” for the numerous wild fowl eggs he found there.

The area continued developing around its wa ter resources, and by the time of the Revolutionary War, a bustling seaport lined the banks of the Absecon Creek. Besides reaping the harvest of the waters, the area became known for its many skilled boat

makers.

So active were the waters around what would la ter be named Atlantic City that in 1835 Dr. Jonathan Pitney, the “Father of Atlan tic City,” began petitioning Congress for a lighthouse on Absecon Island. Pitney was concer ned about the safety of seafarers in the

area between Great and Little Egg Harbors that had become so dangerous it was known as “Graveyard Inlet.” It woul d take another 21 years, and untold losses, before Congress finally appropriated $35,000 for the lighthouse.

Work on the lighthouse was completed in 1856 at a total cost of $52,187. Clearly, Pitney had hit upon the right idea, as not a single ship was wrecked in the first 10 months of the lighthouse’s operation.

The importance of fishing to the area began to be eclipsed by tourism once the island was connected to the mainland by bridge and rail in 1880. With that connection and the subsequent development of amusement cente rs on the piers of Atlantic City, the transformation to a resort town had begun. In 1976, it would be furthered by the approval of casino gambling in the city.

Still, there are plenty of fish alongside the casino chips, as Atlantic City serves as a seaport of note in New Jersey. In 2003, th e port brought in 20.8 m illion pounds of finfish and shellfish valued at more than $38 m illion. The Atlantic City commercial fishery consists of a sizable sea clam fleet (both fo r surf clams and ocean quahogs) and a smaller number of in-shore crab, hard clam, net and pot vessels. The size of the sea clam fleet, located at bayside docks near Absecon inlet, has declined in recent years due to changes in federal law allowing the consolidati on and transfer of individual quotas.

Sea clams are marketed directly to processors or shuckers, where th ey are processed into chowders, dips and fried clam strips. The majo r recent change in this process has been the relocation of processors to areas outside New Jersey due to concerns about rising land costs and environmental regulations.

### Barnegat Light: Tilefish Capital of the World

The experience at Barnegat Light shows that commercial food fish eries, charter/party boat fisheries and pricey resort communities can co-exist and mutually benefit. In the 1970s and ‘80s, multi-use waterfronts were c onsidered trendy and were being actively developed in ports along the East Coast. Barnegat Light has successfully made the transition to a multi-use port as a result of an active fishing community that reached out

to both local residents and visitors. Worki ng with the local chamber of commerce, the commercial dock regularly conducts tours that ex plain the different t ypes of fishing gear, the history of the fisheries, and the many efforts that have been undertaken by the fishermen themselves to help ensure the sustainability of the resource.

During the 1970’s Barnegat Light was known as the “tilefish capital of the world”. These deepwater fish have a taste and texture remini scent of scallops. B ecause there was little market for these fish, it fell to the fishing industry to actively promote and market their

catch.

The abundance of tilefish dropped off and con cerns about deepwater fish made these harvesters focus on other species. This is a common scenario; sp ecies are abundant at one time and then suddenly disappear. Records from the colonial era show that the black sea bass suddenly disappeared and then reappeared. These shifts can be due to water temperature, abundance of predators, and salinity changes, among other factors.

Today, long-line vessels fish in deep water on the edge of the Continental Shelf targeting tilefish, shark, swordfish, and tu na. It is not uncommon for long-liners and scallopers to remain at sea for 12 to 14 days. Scallopers travel to George’s Bank to harvest sea scallops. The highest quality sh ellfish are shucked at sea and dry packed to maintain the best quality. Deep-water fish eries are supplemented by sma ll, inshore gillnetters who harvest high quality fish destined for restaurant menus throughout the area.

The long-liners out of Barnegat Light are simila r to the Andrea Gale, the boat featured in

the movie “The Perfect Storm”. As a matter of fact, one of the ve ssels from Barnegat Light was used in the movie. The Captain tell s stories about the director who felt that the boat should be able to make tight turns and tricky maneuvers. Although this was a fun light-hearted activity, many of the boats also perform more serious recovery efforts like searching for the remains of TWA Flight 800.

### Belford: A History of Relying on the Catch

To get an idea of how long the lure of sea fishing has played a major role in northern New Jersey, consider this: The first person believed to have chartered a recreational fishing boat out of Sandy Hook was none other than George Washington.

Centuries later, the ports of northern New Jersey would become synonymous with shellfish. At one point, the land under the Stat ue of Liberty was known as Oyster Island because of the abundance of oys ters in the waters surrounding it. However, water quality

issues limited the harvest in the second half of the 20 th century.

Belford rose to prominence as a fishing port in the 19 th Century as the center for the menhaden fishery and fish processing. Menhaden is an oily fish used in a variety of industrial processes. The menha den harvest taken from Belford was processed into oil and meal at a nearby plant from the ear ly 1900s until 1987. Between the port operations and the employment opportunities provided by the processing plant, a great number of

the area’s residents had their livelihoods tied to the fishing industry.

The following excerpt from a Harper’s New Monthly story of Oc tober 1878 related the importance of the industry to the area.

The business of catching these fish and reducing them to oil and manure has only lately been developed into la rge proportions. From the earliest times the coast farm ers have been accustomed to catch them in seines and spread them on their fields -- a very unsavory practice; and to some extent oil was pressed from them long ago. Bu t the fishing was all done in small sailing vessels, and depended on the good fo rtune of the fish coming to the right spot. A few years ago steamers began to be substituted, and are now almost exclusively employed by thos e who are able to embark any money in the enterprise. Almost seventy are engaged, all the way from New Jersey to Nova Scotia, catching an aggregate of 50,000,000 (fish) a year.

Clearly, fishing and aquaculture will continue playing a major role in the area‘s economic picture. The Bayshore Developm ent Office, working in conj unction with entrepreneurs, local fishermen and government agencies , has proposed a commercial fishing and aquaculture project on the outlet of Compton’ s Creek in Belford. The plans include an aquaculture development facility, a seafood cooperative site that would expand the existing restaurant and add a fish market bui lding with stalls fo r individual businesses and a park/educational facility. Initially, the aquaculture facility would focus on hardshell

clams and would contain a ha tchery, nursery and grow- out facilities.

### Cape May: New Jersey’s largest port

The Cape May peninsula’s 108 miles of coastline preordained that its past, present and

future would be tied to the water. Even befo re it was settled by Europeans, the area was known to be a fishing haven for the Lenape I ndians as far back as the early 1600s. By the middle of that century, New England whalers in search of whales and land began settling

the area.

In the late 1600s, 35 families settled what is now Cape Ma y proper. Their proximity to the coast led most to make a living by harves ting the waters and marketing their catch to Philadelphia, Wilmington and even Baltimore. The barrier islands on the ocean side of the peninsula served as perfect sites for wh aling camps, adding yet another dimension to the fishing industry there.

Although the area developed as a tourist center over the centurie s, it never lost its appeal as a seaport. Today, it serves as New Jersey ’s largest – and the nation’s sixth-largest – boasting an active, state-of -the-art fishing fleet.

In 2003, harvesters at the Cape May/Wildwood port brought in more than 42 million pounds of finfish and shellfish, valued at ove r $74 million. Its trawler fleet consists of large, steel-hulled vessels that venture to di stant waters and make trips of longer duration than the fleets in other New Jersey ports. Ot hers at the port incl ude scallop dredgers, scallop trawlers, sea clam dredgers, pot boats, handliners and purse seiners.

Many of the vessels that call this port home ar e equipped with on-board flash freezers or refrigerated sea water systems, giving them an advantage in keeping fish aboard, especially during the summer months.

Cape May also boasts some of the most m odern fish processing and packing facilities found anywhere in the world. Fish from these facilities are se nt all around the globe. This epitomizes Cape May’s penchant for quickly reacting to shifting international needs, allowing fishermen and processors here to court buyers in all major markets.

A global view helps the port reach markets fo r species like mackerel and squid, which are not in high demand in the United States but which are prized overseas. The companies located here also are quick to pick up on other species, such as croaker, which can be

harvested in our waters and marketed ove rseas. So successful was one company in gaining international market share that it sa w the need to expand to other ports in the

United States to be able to m eet the demand for similar species.

Commercial fishermen in Cape May have been proactive in efforts to maintain the sustainability of their resources. They have wo rked closely with the Fisheries Information and Development Center (FIDC) to improve and refine the data collected on species biomass. The fishermen continue to pursue an agenda of meshing anecdotal information

from commercial vessels with statis tics developed by scientific trips.

### Point Pleasant: The meaning of fresh

The first real settlement in the Point Pleasant area was Lovelandtown, a fishing and clamming village established by Charles Love land in 1810. It occupied an area east of

what is now the Point Pleasant Ca nal and south of Bridge Avenue.

By the 1830s, the first cluster of about 30 homes served as the base of operations for the village, which consisted larg ely of Loveland family memb ers. Over the decades, thefamily would produce a long line of baymen making their livelihoods in fishing, boatbuilding, decoy carving a nd guiding fishing boats.

The waters around Point Pleasant gave ample r eason for the settlers to base their lives around fishing. In 1898, Captain Edward Love land reported hauling in 2,600 pounds of perch in one day off Mantoloking. By th e late 1800s and early 1900s, the baymen branched out into manning the coastal life-sav ing stations and taking tourists on fishing trips. In the late 1880s, tourists could take a daylong fishing trip on a catboat for the sum

of four dollars.

One important event in the ongoing developm ent of fishing and aquaculture was the

construction of the Point Pleasant Canal. Though planned throughout the late-1800s, the canal didn’t get started until 1916, when a $30,000 appr opriation from the State Legislature enabled the begi nning of construction. However, it was suspended soon after for World War I, then restarted again at the war’s end. On December 15, 1925, a scoop dredge lifted the soil that w ould send the salt waters of the Point Pleasant Bay into the Manasquan River for the first time.

Today, the port of Point Pleasant remains a ma jor venue for fishing and aquaculture in New Jersey. In 2003, the port brought in over 22 million pounds of finfish and shellfish valued at more than $37 million. The fleet – consisting of sea clam dredgers, day boat trawlers and gill net boats – return to the port daily, meaning the catch is truly fresh. This has helped the dock operators partner with a local upscale food store to run a “catch-ofthe-day” promotion emphasizing the local harvest.

The Fishermen’s Dock Cooperative at Point Pleasant operates two docks, an ice-making machine, cold storage facilit y, retail store and a truck-load ing station. The cooperative’s strength lies in its marketing st rategy and service to members.

### Port Norris: The Port the Oyster Built

By 1880, oysters were the lead ing fishery p r odu ct in the Un ited S t ates, with 2.4 m illion bushels harvested. A 1927 typhoid outbreak errone ously attributed to oysters being sold

in the she ll ( t he rea l caus e was late r d e term ined to be m ilk f r om Chicago) gave ris e to the practice of s hucking oys ters. The lab o r needed to f u lf ill this r o le attra c ted m a ny southern

African-Americans to the area.

In 1957, however, the oyster industry collap s ed d u e to a protozoan parasite

that de cim a ted the oyster beds. It took nearly 40 years to rebuild. By 1997, oystering began to

m a ke a com e back,

with m o re than 102,400 bushels

harvested.

The developm ent

of the Port Norris

area in Cum b erland County followed a fam ilia r pattern, with Lenni L e n a pe Ind i ans first utilizing the oyster s f r o m the Delaware Bay, then Europea n settle rs expanding their own personal use into commercial operations. The L e nape used the oysters f o r food and the shells for decoration. Large pile of shells , know n as “m iddens” could be found centuries

later as ev id ence of oyster use.

In the late-1600s and early-1700s, European settlers began settlem e nts based on the oyster trade. As towns a nd m a rkets grew, the original subsistence use of oysters turned into large, more widespread trade. As early as 1719, New Jersey found it necessary to pass laws aim e d at preventing over fishing of oyster beds, although those m easures had

little ef f

ect

In 1876, the oyster trade grew even larger as the railroad ca m e to the Maurice River, allowing shipping of oysters to even further m a rkets. That growth in th e tr ade led to the

em ergence of towns like Port Norris, Bivalve and Shellpile, nam e s indicative of the trade that spawned them . In addition to fishi ng, nearby towns like Leesburg and Greenwich

becam e known as ship-build ing centers. The A.J. Meerwald, now known as “New Jersey’s tall ship,” was among the ships produced there.

The seafood trade in and around Port Norris creat ed a new prosperity to S outh Jersey. At the peak of the oys ter industry in the late-1800 s, Port Norr is boas t ed more m illio naires

per square m ile than any other New Jersey town.

# Societal Aspects of Fishing and AquacultureAs mentioned in the earlier section of this report on New Jersey’s si x major ports, fishing and aquaculture have long helped shape the so ciety surrounding their operations. Just as the fishing villages and whaling camps of pa st centuries influenced the evolution of nearby communities, so today does the fishing and aquaculture industry continue to positively impact society.

Most obvious among those effects are the econo mic ones. All told, the industry brings in $4.5 billion annually from fisherie s, aquaculture and recreational fishing. This is part of a $50 billion-a-year “Coastal Zo ne” sector of the state’s economy, which employs one out of every six people working in New Jersey.

The seafood industry’s jobs aren’t limited to the nearly 3,000 fishermen on the boats. Thousands of people work in the state’s seaf ood processing plants and wholesalers. Their wages, in turn, keep afloat a variety of businesses from which they buy goods and

services.

In 2003, the New Jersey fish and shellfish harvest totaled $121 million in “ex-vessel” value, the amount paid to fishermen at the doc k when they return with the catch. For that year, 170 million pounds of fish and shellfish we re landed. New Jersey’s top harvests are sea scallops, surf clams, ocean quahogs and hard clams.

The industry’s ups and down have led to many innovations, both in the way fishermen organize themselves for economic benefit a nd in the adaptations to environmental and quality-control concerns.

The “fisherman’s co-op” is perhaps the best example of how industry practitioners can band together for maximum economic benefit. These arrangements date to the 1950s in New Jersey, when a co-op was established at the port of Belford. Historically dependent on finfish that are shipped to New Jersey and New York wholesalers, the co-op has shared facilities that provide dock space, ice and marketing services.

Most recently, the co-op established an on-site retail market and a restaurant, a tip of the fishing cap to the changing nature of how their catch is marketed. Together, the

fishermen have been able to create the kind of well-round ed marketing operation that may not have been possible working individually.

### Fisherman’s Dock Cooperative

Around the same time the Belford co-op was established, another was formed at Point Pleasant. Working together for their co mmon good, fishermen can reap more of the benefits of their hard work than if they were to bring their catch to a private dock owner to pack. The private dock owner can act as a di ctator, with a take-it- or-leave-it approach.

The co-op arrangement, however, brings with it the kinds of obstacles that face any democracy. As Jim Lovgren, a member of th e co-op, said, “You’ve got 15 members, so

that’s 15 different ideas.” A chance in 1979 to purchase a nearby dock property that had been a clam processing plant drew mixe d reaction from the members, with younger fishermen favoring the purchase and older ones asking, “Why should we stick our necks out?” Lovgren said.

The co-op decided against buying the prope rty, whose asking pric e at the time was $600,000. A year later, Lovgren said, the property was worth $2 million.

One of the challenges faced by the co-op is the diversity of the port. Commercial fishing operations share the area with charter fishin g boats and other pleasure boaters. Over the past 20 years, the boats in the party fleet have grown bigger, while the fleet itself has remained about the same size or diminished by a few boats.

Tensions can arise over the interacti on between the commer cial and party boat operations, mainly over who has more of an inte rest in catching a limited number of fish.

Party boats may spend as much into the local economy as $20 per fish for what they

catch, while commercial fishermen, who see them selves as the “hunter -gatherers bringing the fish to market,” spend considerably less per fish due to economies of scale.

The analogy Lovgren draws is of someone as king whether it is more important to have someone grow a few tomatoes in their back ya rd or to have a large-scale vegetable farm producing thousands of toma toes for the public to buy.

The analogies to farming are not lost on the co-op’s fishermen. After all, it was the New Jersey Agriculture Department that helped form the group more than five decades ago.

“The one thing you see different about fish ing and farming is that when a county agriculture board has a meeting, there’s 20 or 30 people in the room,” Lovgren said. “You try to get 20 fishermen in a room to work together. The only way to do that it seems is to have the government threaten to shut down the industry.

“Would the industry benefit from a tie-in to ag riculture? I think so. I think agricu lture and fishing could strengthen each other. What is fishing doing unde r the U.S. Commerce Department? We (also have oversight) by the National Mari ne Fisheries Service, the Department of State, U.S. Fish and Wild life, the Coast Guard. Nobody really has enough of a piece to make a coordinated effort to help the industry.”

### Technological Advances

Many fishermen will tell you those multiple leve ls of regulation can be frustrating and counter-productive to the industry. But there have been positive side effects of such demands to abide by environmental and safety regulations.

Just as the ships in which they sail have evolved over the years from schooners to today’s powerful vessels, so too have the tools of th e trade used by the modern-day fishermen. The growth of the indust ry in New Jersey has allowed the state to see first-hand the latest in fishing and aquaculture technology.

After water-quality issues arose in the mid-20 th Century, restrictions were placed on the harvesting of shellfish off northern New Jers ey. Instead of abandoning that market, the industry set out to create the technology necessary to keep it thriving. Clams harvested in designated waters off Monmout h County cannot be marketed directly. They must first undergo a self-cleansing process to purge themselves of bacterial impurities or contaminants they may have ingested through the water.

Two depuration plants currently operate in Monmouth County. One is privately financed while the other uses several sources of gr ant funding. After the first plant opened in Monmouth County, the number of clammers in creased and the harvest grew by about 50 percent. An additiona l depuration plant is part of th e Bayshore Development Office’s project, as is a shellfish pr ocessing facility using high h ydrostatic pressure (HHP), a technique that increases the safety and shelf lif e of the product, but which can be costly to implement.

Updated technology also helps the fisherman at sea. Beyond the modern equipment that helps captains find fish easier, many of the vessels at New Jersey’s ports are equipped with on-board flash freezers or refrigerated sea water systems, giving them an advantage in keeping fish aboard, especia lly during hotter summer months.

A good glimpse into how technology and modern understanding can help revive the shellfish industry can be f ound in the New York/New Jersey Baykeeper program, a volunteer group working to re-est ablish oyster beds in three key locations – Liberty Flats to the south of the Statue of Liberty, the Raritan Bay in Keyport and the Navesink River near Oyster Point in Red Bank.

On a recent humid afternoon, volunteers from the NY/NJ Baykeepers loaded bags of young oysters onto boats docked behind Bahr’s Landing in Atlantic Highlands for a trip up to Oyster Point. The oysters were the produc t of “remote setting” – the attachment and metamorphosis of hatchery-raised oyster larvae to clam shell substrate – in tanks operated by the Baykeeper group, Br ookdale Community College and Bahr’s Landing.

As Baykeeper’s oyster program technician Ka tie McCrone explained, the oysters were to

be taken to a restored reef at Oyster Point. The program began in 1999 at the Liberty Flats site, and has been underway in the Na vesink River since 2002.“ W e grow them here in the tanks u n til they are about the s i ze of a quarter, ” McCrone said, showing off the young oysters. “Then th ey’re transferred down to the reef. Historically, there had been a large population of oysters ther e. That’s how Oyster P o int and the Oyster Point Hotel got their n a m e s.”

Oysters, once an integral part of the Hudson- Raritan Estuary system , pl ay a key role in

their enviro nm ent. They are referred to as “bioengine ers

, ” since th eir growth and

accum u latio n provide a habitat for a broad commun ity of aquatic life. They also play an

im portant part in keeping bay water clean, as one adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day.

Decades ag o, vast numbers of oysters with na m e s lik e Am boys, Shrewsburies and

Navesink Goldens were harvested across 350 m iles of oyster beds stretching from New Jersey to N e w York. Disease, pollution and, to som e degree, overharvesting created a severe decline in that population, impacti ng not only the oyster i ndustry, but also the health of the estuary system

.

It is hop ed the Baykeep er pro j ect and other sim ilar restora tion efforts can reve rse that

trend.

“This year, for the first tim e since we’ve been doing this in the Na vesink, we are seeing natural oysters occurring th ere beyond what we’re putting th ere,” M c Cro n e said. “Once they’re on th e reef, we monitor them on ce a m onth to see how they’re doing.”

LEFT: Young oysters on clam shell subs trate. RIGHT: A baym an loads bags of young oysters for a trip to the N a vesink Riv e r oyste r reef, where they will con tin ue growing.

### Environmental adaptations

Like nearly every business over the past 30 years, fishing and aquaculture have had to adapt to increasing demands to protect the environment. It’s been a double-edged sword, decreasing efficiency in the short-term while ensuring an environment that can sustain fisheries in the long-term.

In some cases, it has meant shifting to techni ques that aren’t the fishermen’s favorite. For instance, the most efficient technique for wild harvest is the otter trawl, but it also draws the most fire from environmentalists for the way it stirs up the ocean. The least efficient method is the hook and line, with numerous individual hooks spread across a long line. However, it is favored environmentally because it does the least to disturb the surrounding habitat.

Another example of environmental adaptation is the scallop fisher y. At one point, the scallop fishery was closed across the entir e George’s Bank – the area starting just southwest of New England that suffer ed from over-fishing in the mid-20 th Century. The scallop fishery was closed to allow the ye llowtail flounder and scallop resources to rebuild. To avoid a repeat of the circumstances leading up to that closure, the fishermen modified their gear so that the dredges did not drag along th e bottom and pick up yellowtail as a by-catch.

As a result of that change , along with better data collec tion and effective management plans, the stocks of both yellowtail flounder and scallops made a comeback.

Sometimes, the changes forced upon the in dustry by environmental interests don’t achieve the goal the environmentalists had hoped for.

One such issue occurred in a movement to encourage American chefs to boycott swordfish. The high-quality swor dfish harvested by the local long-line fleet rapidly lost market share to cheap imports from countries that allowed the harvest of fish that would have been considered below the legal size li mit domestically. Ultimately, this led to the depletion of migratory breedin g groups and a correlating decr ease in swordfish stock. Finally, the federal government stepped in to prohib it the importation of the smaller fish.

Today’s successful fisherman knows the value of sound management plans and environmental regulations in safeguarding th e future of the catch. Logic would dictate that fishermen want to keep the waters clean and avoid over-fishing to ensure the

continuation of their catch. But logic often takes a back seat in the environmental debates about the industry, said Gregor y DiDomenico of the Garden State Seafood Association.

“They believe this industry should be held to a standard where you have zero impact,” DiDomenico said of the members of large environmental groups, known as “enviros” to fishermen. “How can you do that? In your dail y life, you can’t drive a car, use energy, create waste, consume things in your persona l life without creati ng an impact. Then youlook at the industry and say, ‘Y ou guys can’t have any impact at all.’ It’s completely

unfair.”

At times, it can seem to fishermen that th e myriad environmental regulations make it tougher and tougher to stay in business. Some don’t foresee the next generations of their families following them into the industry, and in some cases actively dissuade their children from pursuing it.

### One fisherman’s story

Jim Lovgren’s grandfather came with six brot hers to America from Sweden after World War I. They brought with them the fish ing life they had led in their homeland.

Two generations later, Lovgre n, who is 48 years old, wonders if there’ll be another generation to follow.

“When I grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and my father was a fisherman, generally your father wanted you to be a fisherman, t oo,” said Lovgren, now a member of the Fisherman’s Dock Cooperative at Point Pleas ant. “Now, if your father’s a fisherman, generally he wants you to be anyt hing other than a fisherman.”

Harvesting the ocean’s bounty has never been an easy life, what with long hours, sometimes treacherous ocean conditions and uncertain pay. But foreign competition, strict environmental regulations and numerous opportunities in other fields make it more difficult now to pass on the business to a new generation, Lovgren said.

Lovgren’s two older sons, Eric, 25, and Keit h, 21, have already stak ed out other career paths, although they have he lped him with the business in recent years. His youngest, 18- year-old Jimmy, may yet seek the seafaring lif e, “and if he wanted to, I wouldn’t oppose

him.”

For one thing, it’s a business that a high school graduate can enter and make a good living almost from day one.

“I came out of high school in 1974, and I was making $30,000 to $35,000 right out of high school,” Lovgren said. “My friends went on to four years of college and when they came out, they were still making $20,000 a year as teachers. But now they’re retiring with full benefits and big pensions.”

For fishermen just starting out now, the seas are much rougher than in the free-wheeling ’70s. While Lovgren sees a restrictive regulator y climate as the biggest obstacle to fishing success now, he also has been keen on cap italizing on market innovations like the Fisherman’s Dock Cooperative.

The group helps build cooperation not only be tween the commercial fishermen, but also among the various other businesses – pleasure fishing charter boats and other pleasureboating operations – that must co-exist at Point Pleasant.

“The Point Pleasant Beach pe ople understand the value of the fishing industry to the town,” Lovgren said. “We’re the town’s biggest employer.”

While that draws a certain amount of coope ration locally, Lovgren worries about the national attitude toward his industry. He s ees it as the result of a concerted campaign by

other industries to deflect criticism levele d at them for damage done to the oceans.After the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, he said, oil and chemical companies took major hits for the impacts thei r products had on the oceans. Lovgren believes they have proactively tried to paint fishermen as th e ones doing the most damage to the seas.

“One hundred million dollars (i n public relations) later, we ’re the bad guys,” he said. “Meanwhile, Exxon still hasn’t paid the commercial fishermen in Alaska for what they lost due to the oil spill.”

Lovgren blames some of his own brethren for allowing the fisherman-as-bad-guy image to be developed without much fighting back.

“Our biggest strength as fishermen, that we’r e fiercely independent, is also our biggest weakness,” he said. “It’s kept us from b ecoming unified, so we can’t get enough support on a national level to get anything done. Some of our people are just like the rest of the country. As long as they’re making money, they just sit in front of their TV, drink their beer and say, ‘I’m happy.’”

Lovgren is optimistic that within five or six years fishing limits in the Mid-Atlantic region will loosen up and the industry will be more robust.

“In the ’60s and ’70s, the foreign countries wiped out our fishing grounds,” he said. “Then in 1976, the Magnuson-Stevens Fisher y Conservation and Management Act kicked the foreigners out. Then the Ameri can fleet expanded and we started wiping the fish out. By the time we realized what we were doing, it was really late in the game.”

However, management practices sinc e then have brought the fish back.

“Fish in the Mid-Atlantic are coming back gangbusters,” Lovgren said. “We’re seeing the benefits of proper management.”

The fisherman hopes such a turnaround can spark interest among a younger generation to at least explore the career. Besides his ow n sons, Lovgren’s fishermen brothers Dennis and Billy, have two and three sons resp ectively, but none seems interested yet.

“It’s a long way away, so you don’t know what will happen,” Lovgren said. “It is hard work, and it can be dangerous work. But at th e end of the day, it’s an honest living and you’ve fed people.”



### Community ties

In centuries past, fishermen like Lovgren we ren’t likely to wonder if their offspring would enter the industry. The lif e was so ingrained in the natu re of the towns that sprung up around fishing villages that just about ever yone who lived in those towns made their living in some way, either directly or indirectly, from the fisheries.Lawrence Schmidt, Executive Director of the Tuckerton Seaport Village and Museum, recalled how New Jersey’s coasta l towns revolved around the industry.

“Tuckerton’s heyday was really in the mid-19 th Century or just a little earlier; it was a pretty bustling little place,” Schmidt said. “A lot of these little towns thrived and even

owed their existence to commercial fishi ng, and to some degree the sport fishing industry.

“But with the collapse of the shellfish industry, a lot of these towns lost the major thrust

of their economies. As those things died out, the people living in those towns pursued other opportunities.”

Most of the shore towns these days see themselves as “maritime resorts” more so than fishing and aquaculture towns, Schmidt said. New developments have brought in

residents with little or no ties to the indus try, and a large number of the towns have populations that dramatica lly dip after Labor Day.

Yet it is that very shift toward tourism that may offer one of the be st opportunities for the seafood industry, Schmidt said.

“One of the things people are looking for these days from tourism is a destination that is something unique, experiential and authentic,” he said.

Towns where commercial fishing still thri ves would do well to look to Gloucester, Massachusetts, on Boston’s north shore.

“There’s still a very active commercial fi shing industry there,” Schmidt said, “But

tourists love to come and watch the fleets co me in. They’re able to have fresh seafood. They go to the docks and converse with the wa termen and the baymen. They talk to them

about what it takes to conti nue that kind of operation in 21 st Century realities.

“The small towns that dot the Jersey shore have an opportun ity to capitalize like that. There’s something very homey and approachable about it, something very picturesque about a maritime community like Tuckerto n or Port Norris or Cape May with its

Victorian architecture. Yet on the northern end of Cape Ma y, you’ve still got a number of commercial and charter operations.”

Some of the elements alrea dy exist for such a co-mingli ng of the seafood and tourism industries, said Gregory DiDomenico, Executive Director of the Garden State Seafood

Association.

“You’ve got places like the Lobs ter House in Cape May, which is, I think, one of the topten grossing restaurants in the country,” DiDomenico said. “A nd you’ve got boats coming in there all the time. It’s an area where people co uld see the industry at work. Viking Village also does a good job with their restaurant. Their community knows they’re there.”Port Norris also could see oppor tunities in the agri-tourism or eco-tourism arenas. A 1996 eco-tourism plan designed by Cumberland Count y leaders identified six areas that could be targeted for eco-tourism grow th. Of the six, four had to do with the county’s maritime

characteristics.

According to a section of the web site of the Cumberland Deve lopment Corporation (CDC), tourism possibilities along that line include, “m arine-based i ndustries and recreation amenities; tracing Cumberla nd County’s Maritime Heritage; boating adventures in Cumberland County; (and) hunt ing, fishing and crabbing opportunities...”

A $300,000 marketing initiative in 2002 targeted lo cal residents, visitors and investors, but “there is a need to go further to attr act the tourism dollars,” according to the CDC web site. One big obstacle to attracting tourists to the area is a lack of hotel rooms. In the two-county Southern Shore Region that in cludes Cumberland and Cape May counties, more than 96 percent of the tourism-related expenditures went to Cape May. The CDC

recommended:

“Lengthening the stay of touris ts – at a minimum, accommodating a greater number of overnight stays – is a key element to gain tourism dollars. Since Cumberland County does not have major attractions, it will be critical to package destinations t ogether for potential tourists to entice them to extend their stay.”

Clearly, any one of New Jersey’s six ma jor ports could pursue the Gloucester, Massachusetts, model mentioned by Tuckerton Seaport’s executive director, but it would take a concerted effort in some cases, as evidenced in Port Norris, to also provide the amenities needed to accommodate tourists. Whether residents in largely rural areas like Cumberland County would be receptive to such development would remain to be seen.

That could depend, Garden State Seafood’s Di Domenico said, on how well the industry can make itself a known quantity in its host communities.

“We’re so hidden, in many cases, that I’m not sure the local community knows we’re there,” he said. “You talk to pe ople in the food store, in the restaurant business, and they don’t seem to have a clue that New Jersey is a tremendous source of seafood.”

A big part of that public education effort is one-to-one relationships between the fishermen and members of groups like local Chambers of Commerce and other business organizations.

“That’s where you see the benefi t of people like Jim Lovgren at Fisherman’s Dock Co-op and Ernie Panacek of Viking Village,” DiDome nico said. “They’re real local people who do a lot of work in their communities. Peopl e know those guys and know what they do.”Another paradox for the industry is that wh ile 78 percent of seafood consumed in the United States is imported, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t larg e quantities of fish being caught domestically.

“We import a lot of fish to meet domestic demand,” DiDomenico said, “but we also export a whole lot of fish to other countries.”

Fish that previously would have been exported are now staying in the United States in greater numbers, though. As New Jersey’s ethnic populations rise, fish that would have been exported to places like Asia are finding th eir markets much closer to the home ports.

Monkfish is one example, Fisherman Dock Co-op’s Lovgren said. Asian groups are big consumers of monkfish, Lovgren said, which is especially prized for a soup made from

its liver.

As more U.S. residents who traditionally w ouldn’t have strayed from flounder and tuna are exposed to other tasty varieties, more of the fish caught off New Jersey will stay in domestic markets, DiDomenico said.

“It’s about cultural trends,” he said. “Some people will only eat flounder. But we’ve got great sea bass and monkfish and scup and mackerel and squid. The more people try them, the more they go for the different varieties.”



### Branding New Jersey Seafood

In early-2005, the first effort to brand a seafood product under the “Jersey Seafood” label

and standards was kicked off as the New Je rsey Department of Agriculture partnered with the USDA to award a $47,100 grant to a group of seven aquaculture producers to

market clams.

The New Jersey Seafood Marketing Group, le d by third-generation bayman George Mathis of Egg Harbor Township, began selli ng fresh, locally raised hard clams in mesh bags at retail stores and farm markets.

“I hope that the quality standards that we are implementing, as well as the new packaging, will go a long way toward furthering consumer interest and purchasing of the best available product,” Mathis said at the launch of the new effort.

# Seafood and Diet

A Great-Tasting Way to Good HealthHardly a day goes by without some new study s howing the health benefits of eating more

fish and shellfish. From increa sed heart health to fending off Alzheimer’s disease, recent

studies have touted seafood’s ab ility to provide better health.

Some studies have focused on seafood alone, and have shown numerous advantages to be gained by eating a diet rich in fish and shellfish.

The reasons are many. First, all s eafood is low in fat, typically less than 5 percent fat, and

most is low in cholesterol. At the same time, seafood provides an excellent source of high-quality protein. Oily fish are very high in Vitamin D, and seafood is an excellent source of minerals such as iron, zinc, ni acin and iodine. By comparison, oysters and mussels have nearly three times as much iron as most meats.

Garnering much attention in the medical pre ss lately are the “Omega-3” fatty acids that are commonly found in fish oils. Fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel are the richest sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, which can in hibit blood clotting and help keep arteries from becoming clogged. They also lower the ci rculating levels of blood fats and blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of heart attack.

Baking, broiling, poaching, steami ng, stir-frying, grilling and sa utéing are the best ways

to cook seafood to ensure it reta ins the most of its healthful properties. Deep frying is the least beneficial method as it destroys more of the Omega-3 fatty acids and also adds high

levels of bad fats to the meal.



### It’s brain food

Generations of parents and teachers weren’t too far off when they touted fish as “brain food.” While it may not have caused you to be as intelligent as you are, recent studies have shown that seafood does help people ma intain their mental acuity, perhaps even warding off Alzheimer’s disease.

A recent USA Today article said that seafood “is be coming to Alzheimer’s candidates what the aspirin-a-day regimen is to many heart patients.” The article cited studies by Tufts University in Boston, Rush University in Chicago and the University of CaliforniaLos Angeles, all showing seafood was importa nt in protecting against the onset of

Alzheimer’s.

In the Rush University st udy of 815 men and women, cove ring a four-year period, researchers found that eating fish at least onc e a week produced a 60- percent reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

Additionally, some research has shown that fish oils and Omega-3 fatty acids can be used to replace prescription anti-inflammatory drug s. Recent scares about inflammatory drugs like Vioxx have heightened awareness of th e drugs’ down side. In a recent Dutch study,more than two-thirds of participants were ab le to substitute fish oils and Omega-3 fatty acids for anti-inflammatory drugs.

Still, most Americans don’t get enough of the fatty acids from fish that foster learning and protect memory, the researchers found. Eati ng two to three fish meals a week would ensure that protec tion, the studies found.

One reason people don’t get e nough fish in their diets is the concern over mercury. However, the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern for most people. Women who are pregnant or who may become preg nant, nursing mothers and young children are most susceptible to harm from mercury. Therefore, it is recommended those groups follow three rules:

1. Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish.

2. Eat up to 12 ounces (two average meals) pe r week of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury, including flounder, scallops, clams, sole or freshwater trout.

3. Check local advisories about the safety of recreational fish caught by family and friends in local lakes, rivers and coastal areas.



### Raw or cooked?

Eating raw seafood is one of those ideas wh ere people find little middle ground. Either people enthusiastically partake of raw seafood or they turn up their noses at the prospect.

Eating raw seafood such as oysters, sushi, sashimi and ceviche can be done safely, although the consumption of any raw or unde rcooked protein can pose a risk of foodborne illness.

However, certain individuals whose immune systems are weakened may not be able to effectively fight bacteria in raw foods , and should enjoy seafood only when cooked. Those at-risk groups include people with liver disease, diabetes, cancer, immune disorders including HIV infection, anyone using st eroids for conditions such as asthma or arthritis and anyone with hemochro matosis, an iron disorder.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends cooking most seafood to an internal temperature of 145 degrees for 15 seconds.

### Preparing seafood

Those more familiar with cooking meat than seafood should simply remember that the rules are turned upside down. Unlike with meat , seafood does not need to be tenderized by cooking. In fact, cooking seafood too long has the opposite effect, making it tougher as its natural juices are lost.

When cooking whole fish, steaks or fillets, c ook for 10 minutes per inch, as measured at the thickest part. For less than an inch, s horten the time accordingly; i.e. half-inch, five

minutes.

Color is the best sign for determining the cooking time for shrimp, lobster and scallops. Shrimp and lobster turn red and the flesh becomes white. S callops firm up and turn a milky white color

The shells of other shellfish are the best ga uges. Clam, mussel and oyster shells will open when they are done cooking. Those that stay closed should not be used.

When buying shellfish, make sure they are co ming only from reputable sources. Shellfish bought live should be kept aliv e and refrigerated properly un til ready to prepare. Live clams, mussels and oysters should be stored in well-ventilated refr igeration, not air-tight bags or containers.



### Differences in nutrition

Remember that how seafood is prepared can make a ll the difference when counting

calories and fat.

A recent article in the Dallas-Forth Worth Star-Telegram gave the following examples:

9 Two cups of Manhattan clam chowder have 256 calories, 8 grams of fat, 32 grams of carbs and 14 grams of protein. By comparison, New England clam chowder has 542 calories, 40 grams of fat, 29 gr ams of carbs and 16 grams of protein. Lobster bisque weighed in at 710 calories , 58 grams of fat, 32 grams of carbs and 16 grams of protein.

9 While shrimp is typically low-calorie, not so when served with scampi sauce. A typical shrimp scampi dish (eight shri mp with pasta and sauce) contains 830 calories. An eight-ounce broiled hali but, by comparison, has 317 calories.

9 Finally, what you put on your fish make s a difference, too. One tablespoon of tartar sauce, with its mayonnaise base, ha s 74 calories and 7.5 grams of fat. The same amount of cocktail sauce, by comp arison, has 15 calories and 0.1 gram of

fat.

# ConclusionsClearly, New Jersey’s fishing and aquaculture industry faces great challenges while also enjoying certain advantages over it s counterparts in other states.

Foremost among those advantages has been a historical willingness to be innovative, to try new approaches and to l ook at regulatory and natural obstacles as hurdles to be overcome, not roadblocks to elicit surrender.

The cooperatives formed at both Belford and Point Pleasant more than 50 years ago speak to that willingness to innovate. The recent moves at both ports, as well as in Barnegat Light, to embrace direct marketing te chniques for the fleets’ catches also speaks to a flexibility that can lead to greater success.

The ability to work within fair, beneficial management plans ensures New Jersey’s

fisheries a more even-handed future than t hose experienced during the days when entire species were practically wi ped out due to over-fishing.

Also, the state’s position in a high-technol ogy corridor allows ready access to the kinds of on-board freezing and other apparatus th at can make each crew’s journey more efficient and profitable.

Finally, a support system of academic institutions and government agencies interested in enhancing the viability of the industry brings a level of security that the captains and their

crews are not in this alone.



### Moving forward

There is no doubt that New Jersey’s wild ha rvest and farm-raised seafood is among the most delicious. But, as much as the state is known for its seashore resorts, the fishermen

lament that this connection does not extend to the same degree to the seafood industry.

Accordingly, a stepped-up public relations/public education effort is a key component for the industry. Fortunately, a good model already exists in the Department of Agriculture’s “Jersey Fresh” campaign for produce. That logo has become widely known throughout the nation, as far away as Wash ington State and into Canada.

“Jersey Fresh” branding was used as a template for the recently launched “Jersey Seafood” web site, which seeks to do for seafood what its predecessor did for Jersey produce. Additional public relations/education campaigns should be explored and, where feasible, pursued to elevate the aw areness of the st ate’s great seafood.

Just as agri-tourism has provi ded expanded opportunities for fa rmers, a tie-in between the seafood industry and tourism would also be a benefit. The Gloucester, Massachusetts, example should be studied for approaches that could be applied in New Jersey.Clearly, this could be more easily pursued in the seashore resort towns near the major ports than in a Delaware Ba y location like Port Norris. However, the growing popularity of eco-tourism could lend itself to developing a tourism link for Port Norris as well. As mentioned in this report, such a move would take a concerted effort to build the kind of infrastructure needed to support tourism.

This kind of development linke d to the shellfish industry in the Delaware Bay could help the industry in its comeback there. Improveme nts in water quality, as well as the work of such institutions as the Haskins laboratory in researching shellfish diseases, have given that comeback a fighting chance. While more needs to be done, support for the industry garnered through tourism related to it could pr ovide the impetus for future advancement.

Finally, New Jersey’s seafood industry would be nefit greatly from a greater and clearer perception of it as part of th e state’s overall agricultural la ndscape. Fishermen themselves admit they are not adept at organizing their rather independent-minded colleagues into a cohesive unit that can fight for the industry.

Embracing the seafood industry as part of the whole of agriculture would add a voice that has proven successful in standing up for the righ ts of farmers. That community has been

able to mobilize to slow th e loss of farmland in New Jersey to where the state now preserves more farmland than it loses each year . It has found a way to work with other, sometimes oppositional, constituencies to build support for farming as a great contributor to New Jersey’s quality of life.

It is in that last area that the New Jersey Department of Agricultu re can be of greatest assistance to fishing and aquaculture. By in troducing the principles and practices that have helped keep land agricultu re vital in New Jersey, the Department can bring the same kind of renewed spirit to the st ate’s fisheries and aquaculture.

In this vein, the Department has embarked upon a course to more fully integrate fishing and aquaculture into the definition of agricu lture. To date, the Department has undertaken a number of initiatives, which should be e nhanced and broadened to aid the industry.

They include the Jersey Seafood web site; the issuance of aquatic farmer licenses allowing producers to demonstrate definitive ownership of organisms being cultured; the creation of an Aquaculture Advisory C ouncil charged with developing a businessfriendly and environmentally sound policy framew ork to foster the growth of aquaculture in the state; and the Department’s involve ment in Jersey Seaf ood promotional events involving the state’s leading chefs.

This report was prepared to stimulate discus sion in the industry and general public about the ways New Jersey can further foster a vital and sustainable seafood industry. Anyone with ideas about improvi ng the viability and vitality of the industry is welcome to send

comments via e-mail to jeffrey.beach@ag.state.nj.us

.

### Additional Seafood Reports Available:

Aquaculture-Farming the Waters

New Jersey’s Diverse Aquaculture Serves Wide Array of Customers

Delaware Bay Oyster Culture – Past, Present and Potential Future