This week's Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) meeting of the Summer Flounder, Scup & Black Sea Bass Management Board in Alexandria, Virginia produced unanimous approval of New Jersey as its own region with the option to utilize a 17-inch fluke minimum in Delaware Bay and for shore fishing at Island Beach State Park while the rest of the state maintains the same regulations as New York and Connecticut. New Jersey was forced last year into a region with those states after New York objected to having higher minimum sizes for fluke while often fishing in the same waters as New Jersey boaters. Yet, the same disparity applied to Jersey boaters at the southern end of the state in Delaware Bay as Delaware's region had a 16-inch minimum. Since party and charter boats on the Jersey side of Delaware Bay draw most of their customers from Pennsylvania, anglers from that state usually opted to drive over the Delaware Memorial Bridge in order to bag 16-inch fluke rather than be restricted to an 18-inch minimum which is hard to come by in that bay. The new one year agreement allows the DEP to set up separate Delaware Bay regulations with a 17-inch minimum for four fluke during a 128-day season. That's still an inch over Delaware, but may be close enough to keep some Pennsylvania fishermen coming to New Jersey Delaware Bay ports. Meanwhile, the two fluke at 17 inches for shore-based anglers in Island Beach State Park can continue – and the DEP also has the opportunity to set up similar shore opportunities if they can be properly monitored. The rest of the state will maintain the same fluke regulations as last year – an 18-inch minimum with five fluke during a 128-day season. The Marine Fisheries Council will set the opening and closing dates. Those regulations last year resulted in the entire region coming in well under the recreational quota. According to the 2015 assessment, summer flounder are not overfished, but overfishing is occurring. There were substantial illegal commercial catches, especially before the Research Set-Aside Program was discontinued, and the fishing mortality rate in 2014 was 16 percent above the reference point. Four year classes from 2010 to 2013 turned out to be overestimated – and the biomass has actually been trending downwards since 2010. As a result, the Acceptable Biological Catch limit of 16.26 million pounds for 2016 is reduced 29 percent from 2015 – and only 40 percent of that goes to the public. Things didn't go as well with sea bass, as New Jersey was well over quota last year. We will be required to reduce this year's catch by 23 percent or more – based on the final MRIP catch figures which should be available by mid-month. New Jersey voted against the sea bass decision as there appears to be far more sea bass than NOAA Fisheries claims. As it stands, the Marine Fisheries Council will have to increase the minimum size, lower bag limits or adjust seasons – or a combination of all three --in order to achieve the reduction. The Obama Administration's decision to open ocean areas off Virginia to oil and gas drilling was strongly objected to at an Asbury Park Boardwalk meeting on Sunday by many state politicians, fishermen and conservationists due to the possibility that a spill there could end up affecting our waters and resulting in losses to the fishing and tourism industries. Considering that domestic producers are presently suffering due to rapidly falling oil prices, it seems strange that the Obama Administration would make such a controversial decision – but Virginia now has a Democratic governor who may be seeking an economic boost. Though gusty northwest winds may be a problem on Friday, Saturday's forecast of light west winds looks good for ocean fishing. The Ocean Explorer from Belmar got into good offshore blackfishing on Monday when one angler bagged a limit out of 12 legal tog, and everyone caught something. The next day one fare caught a black in the 10-pound class plus three of 5 to 7 pounds. That boat went in the yard, and customers should call to determine when it will resume sailing. Capt. Ryan Bogan reported the big swell hurt fishing from the Jamaica II out of Brielle last weekend, with mostly big congers (silver eels) and dogfish biting. However, a few cod and ling were bagged. Pool winners were Hector Costa of Perth Amboy with a 14-pound cod, and Steven Crane from Hazlet for a 12-pounder. The Golden Eagle from Belmar found few mackerel among herring during Sunday's trip. Capt. Jimmy Elliott, who'll be sailing at 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, said the best action was inshore near the Klondike, and he ended up wasting time by looking too far offshore. A commercial boat ran into bunkers this week out by the HA Buoy. The Atlantic City Boat Show runs through Sunday at the Convention Center. The Canyon Runner Seminar was a sellout there last Saturday. Those who couldn't make that event may be able to grab one of the 100 tickets at $99 remaining for the Long Island seminar on Feb. 27. Call Adam La Rosa at 732 842-6825. The N.J. Boat Sale and Expo will run from Feb. 18 to 21 at the NJ Convention Center in Edison.