June 2, 2008

The Honorable Senator Lautenberg
324 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510

RE: National Pollutant Discharge Permits (NPDES) and S. 2766

Dear Senator Lautenberg:

I’m writing on behalf of the Garden State Seafood Association (GSSA) and the New Jersey commercial fishing industry. We respectfully request that you secure a legislative exemption for all commercial fishing vessels in New Jersey by amending S.2766. The GSSA is comprised of commercial fishermen, shore-based processors, commercial dock facilities, seafood markets, restaurants, and various industry support businesses from New Jersey.

Unless we can secure a legislative exemption for all commercial fishing vessels in New Jersey, the captains, crews and their families as well as the local business community that services our industry would be negatively impacted. These people make up the fabric of our coastal economy. In addition, such restrictions could deprive New Jersey seafood consumers as well as consumers across this country, access to wholesome local seafood.

S. 2766, provides an exemption for recreational fishing vessels but does not extend the exemption to commercial vessels. We are asking for the same exemption to apply to and protect New Jersey hardworking fishing families in the commercial fishing sector and the for hire sector.

In the past, our fishing vessel discharges (including rain water, deck wash-down, bilge, galley, grey/stick water…) were exempted under the Clean Water Act and only now are they being impacted due to a lawsuit targeting ballast water issues. We are not opposing ballast water management but we strongly support the original permit exemption for these discharges on our fishing vessels.

We would greatly appreciate your help to resolve this critical issue by including an exemption for our coastal commercial fishing vessels and help protect New Jersey’s fishing families.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Gregory P. DiDomenico
Executive Director
Garden State Seafood Association

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June 2, 2008

The Honorable Senator Menendez

317 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510

RE: National Pollutant Discharge Permits (NPDES) and S. 2766

Dear Senator Menendez:

I’m writing on behalf of the Garden State Seafood Association (GSSA) and the New Jersey commercial fishing industry. We respectfully request that you secure a legislative exemption for all commercial fishing vessels in New Jersey by amending S.2766. The GSSA is comprised of commercial fishermen, shore-based processors, commercial dock facilities, seafood markets, restaurants, and various industry support businesses from New Jersey.

Unless we can secure a legislative exemption for all commercial fishing vessels in New Jersey, the captains, crews and their families as well as the local business community that services our industry would be negatively impacted. These people make up the fabric of our coastal economy. In addition, such restrictions could deprive New Jersey seafood consumers as well as consumers across this country, access to wholesome local seafood.

S. 2766, provides an exemption for recreational fishing vessels but does not extend the exemption to commercial vessels. We are asking for the same exemption to apply to and protect New Jersey hardworking fishing families in the commercial fishing sector and the for hire sector.

In the past, our fishing vessel discharges (including rain water, deck wash-down, bilge, galley, grey/stick water…) were exempted under the Clean Water Act and only now are they being impacted due to a lawsuit targeting ballast water issues. We are not opposing ballast water management but we strongly support the original permit exemption for these discharges on our fishing vessels.

We would greatly appreciate your help to resolve this critical issue by including an exemption for our coastal commercial fishing vessels and help protect New Jersey’s fishing families.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

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July 2, 2008

The Honorable Lisa Murkowski
United States Senate
709 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510

RE: National Pollutant Discharge Permits (NPDES) and S. 2766

Dear Senator Murkowski:

I’m writing on behalf of the Garden State Seafood Association (GSSA) and the New Jersey commercial fishing industry to extend our grateful thanks to you for supporting an exemption for commercial fishing vessels with regard to the NPDES permit issue. The GSSA is comprised of commercial fishermen, shore-based processors, commercial dock facilities, seafood markets, restaurants, and various industry support businesses from New Jersey.

Unless we can secure a legislative exemption for all commercial fishing vessels in New Jersey, the captains, crews and their families as well as the local business community that services our industry would be negatively impacted. These people make up the fabric of our coastal economy. In addition, such restrictions could deprive New Jersey seafood consumers as well as consumers across this country, access to wholesome local seafood.

On behalf of this industry as well as commercial fishermen across the United States, we urge you to please continue to press for an exemption for commercial fishermen in Clean Water Act legislation now under consideration in Congress, with specific reference to S. 2766.

Thank you very much for your help and strong support of our commercial fisheries. We thank you also for introducing “The Fisheries Fuel Tax Relief Act of 2008”. This is truly a trying time for fisheries in the U.S. and we greatly appreciate your recognition of the challenges that fishermen face.

Sincerely,

Gregory P. DiDomenico
Executive Director
Garden State Seafood Association