New Jersey will ask New York for 600 decommissioned subway cars to be sunk off the coast to create artificial reefs to attract fish, lobsters and other marine life, New Jersey environmental officials said yesterday. New Jersey, which has the East Coast’s largest artificial reef complex, stopped accepting subway cars in 2003 after environmentalists raised concerns that the cars might leach high levels of asbestos as they disintegrated. But New Jersey’s environmental protection commissioner, Lisa P. Jackson, wrote in a staff memo yesterday that studies conducted by federal agencies and by other states that have sunk subway cars satisfied her that asbestos did not pose a serious threat. Cindy Zipf, the executive director of Clean Ocean Action, a critic of the subway plan, said yesterday that she hoped New Jersey officials would ask for the subway cars with the least amount of asbestos.

nice, now only if we can do somthing about the pots and gear on the reefs, FYI- the latest ruling to close potting during certain months on the reefs ONLY applys to reefs in NEW JERSEY waters, GUESS WHAT, most of the bigger reefs are father out than 3 miles, that ruling will not apply to most of the reefs we all fish so as I SEE IT, mostly lip service as usall. Just giving us enough to make it seem like they care, god i hope to live long enough to see it all come crashing down, and then say i told you so....hope im wrong.

Well, the logic is (as Jersey Joe explained), that we have to limit access in NJ before we can petition the Feds to limit access in Federal waters....now, if we can just get to the second step. What kills me, is that the best seabass fishing is Oct and Nov, just when the traps will be permitted to smother the wrecks. Last spring I got hung up on one of the :xxx: lines - there were so many flags, I couldn't tell which ones were connected!

cut every one u see....problem over..

raid the lobster pots all the time..

Let me ask a stupid question...

If the NJ regs regarding the reefs do not apply once you pass the 3 mile mark, then why do NJ fishing size and limit regs apply if you catch one past three miles?

The regulations are written in such a way that it limits what you are allowed to have in your possesion. For example, if you live and dock in NY and you fish on the NJ side in Raritan Bay and catch a legal NJ fish, don't cross over the state line back into NY with it. Our 17" fluke is not legal in NY.

I understand ... thanks Larry.

WHEN IM DIPIN MY LOBSTER TAIL IN BUTTER ILL THINK ABOUT KARMA..!!!

I agree Z...he may also be dreaming about lobster or anything else that he can get outside of his cell walls if he gets caught.

just a thought: if you can't land a fish caught in federal waters in nj is it legal to cook and eat a fluke if you are in federal waters ,if you are done with your fish dinner before you return to state waters? and if so will party boats offer real fishing and dinner cruises? just joking guys but just wondering.tony

Eat your fill. Glad to see we may have made a slight difference for once. Great news on the cars!!! :spin: time to write a new signature, any ideas Z ?