New Jersey A 1563: Requires DEP to establish artificial reef plan for commercial and recreational fishing.

Bill Text

A1563 

ASSEMBLY, No. 1563 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN

District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Scharfenberger

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires DEP to establish artificial reef plan for 
commercial and recreational fishing.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

��

An Act concerning artificial reefs and supplementing 
Title 23 of the Revised Statutes.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.�� Within one year 
after the date of enactment of this act, the Division of Fish and Wildlife, in 
the Department of Environmental Protection, shall develop a plan for, and 
determine the use of, the two artificial reefs within State waters.� The plan 
shall consider the history of the fishing grounds and the commercial and 
recreational uses of the reef sites.

���� b.��� The Department of 
Environmental Protection shall, pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� 
P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations concerning 
the use and quantity of fish and lobster pots on the artificial reefs within State 
waters.

���� c.���� The Department of 
Environmental Protection may apply to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council to designate all artificial reefs in federal waters off the State�s 
coast, constructed under the Division of Fish and Wildlife�s Artificial Reef 
Program and permitted by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, to 
duplicate the management program created for the artificial reef sites within 
State waters pursuant to this act.

���� 2.��� This act shall take 
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would require the Division 
of Fish and Wildlife, in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to 
determine the use of artificial reefs within State waters, within one year 
after the date of enactment of this bill into law.

���� Under the bill, the division 
would develop a plan which would take into consideration the history of the 
fishing grounds and the commercial and recreational uses of the reef sites.� 
The DEP would also establish rules and regulations concerning the use and 
quantity of fish and lobster pots allowed on the artificial reefs within State 
waters.

���� Currently, there are 17 
artificial reefs off New Jersey�s coast, of which two reefs are within State 
waters (i.e., within three nautical miles of the State�s coast), and 15 reef 
sites are in federal waters.� The two artificial reefs within State waters 
require a DEP permit, in addition to a United States Army Corps of Engineers 
permit, and would be the only two artificial reef sites subject to the 
provisions of this bill.

���� Under the bill, the DEP may 
apply to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) to designate all 
artificial reefs in federal waters off the State�s coast, constructed under the 
division�s Artificial Reef Program and permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, to duplicate the management program created for the artificial reef 
sites within State waters pursuant to this bill.� The MAFMC is responsible for 
the granting of Special Management Zones on artificial reefs in federal waters, 
which are areas that have special restrictions on fishing gear.