Jeff Brust and Mike Celestino from the N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife spoke to our club on Saturday, November 7th about the N.J. Volunteer Angler Survey (VAS). The Recreational Saltwater Angler Survey can be accessed at www.njfishandwildlife.com/marinesurvey.htm. Information to be included is catch and length of fish and harvests and discards. It was stressed that all trips should be reported even if nothing is caught.
Jeff commented that the main problem is that usership is very low compared to the 200,000 registered anglers. He also discussed how it is planned to increase the number of people taking the survey through promotional advertisements, questionnaires, and angler club presentations.
Jeff requested that Club members use the Volunteer Angler Survey, encourage others to do so, and offer suggestions as to how to improve it by filling out the online questionnaire.
Email jeffreybrust@dep.nj.gov or mikecelestino@dep.nj.gov. They may also be reached by phone at 609-748-2020.