ready to "launch out into the deep." In a matter of moments, we were pulling for all we were worth -- two generations now in the shoes of our fishermen forebears. With the early morning sun just breaking above the horizon, six paired boats, including our own, began the ancient ritual of harvesting the ocean's bounty with hand nets. Each boat bore a son, grandson, nephew, grandnephew or cousin of men who made their living from the fishing industry of a half-century or more before. For an all too brief hour, we were able to reclaim our heritage and taste the labor of working the nets.

As a lifelong resident of Cape May County, I am very familiar with the fishing heritage of our peninsula. Commercial fishing in Cape May County traces its roots to the first Europeans who settled in the area and made their living by  whaling beginning in the 17th century. Since that time, generations of fin and shell fishing families have made a living from the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay.

In total, commercial fishing and related industries in New Jersey account for approximately 9,100 full-time employees, which includes over 2,700 full-time harvesting jobs with approximately 200 additional jobs related to dockside support for the harvesting sector of the industry. About 1,950 full-time employees are engaged in fish and seafood processing, 100 in aquaculture, 860 in wholesaling and almost 3,300 in retailing. The estimated direct total payroll for New Jersey commercial fisheries is over $130 million, over half from the harvesting and processing sectors.

As healthy and vibrant as the industry is in New Jersey, we cannot take it for granted.

In meeting with numerous industry representatives, a consistent theme arose - the need for accurate and unbiased research. For those who rely on fishing to earn a living, accurate and reliable research is critical to sustain the industry in the long term. One method of sustaining the industry is through state support. According to Dr. Eric Powell of Rutgers University, New Jersey ranks twelfth of fourteen Atlantic Coastal states in the amount of state support in relation to the value of commercial and recreational catch. States which offer more support tend to realize an increase in the value of their landings.

To that end, I have introduced legislation which would establish the Fisheries Information and Development Center at the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University. This Center would provide critical, unbiased data for the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council and the fishing public, as well as the commercial and recreational fishery industries. Through the new Center, we will be able to continue the viability of New Jersey fisheries in two important ways -- first through research and development, and second by focusing our efforts on enhancing fish stocks and improving fish stock management. Specifically, the Center would be administered by the director of the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, in consultation with a 7-member coordinating board comprised of:

• the Chairman of the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council;

• three representatives of the commercial fishery industry; and

• three representative of the recreational fishery industry.

The Center, in consultation with the coordinating board and any nonprofit groups related to the fisheries industry in the State, would:

• provide the scientific basis for improvements in stock assessment methodology and the development of improved stock assessment models;

• develop ways to utilize the most up-to-date satellite and oceanographic data in stock assessment models to analyze the annual fluctuations in stock size and distribution;

• develop new and improved methods of data collection;

• provide the best scientific data available on species population dynamics and processes controlling age structure;

• endeavor to enhance understanding of the economic and sociological issues affecting fisheries in the State and evaluate the influence of State and local policies, changes in fishing technology, and variations in demand and supply on jobs and income.

The cost of the program will be $500,000. Not a bad investment for an industry that contributes $624 million to our economy. However, the long-term viability of the commercial fisheries and the jobs that support fishing families can be greatly bolstered by the research performed at the Center.

It is my intent to see does what it can to help commercial fin and shell fishermen continue with their traditions. With its rich heritage, economic impact, and dietary benefits, our fishing industry warrants that support.