Recreational and commercial fisheries are a vital part of New Jersey's heritage. Commercial fishing has been a valuable industry for more than three centuries. New Jersey's fisheries touch the state's citizens every day, providing food, recreation, and employment in all parts of the state. The state boasts six major fishing ports, 1,500 vessels, and almost 3,000 fishermen. New Jersey also has 15 seafood processing plants and 81 wholesalers that employ more than 2,200 people. The economic impact of New Jersey's commercial fisheries, recreational fisheries, and aquaculture is valued at $4.5 billion annually.

To support New Jersey's vital fisheries, Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) conducts both research and outreach activities, including work on economic development, stock assessments, population dynamics, and general ecology. These studies result in better resource management, restoration of shellfish populations, evaluation and breeding of species for aquaculture, and participation in outreach and teacher education. NJAES staff provide expert assistance to commercial and recreational fishing industries, fisheries managers, and anyone interested in coastal ecosystems. They also link university researchers to those in the fishing communities in order to improve fisheries research efforts.

Economic Development

Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) and NJAES are committed to addressing the needs of New Jersey's fishing industry and spurring improved productivity and innovation through its many research and outreach efforts.

Aquaculture

New Jersey's coastal location and proximity to the largest consumer market in the nation suggest that aquaculture can be a thriving and vital industry in the state. One of the biggest challenges to aquaculture development in the state has been the absence of training facilities to demonstrate aquaculture techniques on a commercial scale. To address this challenge, Rutgers created the Multispecies Aquaculture Demonstration Facility to provide education and outreach to New Jersey's aquaculture (shellfish and finfish) industries.

Shellfish Restoration

Pollution and coastal development have been detrimental to the water quality in Barneget Bay, a 30-mile-long coastal lagoon on the Ocean County coastline. The Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Program educates the community about the natural cycle and ecology of the Barnegat Bay, promotes environmental stewardship, and uses clams and oysters as a teaching tool to achieve these goals.

The COOL Room

The COOL Room (Coastal Ocean Observation Lab) is also known as the Marine Remote Sensing Lab (part of the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences). COOL focuses on the biophysical processes of the coastal ocean.

Economic Impact of New Jersey Fisheries

According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, New Jersey's commercial fishermen landed more than 152 million pounds of seafood in 2006, valued at $136 million. Aquaculture accounts for $6 million in annual sales. Moreover, it is estimated that for every one dollar of landed value, six dollars is generated in the overall economy, bringing the value of the wild harvest industry close to $1 billion.

More than 100 different species of fish and mollusks are harvested from New Jersey waters. The top species harvested are sea scallops, surf clams, hard clams, blue crabs, ocean quahogs, fluke, monkfish, Atlantic mackerel, longfin squid, and American lobster. In fact, New Jersey is the leading supplier of surf clams and ocean quahogs in the nation and the world.

Centers, Institutes, and Off-Campus Stations

• Cape Shore Laboratory
• Center for Deep-Sea Ecology & Biotechnology
• Center for Marine Biotechnology
• Fisheries Information and Development Center/Delaware Avenue Facility
• Food Innovation Center
• Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory
• Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences
• Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve
• Multispecies Aquaculture Demonstration Facility
• Rutgers University Marine Field Station at Tuckerton

Programs and Resources

• Eating Fish is Healthy: Keeping Environmental and Health Concerns in Perspective (175k PDF)
• Fisheries and Aquaculture Fact Sheets & Bulletins
• Fisheries and Aquaculture Links
• Hard Clam Task Force
• Seafood Safety: Assessing the Benefits and Risks
• StriperTracker.org
• Which Fish Are Safe to Eat? Display and Handout