It’s
as if the “unsinkable” year of 2020, while steaming forward of its steadfast
wake, one left over a decade wide in advancing untold economic growth and personal
prosperities, suddenly collided course with an unseen obstacle, shuddering the
lives of billions as this vessel of everyday innocence suddenly and ominously
halted way, and if not in some manner immediately,
slowly yet surely, began listing. And while
this hazard was not nearly as recognizable as the perceivable threat of a
mountainous iceberg to the approach of a ship underway, to an absolute contrary,
some undetectable body in the form of a microscopic virus jeopardizes to capsize
the health and well-being of humanity just the same. Lives are suddenly, and literally, at stake in this overwhelming current of distress.
Global
infection of individuals has surpassed 1.38-million positive cases, with nearly 380,000 in the U.S. and as of this writing, 2,545 in Monmouth County, NJ (my county of residence). As such, The NJ Fish & Game website, out of an “abundance
of caution” (the COVID-19 catch-phrase in
advocating sound public policy) has linked to their homepage a social
distancing advisory poster seen below. Clearly, there exists no stretch
of open beach, or edge of pond, however distant or remote, where the proximity (within 6-ft?) of a neighboring angler
makes such remoteness of outdoor sporting destination any less uncertain of
viral risk than grasping a retail business's door handle or supermarket's
shopping basket during these unprecedented times of pandemic the world, and likely
your hometown, is at once plagued. With no therapeutics to alleviate ailments of
infection, or a vaccination to prevent infection, government has made it abundantly-clear
as to their intentions in mitigating the spread of this coronavirus – steering clear
of others. Everywhere.
Let’s
all hope for the best.
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April
3, 2020 - "Consistent
with Governor Murphy's orders that all New Jerseyans practice social distancing
in order to limit the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), anglers must
fish alone or with immediate family members and cannot fish in groups of any
size (no matter how small), either on land or by boat. A minimum six-foot
social distance between anglers must be maintained at all
times. Anglers MUST NOT congregate in parking areas, boat
ramps or at popular fishing locations. Conservation Police Officers, New Jersey
State Park Police, and DEP staff are actively monitoring our parks and natural
areas to ensure that individuals enjoying our natural resources are maintaining
social distance. Any groups encountered will be instructed to disperse
to maintain social distance, and if they do not comply, tickets will be issued
by law enforcement."
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| 2020 NJ recreational minimum size, possession limits and seasons. Take note: Striped Bass regulation is 1-fish per angler, measured 28" to less than 38". Bluefish harvesting for the private/shore angler has been reduced (FINALLY) to 3-fish, no minimum size. |
