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Pallone Secures $3.29 Million for Bluefin Tuna, Striped Bass and Bluefish Population Research

November 22, 2004

Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) secured $3.29 million for two Central Jersey programs that conduct research on the areas fish population. The funds were included in a giant $388 billion spending bill that combines nine appropriations bills into one omnibus bill funding domestic programs and foreign operations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005, which officially began on October 1, 2004. The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate both approved the omnibus bill this past weekend.

James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory at Sandy Hook

Pallone secured $2.5 million for the James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory at Sandy Hook, $500,000 higher than what was included in the president's FY 2005 budget. The federal funds will allow researchers to continue their work on exciting, cutting-edge research on Bluefin Tuna stock identification, as well as preparing background data on essential fish habitat under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act for the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Regional Councils. The lab is also involved in identifying critical inshore coastal habitat for commercial and recreational fishery species for the Mid-Atlantic and Southern New England states.

Striped Bass - Bluefish Research Program, Rutgers University

The New Jersey congressman secured $790,000 to allow Rutgers University the ability to administer and expand its Striped Bass-Bluefish Population Dynamics Research Program. Pallone said the federal funds help researchers improve the understanding of factors that determine variability in bluefish populations, including potential competitive interactions between bluefish and striped bass. The program is in the process of expanding to a coast-wide scale to address management-based information needs in support of National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) stock assessment activities.

"Since the fishing industry brings in millions of dollars to New Jersey's economy every year, it's important that we have the most up-to-date data on our fish populations," Pallone said. "The federal funds approved today will allow both the James J. Howard Marine Services Laboratory and the Striped Bass-Bluefish Population Dynamics Program at Rutgers University to continue their invaluable work."

Pallone requested the funds earlier this year. The legislation now awaits the president's signature.