A federally-enforced moratorium would have started Tuesday, but this week the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission formally withdrew its finding on noncompliance.
In a statement, commission chairman George LaPointe said New Jersey officials told the interstate group it's implementing new management measures.

"We targeted all our management measure on the spring spawning season, which makes sense from a biological perspective,'' said Peter Himchak, a senior fisheries biologist with the state Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Himchak said the new measures break down along seasonal lines:

Jan. 1 to April 30: Anglers are limited to four fish per day, in a truncated spring season that cuts fishing short in April.

May 1 to July 15: A new closed season will prohibit all recreational blackfish angling.
July 15 to Nov. 15: Anglers limited to one fish per day.
Nov. 16 to Dec. 31: Anglers limited to six fish per day, a cutback from last year's seasonal daily limit of eight fish.
For commercial fishermen, the tautog season will be open only June 5 through June 30, and nov. 1 through Jan. 15, Himchak said. State officials are waiting for a letter from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration acknowledging the changes and lifting the moratorium threat, he said.

Those rule changes had been refused last year by the state Marine Fisheries Council, which disagreed with ASMFC findings and went as far as it could go in demonstrating resistance.
But both the council, an advise-and-consent board to the sttae Division of Fish and Wildlife, and its recreational fishing constituents were unwilling to sacrifice the 2008 tautog season.
The council met in emergency session last week to approve new 2008 measures.

ASMFC officials say the tautog stock is at one-third of its historic abundance and restricting recreational catches is one of the only courses of action left for conservation. Some recreational advocates, like the Recreational Fishing Alliance, contend the major problem is illegal sales of blackfish to Asian markets and restaurants in New York and Philadelphia, and they've called for tougher enforcement and new restrictions on commercial tog fishing.