Call to Action
Oppose Increase in Commercial Striped Bass Harvest
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is seeking input on a plan to allow the transfer of uncaught commercial quota amongst states which have an Atlantic Ocean striped bass commercial fishery.
Current Status
Scoping
Development
Comment Period
Final Decision
Effective
The comment period for this action ended on Friday 1/13/2023 @ 11:59pm. The ASMFC Striped Bass Management Board will meet at their winter meeting in late January 2023 to decide what the next steps are for this proposed action.
Our Position on this Regulation
Opposed
CCA OPPOSES any action that will focus on maximizing the catch of striped bass while the population remains overfished.
- Striped bass remain overfished and in a rebuilding period.
- The most recent stock assessment showed that the highest likelihood of achieving rebuilding targets requires maintaining fishing mortality at current levels.
- While the stock assessment is using low recruitment assumptions to project the rebuilding timeline, the continued low recruitment trend in Maryland is below the assumed average being used in the assessment.
- Per the stock assessment, recruitment in Maryland is the strongest driver of the coast wide population.
- Controlling fishing mortality is the key to returning striped bass to levels that the public demands, and now is not the time to allow any increased harvest in striped bass, no matter the reasoning.
The official comments submitted by CCA and our sportfishing and boating partners can be found here.
Take Action
OPPOSE Increased harvest of striped bass.
Deadline: 01/13/2023