Striped bass are one of the most important recreational fisheries along the east coast. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which manages the Atlantic Striped Bass fishery, is in the process of amending its management plan. As the first step, the ASMFC has asked for comments on the Amendment 7 Public Information Document (PID), which seeks to gather input on the question “How would you like management of the Atlantic striped bass fishery to look in the future?”
This process offers both promise and concern - it could restore the currently overfished striped bass stock to health, or permanently reduce striped bass abundance and expose the stock to greater risks in the future.
On the concern-side, the PID considers the option of reducing the female stock biomass target in order to allow a larger annual harvest and a higher fishing mortality rate. Pair that with deferred protective actions needed to prevent further stock decline, and you end up with an uneasy prospect of the stock never being rebuilt to existing target levels.
On the promise-side, managing for abundance increases angler effort, which in turn maximizes the economic, social, and recreational benefits that can be gleaned from the striped bass resource. At the same time, it is also the best way to maintain a healthy and sustainable striped bass stock, creating a situation where everyone, including the bass, can benefit.
With this in mind, the New York and New England Chapters have teamed up to advocate for restoring the fishery to abundance by continuing the current management plan's goals and objectives, with emphasis on recovering the Striped Bass stock and on swifter management action by the ASMFC.
Learn more about our work on Striped Bass conservation through the resources below:
NY Chapter Policy Primer: ASMFC Initiates Amendment to Striped Bass Plan
NY Chapter Policy Primer: UPDATE on Striped Bass Management
New England & New York Chapter Comments to ASMFC
Take action by contacting the ASMFC below!
For More Information Watch Our Recent Event, The State Of Stripers And The Fight For Recovery
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