While not yet written in stone, it’s almost rock solid that we’ll be seeing some type of seasonal closure in the recreational striped bass fishery in 2026.
According to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), in order to rebuild the spawning stock biomass (SSB) to 247 million pounds by the 2029 deadline, a 12% regulatory cut is required in 2026. For reference sake, SSB stands at approximately 200 million pounds today, roughly the same level as when this iconic fishery was last deemed rebuilt in 1995. In other words, from celebration to consternation in just 30 years!
On August 6, ASMFC’s Striped Bass Management Board (Board) convened to discuss Draft Addendum III to the fishery management plan for striped bass. Declared overfished in 2019, Atlantic striped bass has been on a rebuilding track towards a 2029 deadline. However, ASMFC’s short-term projections indicate that at the current rate of fishing, the probability of reaching the target and deadline is now less than 50%, hence the 12% cutback.
Thus, the Board deliberated for nearly 5 hours over recreational and commercial management options for implementation in ‘26 to support rebuilding the stock while increasing the probability of doing so by ‘29. The public will get an opportunity to weigh in on the range of management alternatives over the next couple of months before ASMFC and its Board take final action at their October 27-30 annual meeting in Dewey Beach, DE.
Given the narrow 28- to 31-inch slot in the recreational fishery, there’s nothing that can be done with the size and/or bag to meet the 12% reduction. Without getting bogged down in what the commercial fishery will be required to do with their quota adjustment, the path forward in the recreational fishery is to review management options that reduce the number of days that anglers are allowed to either “target” or “harvest” striped bass.
The next step in the process is scheduling of public hearings, which is expected to get underway this month, then running through October. What can we expect to see presented for public comment? For one thing, states along the Striper Coast may be placed into two specific management regions, one from Maine to Massachusetts (or Maine to Rhode Island), and a second from Rhode Island to North Carolina (or Connecticut to North Carolina). Once segmented, each region will be required to close ocean waters for a specific number of days.
Fishery managers are considering two types of seasonal closures across these regions to achieve a 12% reduction, one being a “no harvest” closure where anglers may catch and release striped bass but can take nothing home for dinner, the other a “no targeting” closure with zero harvest and no catch and release allowed. While harder to enforce, the “no targeting” option arose out of necessity given that half of the dead stripers in the recreational fishery come via release mortality rate; that means just catching and releasing one statistically takes us off the rebuilding trajectory.
The options consider closures in the spring, summer, or fall, and vary by region with each option designed to reduce fishing impact by 12%. The ASMFC will hold public hearings to explain the different regions and their associated closure options, including which months these closures might occur, how long they’ll last, and how the closures differ based on closure type.
What will make this all very challenging – and turn the debate rather heated – is that the current seasons vary across the regions based on the timing of striper availability up and down the Striper Coast. Thus, finding an option that works best for all the states in a region becomes a rather tall order.
Like many of you, I have strong opinions about our present situation. But I’ll wait until attending a public hearing before I start throwing stones. For public hearing details go to ASMFC.org.
