As I was wrapping up the final pieces of this issue I got a text from my friend and former editor, Toby Lapinski. He asked if I had seen this bill that was up for review in Connecticut, titled: An Act Establishing a Moratorium on Fishing for Striped Bass in the Lower Housatonic River. But so little information was offered on the bill announcement that felt like I just had to know more. I reached out to the bill’s sponsor, State Rep Brandon Chafee, via email and a few days later he called me to discuss. The following is a transcript of our conversation…
Rep. Brandon Chafee: First of all, this bill has caused quite a stir in the fishing community. The proposal was brought to me by anglers who are concerned about the declining striped bass population, a concern in which I share. They asked for this bill specific to the Lower Housatonic, or the area south of the Shelton / Derby Dam where overwintering striped bass are being targeted. I asked to have the bill raised and hope we can draft something that will effectively sustain, and hopefully help to increase the population of striped bass statewide. It seems the fishing community is divided amongst people who want no change in regulation, and those who want a moratorium on [harvesting] striped bass, statewide.
At this point the bill is just conceptual, and through the process of public hearings and researching, the language and concept will be fully drafted. I personally think it makes sense to act beyond a single river or water body, but we’ll see where the process leads us. I also have a separate bill to increase staffing for DEEP’s environmental conservation officers. They are currently understaffed and poaching is a big problem, I’m hoping we can staff them up and increase enforcement of the current regulations as another measure to deal with this problem.
Dave Anderson: Would this be a year-round closure or would it be focused on the winter fishery?
BC: At the moment I’m thinking it would be focused on the winter fishery. I’m currently reaching out to various groups, fishing clubs, DEEP, and fishery biologists to discuss the best path forward. The focus is to protect the population of striped bass, so it would probably make the most sense to have the moratorium during times of year with the highest mortality rates at a minimum.
DA: The intention of ‘restoring the population’ is a bit of a strange goal, given that the stripers that populate the river from May through October are largely migratory fish that are coming from or returning to the Hudson River (and to a lesser degree the Chesapeake Bay). My guess is that you’re hoping to focus on the winter fishery, [when] a captive population of stripers resides in the river and they are heavily targeted by anglers traveling in from all over the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Can you give me some clarification here?
BC: The intent is to protect the population. Sometimes when these proposals get drafted the title and summary don’t fully capture what the aim is. I think the state has the responsibility to do what we can locally to protect the species in the face of inaction on the regional level. Even though spawning grounds in Connecticut are not robust, or according to some, non-existent, these fish are spawning somewhere. The more fish we protect in our local waters, the more fish there will be to spawn.
DA: I get it, you’re trying to do whatever you can to do your part in protecting striped bass.
BC: Exactly, yes.
DA: I can say with certainty that stripers spawn in the Connecticut River, I’ve seen fish under 5 inches caught there, those fish didn’t migrate!
BC: I’ve caught that same class of fish in the river and I agree with you, 100%.
DA: What is the timeline you have in mind?
BC: If the bill were to pass this session and be signed into law, the earliest it would take effect is 2026. I would also seek input from the CT Department of Environmental Protection into what is a feasible timeline.
DA: Will anglers be allowed to fish for other species in the river?
BC: Yes, the intent is targeted specifically to protect striped bass. I am hoping another bill that I have proposed to increase EnCON staffing and enforcement of fishing regulations will also become law so these two policies can work in tandem. There are big issues with poaching in Connecticut, and we need to make sure we are cracking down on that.
DA: What about the tackle shops that rely on this fishery to support them during the winter? What would you say to them?
BC: Tackle shops are a great resource for insider knowledge of local waters. I would hate to see any adverse affect on these shops, but a decimated fishing stock is also bad for business. It is in their interest to protect the population of fish and take measures to increase the stock for both current and future anglers.
First, I want to thank Rep. Chafee for taking time out of his busy day to talk fishing and fisheries management with me. The holdover striper fishery is a complicated issue that will affect many segments of recreational fishermen, from those that enjoy the fishery to those that rely on it to support their businesses and employees through the winter months. But, as Rep Chafee pointed out, a stronger population should help to drive more business. So I guess the question we have to ask ourselves is, will this bill result in a stronger fishery?
I’ll leave that up to you to decide.
