The final round of striped bass public hearings are being held this week, with a General Public Hearing Webinar scheduled for Monday, September 29 from 6 to 8 p.m., followed on Tuesday, September 30 with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries holding their final hearing from 6 to 8 p.m. Anglers in the Northeast region interested in listening in on the Massachusetts hearing can find the listen-only option available at this listen-only link.
Will we be seeing a temporary closure of the striped bass season in 2026? Or, will the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and its Striped Bass Management Board (Board) vote in favor of the “status quo” option to keep things as they are today? Science and politics make strange bedfellows, so it’s anyone’s guess right now how the final vote will turn out when the ASMFC convenes again for its 2025 Annual Meeting from October 27 through October 30 at the Hyatt Place in Dewey Beach, DE
There’s still time for you to weigh in on the topic, as the angling public is encouraged to submit comments no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 3, 2025. The Draft Addendum is available here, or via the Commission’s website at Atlantic Striped Bass Action Tracker. If your club, town or organization is planning to release position you can contact Emilie Franke at efranke@asmfc.org or 703-842-0740, so she can work with you to develop a unique subject line to enable ASMFC to better organize and summarize incoming comments for Board review.
The ASMFC said there are four ways to submit comments by October 3rd for consideration at the end of the month:
- Written comments via Atlantic Striped Bass Action Tracker or comments@asmfc.org
- The public comment form, which was developed to facilitate the gathering of input on the Draft Addendum’s specific options
- Mailed written comments addressed to Emilie Franke, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201
- Verbal comments provided at any of the scheduled public hearings
I would add that there is a fifth option for commenting to the ASMFC for those leaning towards the “status quo” option. In early September, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) launched an online letter-writing campaign back to the ASMFC through its Keep America Fishing portal, saying that additional striped bass season closures are not needed.
“Strict recreational fishery management using a narrow slot limit has effectively lowered fishing mortality to a 30-year low which is well below both the target and threshold needed for rebuilding,” they noted in the bulletin, adding “ASMFC is reacting to short-term swings in recreational catch estimates from MRIP, a survey NOAA Fisheries has already acknowledged overestimates fishing effort due to design flaws.”
The association further explains how the case for the proposed 12% reduction is based on a difference of .01 in fishing mortality, well within the margin of error and scientifically indistinguishable from the current management approach. “The message is clear, new restrictions based on unreliable data, that are not scientifically distinguishable from status quo, threaten both angler access and the economy,” ASA noted.
It’s a tough choice that has triggered emotional responses from many extremes, some feeling that striped bass is on the verge of collapse and in dire need of attention, others claiming that populations are robust and growing at a rapid pace. As is often the case, the devil’s in the details, and the scientific data. Personally, I believe the truth is nearer the middle, and would hope that ASMFC considers fairness, equity and sensible conservation in the final vote.
You have until this Friday night, October 3 to submit your comments directly to the ASMFC’s Atlantic Striped Bass Action Tracker, or, you can let ASA send along your “status quo” support along by visiting the Keep America Fishing action alert.
