Will we be seeing a temporary closure of the striped bass season in 2026? Anglers in New Hampshire and Maine and later, all along the Atlantic Coast, will still get a chance to weigh in on that subject during a series of public hearings being held through September 30, 2025.
These hearings will be used to gather public input on Draft Addendum III to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass, which considers management measures to support rebuilding the stock by 2029. The Draft Addendum also addresses commercial tagging programs, a coastwide definition of total length for size limit regulations, and changes to the Maryland recreational season baseline.
The following are the meetings taking place in New England this week.
Monday, September 8 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
New Hampshire Fish and Game Dept.
In-Person Hearing
Urban Forestry Center
45 Elwyn Road, Portsmouth, NH
Contact Renee Zobel at 603-868-1095
Tuesday, September 9 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Maine Dept. of Marine Resources
In-Person Hearing
Yarmouth Town Hall Community Room
200 Main Street, Yarmouth, ME
Contact Megan Ware at 207-446-0932
Wednesday, September 10 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Maine Dept. of Marine Resources
Webinar Hearing
The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below.
Contact Megan Ware at 207-446-0932
For those who cannot attend any in-person or virtual hearings, the Commission will also post a recording of the hearing presentation on the Commission’s YouTube page so that stakeholders may watch the presentation and submit comment at any time during the comment process.
The public is encouraged to submit comments at any time during the public comment period but no later than 11:59 PM (EST) on October 3, 2025.
There are four ways to submit comments:
- 1. Written comments via Atlantic Striped Bass Action Tracker or comments@asmfc.org
- 2. The public comment form, which was developed to facilitate the gathering of input on the Draft Addendum’s specific options
- 3. Mailed written comments addressed to Emilie Franke, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201
- 4. Verbal comments provided at any of the scheduled public hearings
For more information, please contact Emilie Franke at efranke@asmfc.org.
