The striped bass may be the most important saltwater species that swims the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coast, and no matter what user group you fall into – recreational angler, industry professional, charter captain, tackle shop owner, etcetera – we all stand to benefit from rebuilt striped bass stocks.
Most of us want fisheries managers to hear, not only what we experience and see in terms of our own fishing, but also what socioeconomic effects the regulatory changes being considered will have on the health of our industry. The value of our striped bass fishery goes far beyond its importance to businesses… for recreational anglers striped bass fishing provides a form of therapy and organic subsistence for society.
Many people’s livelihoods are riding on the ultimate decision by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) on December 16. How can we be asked to simply accept the potentially devastating blow it will deliver to fishing businesses and the angling public? Especially since the data being used is reported to have an enormous margin of error in terms of angler effort, by as much as 40%.
Some passionate anglers believe that a two-month harvest closure is the answer; their thinking is that the fate of the striped bass fishery hangs in the balance. Yet the current Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) data being used by ASMFC doesn’t really bear that out, in fact it shows that the SSB is on the rise with a 43% chance of reaching the rebuild goal by 2029. We would ask readers to keep in mind that the rationale for this latest ASMFC decision is to bump up the chance of rebuilding the SSB to 50% or more.
By most accounts, the slot limit has already had an adverse effect on our industry and recreational fishing participation for striped bass. Across various regions of The Fisherman, for hire trips and spending on tackle has trended down during the slot limit period; not in all areas mind you, but many. It is, after all, a diverse market, with angler and business expectations varying across the spectrum.
And so now we’re given this ridiculously short public comment period to digest all the proposed scenarios, and craft a response that truly represents our feelings and concerns. Simply put, the true voice of the fishing community will not be fully heard. Basically, what we’re saying is that the ASMFC needs to take more time to lay out these options in a way that makes sense for the entire fishery on a state-by-state basis. We want a full addendum, which requires the ASMFC’s full attention, along with a complete tour of public meetings and a full-length public comment period.
The options presented in this emergency action during the December 5th webinar (in the screen grab image below) are skewed in a way that has the very real potential to truncate a crucial part of the striper season for businesses from Long Island to Delaware Bay, when regulating on a state-by-state basis would likely result in shorter closures, yielding reduced economic impact across the entire Striper Coast from Maine through Delaware, with a lower impact on the striped bass season for all anglers, business and pleasure.
Back in 1990, the SSB was less than half of what it is today, and was considered a fisheries management success story. Something to keep in mind is that the striped bass population is not failing, but their numbers are falling short of the rebuild goal set by the ASMFC back in 2019. Because the current trends show that this goal has less than a 50% chance of being achieved, the Board has set itself up in such a way that it has to take some kind of action to try and get the numbers back above 50%. And while the young-of-the-year (YOY) and recruitment numbers aren’t where we’d like to see them, the SSB and new fish recruitment are not necessarily interconnected.
The fundamental issue here for the Board to decide on December 16 is that the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) fishing surveys used to monitor angler effort, harvest and ultimately mortality are forecast to show an uptick in 2025. Yet our community only got its first glimpse of the 2025 options on December 5, with just three business days allowed by ASMFC for all stakeholders and interested parties to gather their own information. The reality is that we’re being asked to forego a public process to immediately select choices from unvetted management model.
So you may be supportive of the two-month closures because you believe that the fate of the striped bass fishery hangs in the balance; that without taking action immediately the entire striped bass stock could collapse. The chart data included above actually doesn’t bear that out. Or, you may believe that the coastal striped bass fishery should be strictly catch and release, with all harvest completely eliminated in the recreational sector. If that’s the case you may be of the opinion that the “ends justify the means” and that now is the time to strike through yet another “emergency” Board decision.
On the other hand, if you prefer participation in the process with public discussion, open deliberation and public comment, now is the time to speak your peace with the ASMFC. It is clear to all that the options presented during the ASMFC webinar on December 5, 2024 are disproportionate in terms of the management sacrifice by anglers across regions and MRIP waves. If you believe it’s time to slow down the process to provide more thoughtful response to the rebuilding of this iconic species, then ASMFC should hear those opinions as well.
The deadline for comment is TONIGHT, Tuesday, December 10 at 11:59 p.m. The email address for submitting your comments and opinions is comments@asmfc.org.
The details for which you’ll be commenting can be found on The Fisherman’s homepage.
