Today the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) approved an addendum to the striped bass fishery management plan to address overfishing after assessments confirmed that striped bass numbers are down significantly in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic Coast. The ASMFC’s addendum will reduce the coastwide striped bass catch by 18 percent for the 2020 season.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Senior Regional Ecosystem Scientist Chris Moore issued the following statement.
“This is an important step in a much larger process to recover the striped bass population up and down the Atlantic Coast. All states in the region must now take meaningful action if we hope to see the iconic striped bass fishery once again rebound.
“Virginia has already implemented strong measures to protect striped bass, including closing the spring trophy season this year and reducing fall catch limits. We now look for action from Maryland, which harvests approximately 34 percent of the total striped bass catch on the Atlantic Coast, to implement robust conservation measures for the 2020 fishing season.”
