For months it has been a stone-cold fact that the coastal and Chesapeake Bay striped bass harvest will be curtailed this year. The big question looming all winter, however, has been exactly how to implement those cuts, and, more specifically, what the 2015 regulations will be for Maryland's popular spring trophy season which opens in April.
On Feb. 5, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Striped Bass Management Board seems to have put those questions to bed by approving Maryland's request for a spring trophy option of one rockfish of 28 to 36 inches, or one rockfish longer than 40 inches. It's expected the ASMFC's Technical Committee will bless the measure in coming weeks. The ASMFC also signed off on the bay resident striper fishery (May 16-Dec. 20), in which Maryland is expected to implement a 20-inch minimum size and most likely allow either two rockfish between 20 to 28 inches, or one rockfish 20-28 inches and one rockfish longer than 28 inches.
I blogged about the 20 inch "summer season" size limit previously, but this is the first I've heard of the proposed slot for the spring "trophy season." It doesn't seem like much of a change to me, but it does protect a group of fish between 36 and 40 inches. How big a fraction of the population that is I'm not sure, but I've caught and kept (or caught and released) a number of fish in that size class. However I don't expect it to affect me much personally. The two major groups that represents recreational fishermen seemed to agree:
Dave Sikorski, Coastal Conservation Association-Maryland's government relations chairman, said his group is on board with the slot. Maryland's Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission, a 16-member, governor appointed, citizen group representing various fishing interests, voted overwhelmingly in support of Option 5. Sikorski, who also serves as SFAC vice chairman, added the decision "both protects the spawning stock of large female fish, and allows for socio-economic benefit to the state."
Dave Smith, the director of the state's largest sportfishing group, the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishing Association, said his group is "pleased with the outcome. While not every stakeholder group got what they want (MSSA initially supported a 36-inch size limit) we found common ground on achieving the mandated reduction, conserving for the future and protecting the rights of anglers to harvest for oneself and have access and opportunity to our fisheries resources."
Members of the charter fishing community were less effusive in their praise:
Randy Dean of Bay Hunter Charters supports and understands the importance of conserving rockfish but is also concerned with potential mortality of rockfish in the slot that must be released, particularly during spring tournaments.
Captain Mark Galasso of Tuna the Tide Charters said, "I think it's a far better option than the 36-inch size limit."
Capt. Jeff Eichler of the charter boat Southpaw, predicts: "This proposed change is going to do more harm than good. It will be a mess and I am sure it will hurt the charter business and kill more breeding fish in the process."
Others had harsher words still for the ASMFC action. Brad Burns of Stripers Forever doesn't believe "shaving inches here and there" will make much of a difference in conserving rockfish. "If the current downturn in striped bass is reversed by any of the plans approved at the recent ASMFC meeting it will be pure luck," he said.
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