The Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission has imposed new regulations on striped bass. The decision came after concerns over below-average striped bass numbers in the Chesapeake Bay.
Robert Newberry, CEO of the Delmarva Fisheries Association, claims the ASMFC unfairly targeted watermen. “We constantly complain to the ASMFC that reducing from our 2 fish on the stripe-bass for charter boats is cutting 50% of our industry right out of the gate.”
The Commission pushed for these implementations because they believed they would restore balance to the bay. Management Plan Coordinator Emilie Franke, said this was the best move to save striped bass.
“Right now, the stock is over-fished, which means it is below our threshold for female spawning stock biomass, which means all the mature females that can spawn and contribute new fish to the stock.”
However, Newberry believes this has caused significant issues on the shore — and suggests the ASMFC is not thinking about all the impacts.
“The old saying is when the roof caves, you don’t go to your wife’s hairdresser to get her hair fixed. You go to the roofer. If you want to know how many fish are in the bay, you go to the watermen. All of my watermen said they had never seen this many fish, and some of them had been fishing for 50 years.”
He claims his group, along with others from Maine to North Carolina, are prepared to file a lawsuit against ASMFC and Maryland. He hopes the state takes a look at what they deem a priority.
“You look at the state seal, and on the left is a farmer, and on the right is an angler. Maybe they’ll put a bill next year to remove both of them and put something else on the state seal, because that’s where we’re headed.”
How about a crybaby?
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