ASMFC Chickens Out on New Striper Restrictions

From the Bay Journal, Fisheries commission again holds fire on striped bass limits

With a glimmer of hopeful news about harvest pressure and a warning from commercial fishermen that their economic survival is at stake, East Coast fishery managers have pulled back from ordering another round of catch restrictions on struggling Atlantic striped bass.

Meeting in Dewey Beach, DE, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted Oct. 29 not to require any additional cuts in either the recreational or commercial catch of the migratory finfish known as rockfish in the Chesapeake Bay.

The vote against tightening already-strict catch limits came after more than a year of debate by the panel, which regulates nearshore fishing on migratory species along the Atlantic coast. Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and North Carolina voted for more restrictions.

The last healthy crop of striped bass spawned in 2018 and reached catchable size along the Atlantic coast in the past year. That triggered expectations of an uptick in the catch, which in turn lowered the odds of rebuilding the population to below 50%. So, after having weighed new catch restrictions in 2024 only to put them on hold, the fishery managers decided this summer to move ahead with a plan to require a 12% commercial and recreational catch reduction starting in 2026.

But when the commission met Oct. 29, members learned that, contrary to earlier projections, preliminary surveys indicated that the recreational catch for the first six months of 2025 was significantly below the previous year’s level. It isn’t clear why. Some suggested there were simply fewer fish to catch, but the apparent easing of fishing pressure made it seem more likely that rebuilding goal would be reached by 2029.

Amid that bit of hopeful news, commercial fishing groups called for status quo, saying they had already suffered substantially from previous cuts. Brian Hardman, head of the Maryland Charter Boat Association, said bookings have plummeted since a rule change in 2024 deprived their customers of the ability to keep two fish per trip. More than 50 of the association’s 400-plus charter boats have been put up for sale, he said.

Of course, many of the charter captains are old farts, too, well past retirement age.  

Likewise, Rob Newberry, chair of the Delmarva Fisheries Association, said the commercial catch quota had been reduced by 46% since 2012. “Any more cuts [are] going to put us out of business,” he contended.

The commission ultimately rejected a motion to order a 12% reduction, which could have required states to bar anglers from catching striped bass for days or weeks at a time and further restricted catchable size limits. Commissioners in favor of further restrictions argued it was risky to put off further conservation measures amid the continued poor reproduction of striped bass in the Bay. “We’re going to be looking at worse reductions in the future if we don’t take an interim step now,” said Jason MacNamee, a Rhode Island representative on the commission.

But Mike Luisi, tidal and coastal fishery manager for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, said that while environmental conditions are changing and the fishery isn’t what it once was, he feared the consequences on the public of imposing more restrictions. “What are we doing? Because the people are just as important as the fish,” he said.

I sees new moratorium brewing on the horizon.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: It’s Always Warm & Sunny Somewhere up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.