| Striped
bass, Morone saxatilis, have formed the basis of one of
the most important fisheries on the Atlantic coast for centuries.
Early records recount their abundance as being so great at one time
they were used to fertilize fields. However, overfishing and poor
environmental conditions lead to the collapse of the fishery in
the 1980s. Through the hardship and dedication of both commercial
and recreational fishermen, the stock was rebuilt and today’s
watermen again harvest striped bass in great number. Recreational
harvest has grown steadily since the reopening of many state fisheries
in 1990, approaching 30 million pounds in recent years. Under the
most recent management program, commercial harvest has averaged
nearly 7 million pounds annually, for an average ex-vessel value
of over 13 million dollars.
The most recent
stock assessment for striped bass was completed in 2007. The peer-reviewed
assessment indicated that striped bass are not overfished and
overfishing is not occurring. Since 1982, the striped bass population
has increased from about 7 million fish to an average of 58 million
fish during the last five years.
The Commission
has managed striped bass since 1981. Amendment 6 to the Fishery
Management Plan provides the current guidance to the states from
Maine through North Carolina. The management program includes
target and threshold biological reference points (spawning stock
biomass and fishing mortality), and sets regulations aimed at
achieving the targets. Required regulatory measures include recreational
and commercial minimum size limits, recreational creel limits,
and commercial quotas. States can implement alternative management
measures that are deemed to be conservationally equivalent to
the preferred measures in Amendment 6. <species
profile> <stock
status> <commercial
and recreational landings> <state
regulations> <habitat
fact sheet>
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