Striped bass reductions: ASMFC to reduce striped bass catches across the board

Sent in by Finchaser, thanks.


ASMFC To Reduce Striped Bass Catch

Stripers Forever Members - as indicated by federal govt data and our own annual surveys, the striped bass resource is rapidly declining. This reality has now been recognized by the ASMFC - the organization that manages striped bass along the East Coast - and they will be looking into options to decrease fishing mortality by up to 40% beginning in 2012 - see ASMFC press release pasted in below.

While this is a positive development, it will be too little, and is already much too far behind the curve.

In yesterday's press release the ASMFC notes a 66% decline in the recreational catch through 2009.

The 2010 numbers have been in for a few weeks now, and the decline in the recreational catch is now down 71% since 2006.

We also take exception with the sentence in paragraph 2 that says the northern extent of the fishery is concerned over a decline in availability caused by water quality. Certainly we are concerned about Chesapeake water quality, but as one of our members from the Bay area pointed out, water quality in the Bay was probably worse during the best years of the recovery than it is now. Overfishing is what we can control, and we don't think we should be waiting for another year to go by before doing anything. Stripers Forever will be calling for more immediate measures. Brad Burns SF

People like Finchaser, Clamchucker, the OFFC, and many others out there with decades of experience have been preaching this for years. Many didn't want to accept the stories of the old timers out there, or accept that there was any accuracy in the yearly surveys.

Now, with an accumulation of data, we can point to trends and will be forced to accept this reality. Here it is, folks.



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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MARCH 24, 2011

PRESS CONTACT, TINA BERGER, 703/842-0740

ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Initiates Addendum to Reduce Fishing Mortality

Alexandria, VA - The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board has initiated development of Draft Addendum III with the goals of reducing striped bass fishing mortality (F) up to 40% and further protecting spawning stock when it is concentrated and vulnerable. The addendum was initiated in order to allow managers to promptly respond to the results of the stock assessment update in the fall if necessary. Provisions of the addendum, if passed, could be implemented prior to the start of the 2012 fishing year.

The Board's action responds to recent trends in the fishery and resource, including a 66% decline in estimated recreational catch from 2006 to 2009;

a 25% decline in estimated striped bass abundance from 2004 to 2008;

and lowered recruitment in recent years.

Additionally, states in the northern extent of the fishery have expressed concern over decreased availability of striped bass as a result of the diminished water quality in the Chesapeake Bay during the summer months that may also contribute to increased prevalence of mycobacteriosis in striped bass.

Draft Addendum III will propose a range of fishing management measures including, but not limited to,

adjustments to commercial and recreational minimum size (for jurisdictions outside Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River),

reductions in annual coastal commercial allocation,

reductions in recreational bag limits,

revisions to the target F rate (for Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River),

and reductions on fishing for striped bass in known spawning areas during the spawning season by at least 50% (for jurisdictions bordering the Hudson River, Delaware River, Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River).

The commercial and recreational fishery is currently managed through Amendment 6 to the Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan. The Amendment, passed in 2003, allocates the coastal commercial quota and set a two fish bag limit and a 28 inch size minimum for the recreational fishery, with the exception of the Chesapeake Bay fisheries, Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River fisheries, and states with approved alternative regulations.

The Draft Addendum will be developed for preliminary review by the Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board in August. For more information, please contact Kate Taylor, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at ktaylor@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Looks like we're all going to take a hit, DS. I'm OK with that as long as they put the same reductions on the commercial guys too.

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Originally Posted by storminsteve

Looks like we're all going to take a hit, DS. I'm OK with that as long as they put the same reductions on the commercial guys too.

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I agree. We as the recs can not be the only ones to take the hit. That crap that was going on in N.Carolina can not be allowed. They are allowed to cull through their catch just to take the biggest fish and throw dead bass overboard. That really pissed me off.

I asm not even upset about this. As long as they are fair about the reductions I would be happy. Even if we could only take home one fish. But as guys said above, if you restrict my limits, make sure you do the same thing to the commercial netters. Thats fair.

While I think this is moving in the correct direction, WT* is wrong with people?? Start in 2012?? What about this year? Start immedietly. If the population is in so much trouble (which I believe it is), start immedietly. It makes no sense to me, people are so screwed up.

They will push this through ASAP note it says it could pass prior to 2012 which leads me to believe it's a done deal.This would make all states the same so I would expect bye bye 2 at 28 ,bye bye bonus tags in NJ. IMO hello 1 fish per day in the 30's as in inches. Easier management by feds no more state input just like Dr. L said she wanted. I'd bet by fall of 2011 if i were a betting man

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Originally Posted by finchaser

They will push this through ASAP note it says it could pass prior to 2012 which leads me to believe it's a done deal.

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As far as I'm concerned, the sooner the better. Thanks Finchaser for the clarification. :HappyWave:

As Monty stated the sooner the better Thanks Fin for the info better one fish than a moratorium agin but it better be across the board.

i still think a slot limit would be beneficial.

why take the fish that produce the most fry - the old cows? they by far outperform smaller breeders.

Plus, if they have attained that size, it's their genes that i'd want in the gene pool.

hey it's worked before, why not again?

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Originally Posted by jonthepain

i still think a slot limit would be beneficial.

why take the fish that produce the most fry - the old cows? they by far outperform smaller breeders.

Plus, if they have attained that size, it's their genes that i'd want in the gene pool.

hey it's worked before, why not again?

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I Agree with you. We will be culling the fishes with better genes for size. They should target a growth year like they do with red fish and snook.

Great points Jon & vpass. We've had conversations about snook, as you related how you've seen snook come back strong over the years, all because of a designated slot.

It can work. I hope people will open their minds to this instead of just throwing negativity at it.

All good points gentlemen. Denial has been the way of the fishing world for too long. They argue that the stats are flawed. I think it veers toward the other way. By that I mean if things are so bad they are talking about reductions at this level, is it possible that things are worse than the numbers claim? I know a few old salts who think so, and I do too. I will support any reduction to save these great gamefish.

I am glad they did some thing before it was too late. I have lived through one moratorium and do not want to see another. Folks, if you haven't seen the scarcity of bass we had back then, please try to support these decisions, whether you agree with parts of them or not. I believe steps like this are critical to continued health of striped bass. And striped bass bring more people to our state of NJ than any other fish.

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Originally Posted by clamchucker

I am glad they did some thing before it was too late. I have lived through one moratorium and do not want to see another. Folks, if you haven't seen the scarcity of bass we had back then, please try to support these decisions, whether you agree with parts of them or not. I believe steps like this are critical to continued health of striped bass. And striped bass bring more people to our state of NJ than any other fish.

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:clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping: same here on living through another. IMO 90% of these so called bass fisherman would qiut including some of the seminar speakers

Meeting Summary
The Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board met to review landings data and abundance indices used in
the 2013 benchmark stock assessment, which was peer-reviewed at the 57 SAW/SARC in July 2013 and
will be formally considered by the Board in October once the peer review report has been released. Based
on the data presented, the Board continues to be concerned about relative low levels of recruitment over
recent years as well as recent downward trends in recreational landings. Given this information and in
anticipation of the final results of the benchmark stock assessment, the Board tasked the Plan
Development Team to begin drafting an addendum to explore reductions in fishing mortality for possible Board review in October at the Commission’s Annual Meeting.



You can find the summary on pages 5 and 6 in the PDF above.

Latest ASMFC updates-
they agreed that commercial landings were down 2% for 2012, and rec landings were down by 30%.
They waffled on the last time they talked about a rec catch reduction. Things may be different come October. Fingers crossed this time.

recap of the August 6, 2013 meeting - let's hope that this rationale prevails for the Oct meeting.

Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board meeting Aug. 6

Among the results of this meeting was the statment that there was a 2% decrease in the commercial harvest and a 30% decrease in the recreation catch from 2011 - 2012

A call for a new Addendum to be voted on at the Oct. meeting was called for.
Among the steps called for:
Commercial
Change min size limit.
Reduce quotes
Season closures
Spawning stock protection

Recreational
Size limits
Bag limits
Season closures
Spawning stock protection

Thanks for the update Bassbuddah...I'm optimistic as well the October meetings will have more sobering facts available and some concrete solutions.

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Originally Posted by BassBuddah

They waffled on the last time they talked about a rec catch reduction. Things may be different come October. Fingers crossed this time.

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x2, Save the Bass from the bunker snag and drop brigade and meat mongers.

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Originally Posted by BassBuddah

They waffled on the last time they talked about a rec catch reduction. Things may be different come October. Fingers crossed this time.

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Sorry to be so negative but you say they waffled the last time. They might do the same this time. I am sick and tired of reading on the internet sites how all the best fishermen say there are less bess available. Then it comes down to the meeting and they don't do something about it! It almost makes me think they have the party and charter boat capts in their back pockets. I mean they know there is a problem and they do absolutely nothing. Very suspicious to me.

There are many competing interests in these meetings. The one common thread that I have obvserved over the years is that the scientists are often out of touch with what the fishermen are seeing. That may explain part of the time lag for them to take action.

^ Clamchucker, agreed. The pressure from the commercial fishermen is much greater than that from the recs.

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Originally Posted by storminsteve

Sorry to be so negative but you say they waffled the last time. They might do the same this time. I am sick and tired of reading on the internet sites how all the best fishermen say there are less bess available. Then it comes down to the meeting and they don't do something about it!.

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Well they waffled again.
Anyone want to help make sense of this?
Some bad news.
The latest NOAA assessment was published. They say striped bass are not being overfished nor is overfishing occurring. Someone want to explain when they get a chance? This is distressing. Another nail in the coffin. What's it going to take for them to see the trees in the forest? :huh:

NOAA paper Aug 30,2013
http://nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/crd/crd1314/

striped bass part
http://nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/c...1314/partb.pdf

Here is part of it. Maybe you or someone else here can outline the rest. It's not good news no matter how you look at it.

B. ATLANTIC STRIPED BASS ASSESSMENT SUMMARY FOR 2013State of the Stock:

In 2012, the Atlantic striped bass stock was not overfished or experiencing overfishingrelative to the new reference points from the 2013 SAW/SARC57 (Figure B1-B3). Femalespawning stock biomass (SSB) was estimated at 61.5 thousand mt (136 million lbs), above the

SSB threshold of 57,904 mt, but below the SSB target of 72,380 mt.

I clicked the link. Can't make heads or tails of that buckethead. Maybe DS can do better. Looks to me like they have their heads in the sand. You guys have been at it for longer than me. The only clue I got out of it was they are talking about "new reference points".
Didn't they do something similar to that back in 1980 so it wouldn't appear striped bass were being slaughtered and then in the end had to admit that they were wrong?