Striped Bass Slot

[Ry609]

"The ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board has adopted an emergency measure to reduce recreational striped bass landings. States will have until July 2 to cap their maximum recreational size limit at 31 inches. As a practical matter, that means a 28-31 inch slot everywhere on the coast...The motion passed by an overwhelming vote of 15-1...Only New Jersey opposed the measure."

[Broad Bill]

Did they say why? Current regulations seem to be working just fine, why fix something that's not broken. At first glance and like the fluke regulations with a 17"-17.99" ultra thin slot, a 28"- 31" slot in the striped Bass fishery is going to end up with a significantly higher level of discard mortality and disincent people from fishing on party boats and for higher boats who would simply like to take home a fresh meal for dinner.

As I said on the other thread about the disappearance of party boats, senseless regulations are going to be the death of our recreational sport.

[Ry609]

Originally Posted by Broad Bill

Did they say why? Current regulations seem to be working just fine, why fix something that's not broken. At first glance and like the fluke regulations with a 17"-17.99" ultra thin slot, a 28"- 31" slot in the striped Bass fishery is going to end up with a significantly higher level of discard mortality and disincent people from fishing on party boats and for higher boats who would simply like to take home a fresh meal for dinner.

As I said on the other thread about the disappearance of party boats, senseless regulations are going to be the death of our recreational sport.

I agree, seems crazy to me. I've never seen more stripers around then the present.

[pectoralfin]

I just was on the ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board site trying to understand the thought process behind their decision to implement the slot. Maybe someone with more understanding of the process can explain the reasoning. Was this decided behind closed doors and pushed through the committee? Where is the data to support their decision?

I noticed on the sidebar an article by the Marine Fish Conservation Network. Reading through it I came across this.
"Perhaps more importantly though, folks have to understand that recreational discard mortality (those fish that die after release) is a huge part of overall fishing mortality. Right now, it’s more than half of all recreationally related fishing mortality. And, well, it accounts for way, WAY more mortality than commercial harvest."

[reason162]

This is long overdue, of course the one vote against the measure came from NJ.

[mikdel]

I beleive all the other states have commercial fisheries for striped bass also. I wonder if the commercials quotas are being cut also? Something smells fishy.

[reason162]

Originally Posted by mikdel

I beleive all the other states have commercial fisheries for striped bass also. I wonder if the commercials quotas are being cut also? Something smells fishy.

We just give our commercial quota to the rec side with "bonus tags."

And when it comes to stripers rec anglers cause over 80% of the mortality, so there's no question which sector needed to be reigned in.

[tautog]

You can walk on them but we need more cuts. More cuts will lead to more discard mortality which leads to a regulatory death spiral. Meanwhile whiting are still no bag limit, no size limit, and no closed season.

[hammer4reel]

While the Hudson strain is doing great . The Chesapeake stocks are hurt .

Once these fish move East for the next 5 months where it’s normally a 50/50 mix of Hudson /Chesapeake fish .
All the pressure will be on the Hudson strain then .

which could quickly hurt the great fishery we are seeing in the Raritan bay .

.

[dales529]

I have 2 questions:
1) If the current regulations (circle hooks and no gaffing) are still resulting in an 80% mortality rate by recreational fishermen as stated in previous posts how is this slot limit or has been discussed on many sites making SB a "game fish" Catch and release ONLY going to change the mortality discard rate???

2) OR is the mortality rate overestimated as it is with Fluke and other species?