2022 Saltwater Fishing Statistics - NOAA FUS Report

Scup

In November, NOAA Fisheries released its 2022 Fisheries of the United States (FUS) report.

2022 U.S. Recreational Fishing Highlights

According to the report, U.S. anglers took more than 200 million trips in 2022, catching an estimated 1.1 billion fish and releasing 61 percent of those caught.

In 2022, U.S. anglers harvested approximately 437 million fish with a combined weight of 356.2 million pounds.

By weight, striped bass was the top species harvested, with anglers harvesting 35.9 million pounds (3.5 million fish) in 2022.

By number of fish, scup was the top species harvested, with anglers harvesting 17.7 million fish in 2022.

Spotted seatrout was the top species in terms of total catch (harvested and released fish), with anglers catching 55 million fish.

Fisheries of the United States provides a snapshot of data, primarily at the national level, on U.S. commercial fisheries landings and value and recreational catch.

Produced in various forms for more than 100 years, Fisheries of the United States is the NOAA Fisheries yearbook of fishery statistics for the United States.

Together with Status of the Stocks and Fisheries Economics of the United States, the report provides information related to saltwater fishing and seafood. 

In April, NOAA fisheries released Fisheries Economics of the United States, 2002.

Related Information

2020 Saltwater Fishing Statistics - NOAA FUS Report

2022 Roanoke River Striped Bass Season

Striped Bass

This spring, the striped bass harvest season in the Roanoke River Management Area will be limited to just four days (April 23-24 and April 28-29.)

Despite the short harvest season, anglers can enjoy catch and release fishing for striped bass on the river.

In February, Cameron Ingram, Executive Director of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) signed a proclamation outlining significant changes to the 2022 striped bass harvest season in the Roanoke River Management Area.

The entire Roanoke River Management Area will be open for harvest of striped bass April 23 - 24 and April 28 - 29.

In addition, the daily creel limit has changed to one striped bass per day. The minimum length limit is 18 inches, and no striped bass between 22 and 27 inches may be possessed at any time.

The Roanoke River Management Area includes the Roanoke River and tributaries from the Roanoke Rapids Lake Dam downstream to the Albemarle Sound, including the Cashie, Middle, and Eastmost rivers.

In 2020, a stock assessment of striped bass in the Roanoke River/Albemarle Sound indicated that the stock was overfished, and overfishing was occurring. In 2021, the harvest quota in the Roanoke River was reduced from 68,750 pounds to 12,804 pounds as a necessary conservation action intended to rebuild the striped bass population.

Despite season reductions, the striped bass harvest exceeded the 12,804-pound harvest quota in 2021 and payback of the overage is required in 2022 as outlined in the N.C. Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan.

The payback means a further reduction of the 2022 quota to 6,578 pounds. The four harvest days outlined in the proclamation were selected using past angler creel data with the goal of anglers having an opportunity to harvest fish throughout the river.

"We have seen dramatic declines in the abundance of striped bass, in particular the number of larger, older females. These larger fish are key in rebuilding the Roanoke River-Albemarle Sound striped bass population," said Ben Ricks, coastal region fishery supervisor with NCWRC.

"Additionally, river flows are very important for spawning success. We work closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers each spring to get the best possible flows for spawning on the Roanoke River and we need to make sure there are plenty of fish on the spawning grounds to take full advantage of those flows."

According to NCWRC, anglers can continue to catch and release striped bass throughout the spring despite the shortened harvest season.

NCWRC recommends that anglers use a single barbless hook or a lure with a single barbless hook to reduce handling stress on fish that are released, which is a requirement from April 1 through June 30 when fishing in the upper Roanoke River above the US Highway 258 bridge near Scotland Neck.

Signage will be posted at boating access areas (BAAs) along the Roanoke River to notify anglers of the changes to the open harvest dates. More information about BAAs on the Roanoke River, including the new Odom BAA in Jackson, can be found using the agency’s online BAA locator.

source: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

2020 North Carolina Ocean Striped Bass Regulations

Striped Bass

A slot limit for recreationally-caught striped bass will go into effect January 1, 2020 in North Carolina ocean waters.

Fishermen will be allowed to possess one striped bass per person per day that is at least 28 inches and less than 35 inches total length (fishermen may not keep a 35-inch fish). For the specific regulation, see Proclamation FF-54-2019.

Until the slot limit takes effect on January 1, the minimum size limit for ocean striped bass remains 28 inches total length with a one fish possession limit.

The slot limit is required by the recently adopted Addendum VI to Amendment 6 to the Atlantic Striped Bass Interstate Fishery Management Plan.

The new limit is designed to end overfishing and bring fishing mortality to the target level in 2020 by reducing total coastwide striped bass removals by 18%.

The latest Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) coastwide stock assessment determined that ocean migratory Atlantic striped bass are overfished and overfishing is occurring.

Amendment 6 also requires a coastwide commercial quota reduction of 18%.

For additional information, see the ASMFC news release.

The recreational regulations for striped bass in internal coastal waters of North Carolina remains unchanged.

For more information, visit the Division of Marine Fisheries website.

source: North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Marine Fisheries

Related Information

Mid Atlantic Saltwater Fishing Facts

Mid Atlantic Striped Bass EEZ Enforcement

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

2019 New Hampshire Striped Bass Survey

Striped Bass

Again this year, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHFGD) is asking anglers who fished for striped bass in New Hampshire’s coastal waters to report their catch and effort online at www.fishnh.com/surveys/striped-bass.html.

Participating anglers will be helping marine biologists manage these popular sport fish, and you could win a prize just for taking part in the survey effort.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Marine Fisheries Division has conducted an annual Striped Bass Volunteer Angler Survey since 1993.

Each year, volunteers of all experience levels complete logbooks documenting information about their striped bass fishing trips in New Hampshire’s coastal waters.

Anglers who fished for striped bass are asked to provide information on their trips, including catch, effort, and striped bass lengths.

By collecting and recording the lengths of released fish, this survey provides a more complete picture of the fishery in New Hampshire than general fishing surveys Fish and Game conducts each year.

Anglers who take part are entered into a drawing for prizes donated by the Coastal Conservation Association of New Hampshire (CCA-NH) and Kittery Trading Post to encourage participation in this voluntary survey.

Striped bass surveys in New Hampshire are funded in part by the federal Sport Fish Restoration Program.

For more information about the New Hampshire Striped Bass Survey, visit the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department website (wildlife.nh.gov).

source: New Hampshire Fish and Game

Mid Atlantic Striped Bass EEZ Enforcement

Each winter along the Mid Atlantic Coast, the U.S. Coast Guard maintains a presence on the water to enforce laws pertaining to recreational fishing for Atlantic striped bass and guard against illegal poaching.

During the period from fall through spring, Mid Atlantic anglers venture into Atlantic waters to catch striped bass, but some anglers are unaware that they can only legally fish up to three nautical miles from shore for them, and that anything beyond that is against the law and will net them a fine.

"Being that striped bass are a sport fish, they’re highly sought after and the three-nautical mile line is the threshold to preserve the species," said Petty Officer 1st Class Sherman Baldwin, senior fisheries officer at Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light New Jersey. "Large Atlantic striped bass breeding fish tend to stay outside of that three mile line from shore, and by creating this line that prevents taking, targeting or possessing striped bass over the years, we’ve allowed the species to regain ground since regulations were put in place in the 1980’s."

During a Living Marine Resources patrol as it’s known in the Coast Guard, members not only ensure fishermen aren’t targeting striped bass outside of the three-mile line, but they’ll also inspect safety gear to ensure that they have the right safety gear aboard in the event of a maritime accident or emergency, said Baldwin.

The three-mile line protecting the striped bass population was put into place by the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act, which made it illegal to fish for striped bass in federal waters was passed by Congress in 1984 under 50 CFR 697.7(b) to counteract the severe population decline of striped bass at that time.

For more information on the three-mile line and striped bass regulations, visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/atlantic-striped-bass, and state wildlife conservation agency websites.

Massachusetts Striped Bass Research

striped bass

Massachusetts is home to one of the largest striped bass fisheries in the USA. The state's recreational striped bass fishery attracts hundreds of thousands of recreational anglers each year.

In Massachusetts, a variety of research and monitoring programs are conducted on striped bass, some of which help support the regional management process.

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has participated in the Striped Bass Cooperative State‐Federal Coast‐wide Tagging Study since 1991.

The study's primary objective has been to develop an integrated database of tag releases and recoveries that will provide current information related to striped bass mortality and migration rates.

During 2015, Striped Bass Research Project staff conducted 14 trips aboard contracted vessels, tagging a total of 365 striped bass.

Annual post‐release survival of striped bass (28 inches and greater) tagged in Massachusetts waters has been relatively stable over the last decade, averaging 74%.

A technical report summarizing the tagging studies conducted by DMF since 1991 is available:

Nelson, G. A., J. Boardman and P. Caruso. Massachusetts striped bass tagging programs, 1991‐2014. Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries technical report TR‐61. 37 p.

For more information, visit the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries website.

source: Massachusetts Marine Fisheries 2015 Annual Report

Mid Atlantic EEZ Striped Bass Enforcement

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) recently announced that the agency will be enforcing federal regulations governing striped bass in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Mid Atlantic region.

During the months of November through February, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement is expected to join state and federal marine law enforcement organizations in supporting a focused enforcement effort, targeting vessels retaining and fishing for striped bass in the EEZ. Officers will be conducting at-sea, aerial, and dock-side inspections.

In the Mid-Atlantic region, marine OLE officers and the U.S. Coast Guard will be ticketing fishermen who violate striped bass regulations within the EEZ.

source: NOAA Fisheries

Striped Bass Most Popular Saltwater Fish

Recreational anglers caught 24 million pounds of striped bass in 2014, according to the 2014 Fisheries of the US report from NOAA Fisheries.

U.S Recreational Fishing Statistics:

Striped bass, bluefish, yellowfin tuna, dolphin fish, and summer flounder were the top five recreational species ranked by pounds landed.

Overall, an estimated 157 million fish were kept, weighing 186 million pounds.

10.4 million anglers took 68 million trips and caught nearly 392 million fish in 2014.

The report also shows that the average American ate 14.6 pounds of fish and shellfish in 2014.

The 2014 Fisheries of the US report is available at  http://st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/fus/fus14/index.

North Carolina Striped Bass Regulations - Atlantic Ocean and Albemarle Sound-Roanoke River Management Areas

New harvest limits for striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean and in the Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River areas will take effect for the upcoming winter seasons.

Atlantic Ocean

The recreational daily bag limit for ocean striped bass will drop from two fish per day to one fish per day on Jan. 1.

The minimum size limit for striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean will remain at 28 inches for both the commercial and recreational fishery.

Albemarle Sound and Roanoke River Management Areas

The annual recreational harvest limits for the Albemarle Sound and Roanoke River Management Areas are:

68,750 pounds for the Albemarle Sound Management Area recreational fishery.

68,750 pounds for the Roanoke River Management Area recreational fishery.

The recreational size and bag limits remain the same.

The above management changes are necessary for the state to comply with the recent approval of Addendum IV to Amendment 6 to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass.

The addendum responds to results of the 2013 Atlantic striped bass benchmark assessment and the 2013 Albemarle/Roanoke striped bass benchmark assessment. Both assessments show similar trends for the coastwide stock and the Albemarle/Roanoke stock, indicating fishing mortality in 2012 was above the target, and female spawning stock biomass has been steadily declining below the target level since the mid-2000s.

source: North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Albemarle-Roanoke Striped Bass Stock Classified to Concern Status

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ 2014 Stock Status Report reclassifies the Albemarle/Roanoke striped bass stock from “viable” to “concern,” due to biological factors associated with a declining population.

The division annually grades the status of important marine finfish, shellfish, shrimp and crabs as viable, recovering, concern, depleted or unknown. The grades serve as a barometer of the overall health of the state’s fishery resources, and they are used to prioritize development of fishery management plans.

While a 2010 stock assessment concludes the stock is not overfished, several population trends have prompted concern about the status of striped bass fishery. Since 2002, the number of young fish entering the population has declined, causing a steady decrease in landings from the peak harvest in 2004. A new Albemarle/Roanoke striped bass stock assessment is scheduled to be approved in August, and reductions in harvest limits likely will be necessary.

Striped bass in North Carolina are managed by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, and data collected by both agencies are used to assess the status of the stocks. Amendment 1 to the N.C. Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan was approved by both commissions in 2013.      

Stocks exhibiting declining landings may be classified as “concern” even if they have an approved stock assessment and fishery management plan, as is the case with the Albemarle/Roanoke striped bass stock.

The stock status of all other species remained the same as the 2013 report.

The complete 2014 Stock Status Report can be found at the Division of Marine Fisheries’ website at: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/stock-status-reports.

For more information on the 2014 Stock Status Report, contact Lee Paramore at 252-473-5734, ext. 222 or Lee.Paramore@ncdenr.gov.

source: N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources

2013 Maryland Striped Bass YOY

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recently announced that the 2013 striped bass juvenile index is 5.8.

The survey is conducted at 22 major sites in the four major spawning systems; the Choptank, Potomac, and Nanticoke rivers, and the Upper Bay.

DNR biologists visited each site monthly from July through September, collecting fish samples with two sweeps of a 100-foot beach seine. Juvenile indices are calculated as the average catch of young-of-year fish per sample.

During this year’s survey of juveniles, biologists counted more than 34,000 fish of 51 different species, including 759 juvenile Striped Bass.

The survey indicated that a number of other species experienced good spawning conditions during the 2013 season. American shad reproduction was approximately four times higher than the long-term average, particularly in the Potomac River. White perch experienced near-average reproduction.

DNR has monitored the reproductive success of Striped Bass and other species in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay annually since 1954.

For more information, visit: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/juvindex/

source:  Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Maryland Chesapeake Bay Spring Striped Bass Season

The opening weekend of Maryland’s 2013 Chesapeake Bay spring striped bass season was dominated by windy weather and rough conditions. From April 20 through May 15, anglers are limited to one fish per person per day and a minimum size of 28 inches.

Maryland striped bass regulations include a mix of season dates and per-angler per-day fish limits. Size is measured from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail.

April 20 – May 15

Anglers are allowed one fish (28 inch minimum). Fishing for Striped Bass is restricted to Chesapeake Bay waters from the Brewerton Channel to the Virginia Line, including Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds. Fishing for Striped Bass is not allowed in any other bays, sounds, tributaries, creeks and rivers during the early season.

May 16 – May 31

Anglers are allowed to harvest two fish, minimum 18 inches, with just one over 28 inches. The legal striped Bass fishing area expands slightly during the May striped bass season.

June 1- December 15

Anglers are allowed two fish, minimum 18 inches, with just one over 28 inches. All Maryland Chesapeake Bay and tributary waters open for Striped Bass fishing.

For information on Maryland fishing regulations, visit dnr.state.md.us

source: MD DNR

American Littoral Society Striped Bass Tagging Field Trip

American Littoral Society Striped Bass Tagging Weekend
JUNE 8 - 9, 2013
Galilee, RI

The American Littoral Society (ALS) is sponsoring a fishing trip with the Society's most prolific and successful tagger, Captain Al Anderson of Narragansett, Rhode Island, aboard his boat, "The Prowler".

The boat will depart from the port of Galilee, RI, right next to the ferry to Block Island. The Prowler is a 42 ft. North Carolina Custom Express twin diesel sportfisherman with a cabin, tower and full electronics. The trip will include striped bass tagging while fishing the rocky coast of Rhode Island and the rips of Block Island.

Captain Al, who has recently been inducted into the IGFA Hall of Fame; has been stalking and tagging stripers in Rhode Island Waters for over 40 years and has tagged and released well over 50,000 gamefish during that time.

The trip is limited to 6 anglers for the weekend, with an all-day fishing trip both Saturday and Sunday. All bait, tackle, and tags will be provided.

Participants are encouraged to bring surf fishing gear along, as there will be opportunities to experience some of Rhode Island's great shoreline fishing as well.

On Saturday the party will meet for a late lunch (Dutch treat) at a local seafood restaurant. After lunch, visitors can visit the Point Judith light house, and take a stroll out to Black Rock on Narragansett Bay.

Cost:

$275 - ALS Member

$325 - Non Member

Price includes all costs for 2 fishing trips and tags, as well as a signed copy of Capt. Al's latest book, "Island Stripers". Anglers are responsible for their own lodging and meals. Call Jeff at (732) 291-0055 for more information.

source: littoralsociety.org

Delaware State Record Striped Bass

photo credit: DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife

A new Delaware state record has been set for striped bass (rockfish). Ben Smith of Bryn Mar, Pa., was fishing in the surf at Delaware Seashore State Park on December 8th when he reeled in the record-setting striped bass. The 52 pound fish measured 51 inches long with a 30 inch girth.

The new state record fish was caught with a circle hook and braided line. Smith’s catch was measured and weighed using a certified scale at Old Inlet Bait & Tackle in Rehoboth Beach and then verified by Sr. Cpl. Douglas Messeck of DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section. The previous state record of 51 pounds, 8 ounces had stood since 1978.

The Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament is an annual program sponsored by the Division of Fish and Wildlife to promote recreational fishing opportunities in the state and recognize anglers for outstanding catches. For more information about the Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament, rules and a list of state record holders, anglers can obtain the 2012 Delaware Fishing Guide, call the Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914, or the DNREC website.

source: DNREC

Species of Saltwater Fish Caught in North Carolina

A variety of saltwater fish are caught by recreational anglers in North Carolina. Among the most popular sports are deep sea fishing, surf fishing, and pier fishing. Anglers also catch saltwater species in Pamlico Sound, Albemarle Sound, and other inshore estuaries.

In 2011, the dolphinfish or mahi mahi was the most popular saltwater fish species caught in North Carolina. Anglers landed 3.5 million pounds of dolphinfish in 2011, up more than 7 percent from the previous year.

Striped bass was the second-ranked saltwater species harvested by anglers in 2011. Anglers caught 2 million pounds of striped bass, a 350 percent increase from 2010.

Bluefish, yellowfin tuna and Spanish mackerel rounded out the top five recreational species landed in 2011. Catches of cobia were down 70 percent, as were porgies and amberjacks landings.

source: NC DMF

2011 North Carolina Fall Striped Bass Commercial Fishing Regulations

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission voted on striped bass (rockfish) and other issues at its meeting in Raleigh last week.

Among actions, the commission adopted a proposal for a limited entry system for the commercial Atlantic Ocean striped bass fishery, possibly for the 2012-2013 fishing season. The proposal adds hook-and-line as an allowable commercial gear in the fishery.

Approval of this proposal effectively directs the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries to develop a limited entry system for the fishery. The division will bring specifics of a proposal before commission for final approval in the coming months.

For the interim, the commission approved a short-term strategy to manage the commercial ocean striped bass fishery with seasons and trip limits under the same gear permit system used in previous years.

source: North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission

Maryland Chesapeake Bay Spring Rockfish Season

Maryland's spring season for striped bass opens at 5:00 a.m. Saturday, April 16 in the main stem of Maryland’s portion of Chesapeake Bay south of the mouth of the Patapsco River.

The legal fishing areas for striped bass include the waters of the main stem of the Bay stretching from the Brewerton Channel at the mouth the Patapsco River south to the Virginia line, including Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds.

To protect fish that may spawn later, some tributaries to the Bay are closed to striped bass fishing until June 1.

The use of eels as bait is prohibited until May 16. Additionally, DNR fisheries biologists recommend the use of a de-hooking tool to release the striped bass at the side of the boat without lifting the fish from the water. This improves the survival chances of the released fish.

Beginning Saturday, anglers will be allowed one rockfish per day of 28 inches or longer measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail through May 15.

From May 16 through December 15, the limits change to two fish per angler per day measuring 18 inches or more with only one of those fish measuring more than 28 inches.

Possession of striped bass onboard between midnight and 5:00 a.m. is illegal all year.

To view detailed charts and maps detailing what is allowed and where, visit:
http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/regulations/sbrecseasons/sbregmap02.html

Any angler who catches a rockfish measuring 40 inches or longer in Chesapeake or coastal waters or 36 inches or longer in nontidal waters and registers it as a citation award eligible fish will receive free admission to the grand finale of the 2011 Maryland Fishing Challenge during the Maryland Seafood Festival at Sandy Point State Park on September 10.

For details on the Maryland Fishing Challenge, go to http://dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/challenge/index.asp

source: MD DNR

Chesapeake Bay Poachers Nets Contain 10 Tons of Striped Bass

Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) found more than 10 tons of illegally caught striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay near Bloody Point and Eastern Bay. This is the largest bust in nearly 30 years and according to the NRP the end doesn’t seem to be in sight.

“The Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association is disheartened and outraged over the 10 tons of illegally caught rockfish in our own Chesapeake Bay”, MSSA’s President Vince Ringgold said.  “We find this flagrant disregard for the law and our public resource deplorable.  These illegal actions must stop”, Ringgold added.

Additional illegal nets have been found in the mouth of the Choptank but have revealed very few fish as they were captured not too long after being set.  The NRP is investigating all leads and will continue its efforts to find these illegal nets and the people responsible.

The Chesapeake Bay is thought to be the spawning ground and nursery for around 75 percent of the Atlantic Coast migratory striped bass stock..  Maryland is under from the other Atlantic states to protect the spawning grounds of striped bass and to ensure a sustainable fishery.

source: MSSA

Striped Bass Spill off North Carolina Coast

Recreational and commercial fishermen have clashed over an unusual situation which occurred off the coast of North Carolina.

On January 15, 2011, an overloaded fishing net prompted fishermen on a commercial trawler to release thousands of striped bass they caught off of Bodie Island, NC.

After towing through a school of striped bass, fishermen on the commercial trawler Jamie Lynn found the net was so full it was too heavy to bring onto the boat. In order to retrieve the net, the fishermen had to open it and release the fish, the boat captain said.

The boat captain estimated 3,000 to 4,000 fish were released from the net. Many recreational and commercial fishermen picked up the discarded fish. When Marine Patrol officers arrived on the scene, there were approximately 250 dead fish.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries confirmed the specifics of the event through an eyewitness account and an interview with the boat captain.


In the days following the spill, recreational anglers and angling groups made a series of accusations, most claiming that commercial fishermen were deliberately high grading striped bass at sea.

As of 20 January, staff with the division was still investigating the incident but had been unable to confirm reports that commercial trawl fishermen were high-grading. High-grading occurs when a fisherman discards a previously-caught, legal-sized fish in order to keep a larger fish within the daily possession limit. While high-grading is not illegal, it is not an ethical fishing practice and the division does not condone it.

For this reason, the division plans to implement management measures designed to limit discard mortality when it reopens the striped bass trawl fishery for three days beginning January 24.

The division will replace the current 50-fish-per-day commercial trip limit, which has been in place for 15 years, with a 2,000-pound-per-day trip limit. To avoid the need to throw back dead fish, commercial fishermen will be allowed to transfer trip limits to other fishing vessels that hold a striped bass ocean fishing permit for the commercial trawl fishery. The transfers must be made in the ocean.

The new regulations will be implemented by a proclamation that will be released prior to the next opening. The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will review the actions at its Feb. 11 meeting in Pine Knoll Shores.

The division opens and closes North Carolina’s commercial ocean striped bass fishery and sets trip limits under a quota system set out in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is a compact of 15 East Coast states that manages migratory fish in state waters (within three miles from shore).

North Carolina’s share of the coast-wide commercial ocean striped bass annual quota is 480,480 pounds. It is split evenly between three commercial fisheries: the trawl fishery, the gill net fishery and the beach seine fishery. Approximately 110,000 pounds remains of the 160,160-pound quota for the trawl fishery this year. This is the first time in several years that N.C. commercial fishermen have come close to catching their quota.

According to a 2010 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission report, coast-wide commercial landings of striped bass in 2008 totaled more than a million fish; commercial discards were estimated at 395,400 fish. Coast-wide recreational landings in 2008 totaled more than 2 million fish. Recreational discards were estimated at more than a million fish.

Estimated discards are factored into stock assessments, and the most recent stock assessment for striped bass found that the species is healthy.


In a press release concerning the incident, the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission issued the following suggestions concerning ethical fishing:

 - It is incumbent upon all fishermen, commercial and recreational, to use common sense in the way they fish.

 - Commercial trawl fishermen should limit their tow times to avoid overburdened nets.

 - Recreational fishermen should practice ethical angling techniques.

 - Fishing responsibly today will help ensure there will be fish in the future.

source: N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission

Addendum II to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass

The ASFMC Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved Addendum II to Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. The Addendum revises the definition of juvenile recruitment failure based on a recommendation from the Striped Bass Technical Committee. The Management Board approved status quo management for the coastal commercial quotas, which were being considered for an increase as part of the Addendum.

"After lengthy deliberation, the sense of the Board was that recent fishery trends do not warrant an increase in fishing mortality, commercial or recreational, at this time," said Board Chair, Jack Travelstead. "The Board also accelerated the assessment schedule, requesting an update assessment in 2011 prior to the next benchmark assessment in 2013 to more closely track changes in the fishery and the resource."

According to the council, the proposal to increase the coastal commercial quota was intended to bring more parity between the commercial and recreational fishery sectors.

Amendment 6 established management programs for both fisheries based on the same target fishing mortality rate. The coastal commercial fisheries are controlled by quotas whereas the coastal recreational fisheries are managed through possession and size limits. Because of the difference in control methods, the recreational harvest has increased with expanding striped bass population levels, and now accounts for approximately 70 percent of total harvest.

The board cited several reasons for electing to maintain the existing coastal commercial quotas, including:

 -  a 66 percent decline in estimated recreational catch from 2006 to 2009
 -  a 25 percent decline in estimated striped bass abundance from 2004 to 2008
 -  several years of below-average production of fish from the Chesapeake Bay

source: ASFMC