CCA Opposes ASMFC Amendment 6 Plans

Washington, DC - At a recent meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the Striped Bass Management Board not only voted to increase the coastal commercial quota on striped bass by an astounding 950,000 pounds, it also requested the Secretary of Commerce to allow fishing in the federal waters of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In response to this move, the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) has reiterated its firm opposition to any increase in the coastal striped bass quota and to opening the EEZ.

"This increase is simply a slap in the face of recreational fisherman," said Richen Brame, CCA's Atlantic States Fisheries Director. "The striped bass population should be managed for what it is - the most valuable marine recreational fisheries in the country. The ASMFC's decision to increase coastal commercial harvest and open the waters of the EEZ greatly diminishes any chance for the age structure of striped bass to expand."

Striped bass, the most popular marine recreational species in the U.S., can live more than 30 years and attain weights in excess of 70 pounds. Past management measures have provided high population levels of smaller bass, but have failed to provide proper conservation for larger, more mature fish. The current vote of the ASMFC accommodates the commercial industry while achieving no additional conservation of the resource, according to CCA.

"The ASMFC has chosen, through the adoption of Amendment 6, to increase harvest by the commercial industry by almost a million pounds," said Pat Keliher, Executive Director for CCA’s Greater New England Chapters. "The real benefit of this fishery is keeping it a recreational fishery - not increasing the commercial take. It is insulting that the Board not only chose to increase the harvest, thereby potentially harming the age structure of the stock, but continued its penchant for supporting growth of the coastal commercial catch of striped bass."

 Rather than pursue methods of conservation to alleviate the commercial sector's wasteful bycatch, the ASMFC's decision to open the EEZ simply postpones the need to implement a more permanent solution for these destructive fishing practices. CCA maintains that the Board's actions will do nothing to ensure a restoration of the true historic age and size distribution for this vitally important fishery. In voting to essentially reverse a conservative management plan for this valuable public resource, the Board chose to negate years of sacrifice by all participants in this fishery and allow a very narrow sector of commercial interests to reap the benefits.

"CCA's position on Amendment 6 was for an overall reduction in mortality to increase the age structure and for status quo on the commercial /recreational allocation," said Charlie Witek, Vice Chairman of CCA's National Government Relations Committee. "Now we find they want to keep the recreational and Chesapeake Bay commercial harvest the same, increase the coastal commercial harvest, and open the EEZ to accommodate commercial concerns. CCA members are alarmed that the Commission does not seem to care about the concerns of the largest user - the people who fish for personal use - and instead favors the commercial industry.”