TAKE ACTION! Stop commercial striped bass quota rollovers

Stripers Forever – the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission – ASMFC – the group of East Coast states that regulate striped bass, is taking public comment and holding public hearings on a proposal to allow states with commercial quotas to transfer the quota that they did not report as caught in one year to the next year. This means that if, in a given commercial state, the quota was 1,100,000 pounds, and only 990,000 was caught in 2011, then in 2012 the new quota could be 1,210,000 pounds.  

Stripers Forever thinks this is just a thinly disguised attempt to add to commercial quotas, and that it is a very bad idea.  Here is why:

1.  If the state fails to reach its quota over the course of an entire season, it is a very good indication that there simply are not as many striped bass out there as the fishery managers estimated.  Given the fishing reports that we have been receiving this is a very likely scenario.  Just adding one year's deficit to the following year simply compounds unwarranted pressure on the fish.  Fishery management needs to be more risk averse, not more intent on vacuuming up every possible fish for the market.

2.  Transferring uncaught quota to the next year provides an incentive for some commercial fishermen to sell their catch under the table and, as a bonus, receive a larger quota the following year.  Time and again some members of the commercial community have shown their willingness to sell under the table.  Every year there are arrests and convictions.  The ASMFC ignores this and makes no estimate of the illegal catch nor allowance for it in their management plans.  They are sticking their head in the sand.  

Stripers Forever is urging all their members to write to the ASMFC and let officials know that you oppose any commercial quota rollovers. 

You can find the draft plan and a link to submit a public comment HERE.