January 26, 2014 — The Mass. Division of Marine Fisheries and the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission have scheduled public hearings and a comment period to accept comments on proposed regulations that would affect the commercial striped bass fishery. The proposals could also indirectly affect a section of the recreational fishery as one measure would put an end to commercial fishing on fire-hire vessels during for-hire trips. Loss of income from selling fish caught by clients during charter trips could drive the price of recreational fishing trips aboard charter vessels.
To improve fish availability, regulatory compliance and fishing safety, one proposal includes: reducing the number of open commercial fishing days to as few as two per week; reducing the commercial striped bass daily trip limit from the current 30 fish per day limit to as low as 10 fish per day for commercial boat permit holders and just two fish per day for holders of individual or rod and reel permits; open the commercial fishery earlier than the current July 12 opening date (new opening dates from June 1 through July 11 will be considered); prohibiting for-hire permit holders from engaging in commercial striped bass fishing with clients aboard; and prohibiting dealers from purchasing more than one daily trip limit from a commercial fisherman during a calendar day, regardless of the number of permits that individual has in his/her possession.
A section of the proposal would establish a control date for all commercial striped bass regulated fishery permits. The control date may be used to limit entry into the commercial striped bass fishery in the future with options to include March 6, 2008, as the control date for all other hook and line fisheries or Sept. 8, 2013, the close of the most recent commercial season. Beginning in 2015, it's also proposed to require all commercial striped bass regulated fishery permit endorsements be applied for or renewed by the last day of February in any calendar year.
To comply with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's interstate management plan for striped bass, an additional proposal would establish a point-of-sale striped bass tagging program that would affect dealers.
Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times