The author of a bill to ban commercial striped bass fishing and severely limit recreational catches in Massachusetts does not think it will go very far.
State Rep. Matt Patrick, D-Falmouth, said Tuesday it was "highly unlikely" his bill would make it out of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.
But he said he was open to compromises, including a limited commercial fishery.
The original bill banned the sale of striped bass in Massachusetts and cut the number of fish recreational fishermen could keep from two to one per day.
It also sought to protect fish between 26 and 40 inches in length while allowing fishermen to keep fish as small as 20 inches. The current minimum size is 28 inches.