When saltwater fishermen go fishing, the No. 1 prey they're angling for is striped bass. To their dismay, Massachusetts fishermen caught many fewer striped bass last year than they did three years ago — 2.6 million compared to 9 million — and they're saying, "Something must be done."
Rep. Matthew Patrick, D-Falmouth, has responded with a bill that would override the existing management plan for the species. It would end commercial fishing for striped bass (20 percent of the total catch), reduce from two to one the number of fish that the recreational fisherman could take home, and alter the size limits in an effort to protect the egg-laying females.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which manages the management plan, says it's working fine. The commission counts the fish by seining the little ones as they leave the spawning grounds; the 2009 assessment produced the conclusion that "striped bass are not overfished and overfishing is not occurring… ."
The spawning stock (the large fertile females) remains above target levels, it says.