SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SCOM] — August 21, 2014 — Striped bass, also known as rockfish in some areas, is not currently overfished; however the ASMFC is proposing a suite of three optional cutbacks in the recreational and commercial harvest based on concerns the female spawning stock biomass is falling below a benchmark level.
The ASMFC draft addendum containing these proposed cutbacks will be discussed at public meetings scheduled this month and next along the U.S. Atlantic coast range of this fish and including Chesapeake Bay
The draft addendum proposes new fishing mortality (F) reference points, as recommended by the 2013 benchmark stock assessment, and associated management measures to reduce F to a level at or below the proposed target within one or three years. It responds to results of the 2013 Atlantic striped bass benchmark assessment indicating F in 2012 was above the proposed F target, and female spawning stock biomass (SSB) has been steadily declining below the target since 2006. This means even though the stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring, SSB is approaching its overfished threshold and stock projections show SSB will likely fall below the threshold in the coming years. In addition, a similar decline has been observed in total harvest. In response to these factors, the Draft Addendum proposes management options to reduce fishing mortality to the target level.
The Draft Addendum includes a suite of management options to reduce recreational and commercial harvest along the coast and in the Chesapeake Bay under three reduction timeframes. The timeframes include (1) reducing F to its target in one year with a 25% reduction in 2013 harvest in 2015 (2) reducing F to its target within three years with a 17% reduction in 2013 harvest in 2015, and (3) reducing F to its target within three years with a 7% sequential reduction in harvest for three consecutive years starting in 2015. Specific options to be considered include bag, size, slot and trophy size limits for the recreational fishery and quota reductions for the commercial fishery.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.