Although the overall abundance of striped bass has declined, striped bass stocks along the Atlantic coast are healthy and overfishing is not occurring, the federal agency responsible for monitoring Atlantic coast fish species said in an annual report.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), a 15-member body responsible for managing species and implementing management plans along the East Coast, provided that rosy assessment at its annual meeting in Boston on November 8. It is nearly identical to one provided at the same meeting in 2008.
It is an assessment many recreational fishermen, including those on Martha's Vineyard, say is incorrect. In tackle shops and on the beach fishermen complain that striped bass fishing is declining both in the quantity and quality of fish.
The closest statistical evidence of that decline is reflected in landings of striped bass during the annual Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby.
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