September 5, 2019 — At a sometimes contentious public hearing in Farmingdale Wednesday night, more than 200 anglers, boat captains and fishing club members weighed in on options for reducing the recreational and commercial harvest of striped bass by up to 18 percent, compared with 2017.
The measures, which will take effect with the 2020 season, are detailed in an August report by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the interstate body that regulates the fishery.
Measures under consideration include mandating the use of circle hooks that cause less damage to fish, new size restrictions on fish and a shortened recreational season, which now runs from April 15 through December 15, according to the report.
The proposals, which come as the striped bass season kicks into high gear, are part of an effort by fisheries regulators to prop up a stock they say is overfished.