Stripers stir up the bait off Montauk Point, NY (photo courtesy of Ray Ryan)
A 2018 stock assessment of Atlantic striped bass conducted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) found the species has been overfished since 2013, confirming what striper anglers up and down the Atlantic coast had already witnessed.
In an attempt to rebuild the stock, the ASMFC is currently revised the fisheries management plan that regulates Atlantic striped bass—the first revision of the plan since 2003. The “Amendment 7” process is complex and technical but it needs the attention of all recreational anglers who care about the future of striped bass.
ASGA’s Positions on Striped Bass Amendment 7: A Comprehensive Guide
Tony Friedrich, American Saltwater Guides Association
By now you have probably heard the podcasts, seen the infographic, and read the first blog describing our positions on Draft Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. This is where we get into the “why.” We didn’t put this out first because we want to encourage comments. Not many people are going to read a 4000-word blog. However, some folks might want to understand how we came to our position on each issue. So, we did both.
[Read on for] the reasoning on our positions for Draft Amendment 7. Some of this is technical and some of this is what our gut told us. Enjoy the read and attend a public hearing or send in your comments to ASMFC by April 15. Email comments@asmfc.org with the subject line “Amendment 7.” Make sure and cc stripercomments@gmail.com to be entered into the ASGA raffle.