The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board has decided to require that states reduce their fishing mortality on large fish, 28 in. and larger, by 14% in the year 2000. If the Commission does not have a new management program ready to go by the end of next year, another 14% reduction will be required in 2001. The Board's meeting was held in Warwick, Rhode Island.

The Board was reacting to scientific advice received in August that fishing mortality - the numbers of fish killed due to fishing - exceeded the Commission's targets in 1997 and 1998; and in 1998 equaled the Commission's overfishing definition. Atlantic striped bass are managed by the Commission on behalf of its member states under Amendment 5 to the Atlantic Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan.

The recovery of the Atlantic striped bass is the most notable success in recent memory for effective fisheries conservation and management. Under the fishery management plan, twelve Atlantic coastal states from Maine to North Carolina agreed mutually to implement a coordinated management program. During the 1990s, Atlantic striped bass have recovered from their former depleted condition to provide robust recreational and commercial fisheries along the entire Atlantic coast.

However, scientific advice was that each year increased numbers of Atlantic striped bass were being harvested. In response, the Board proposed tightening the conservation measures; and held numerous public hearings throughout the states over the past few weeks.

The Commission's Striped Bass Advisory Panel met yesterday in Warwick, Rhode Island; and participated in the Board's meeting today. Although the overall public comments were mixed in terms of whether to take action, or what action to take, the Board believed that steps were necessary to slow down the mortality of large fish. "Large fish" refers to fish that are 8 years old or more, about 28 inches or larger in length.

"This is an important step," said John Nelson, the Board's Chair, from New Hampshire. "This shows that when the science indicates that our management program needs to be changed to meet our conservation goals, the states are willing to take the necessary steps. This was a tough decision; but one that had to be done." The Commission had been working on the preparation of a new long-term fishery management program, but put aside this work to address this issue. "The Board's action will allow us to proceed with the development of the next generation of striped bass management, knowing that we have taken the right steps to protect the resource in the meantime," said Nelson.

The Board's action allows states that have voluntarily been more conservative in recent years than the Commission's management plan required to take credit for those regulations in meeting the new requirements. "This is consistent with what we have told the states in recent years," said Nelson. "We encouraged states to do more than Amendment 5 required so that we could gain the extra benefits of conservation; and we assured them that we would not penalize them if we had to tighten the regulations."

Specific implementation proposals will be prepared by the states during the next few weeks. The proposals will be reviewed by the Commission's Striped Bass Technical Committee. The Board expects to approve the implementation proposals for those states that have winter fisheries at its 58th Annual Meeting on November 3, 1999 in Mystic, Connecticut. Approval of the implementation proposals from the other states will take place in January 2000.

The Commission had issued a Public Information Document setting forth possible alternatives for action. For more information, please contact: Robert Beal, Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator, at (202) 289-6400, ext. 318. Copies of the PID can be obtained by contacting the Commission or via the Commission's webpage at: http://www.asmfc.org.