A dwindling population of striped bass, better known on restaurant menus as rockfish, has alarmed states from Florida to Maine.
In April, Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commissioners drew up a plan to cut back landings by the commercial and recreational fisheries, including in the Chesapeake Bay. Though not as dire as it was in the mid-1980s, when Virginia imposed a fishing ban, the plan would give states the option for seasonal closures.
In April, ahead of the commissioners meeting, Virginia announced it was shutting down its spring trophy fish season, citing concerns over declining numbers of spawning-aged fish. The Chesapeake Bay is where they come to spawn and that concerns Virginia Fishery Manager Rob O'Reilly.
"The big currency in Virginia is to try to curtail the number of large fish that are taken regardless of where they are taken because this is a spawning area and it's very important," O'Reilly said. "We are seriously considering having a single tag per individual for one trophy fish for the entire recreational season."
At their biannual meeting in Alexandria Virginia, commissioners tried to figure out how to boost the striped bass population. Scientists pointed to overfishing and catch-and-release fishing. A high rate of fish die from wounds after they are caught and thrown back. They're referred to as dead discards.
"I can't answer all the questions about these dead discards for some reason in Virginia that's not a problem in the recreational fishery," O'Reilly told the gathering.
Still, other states, including Maryland, worry that increasing size limits on rockfish across the board will only exacerbate the problem of dead discards. Recreational overfishing is the biggest problem. In 2017, East Coast anglers were responsible for 90 percent of the catch. They don't have participation limits imposed on them like the commercial fishery.
The commission will hold public hearings over the summer on their plans including cutting harvests, mandatory use of circle hooks to reduce harm to rockfish during catch and release and prohibiting harvest of a fish over 40 inches.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
