Article by News Briefs
Atlantic coastal states have scheduled hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum VI to Amendment 6 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. The details of those hearings follow.
Delaware
August 29, 2019 at 6 PM
DNREC Auditorium
89 Kings Highway
Dover, Delaware
Contact: John Clark at 302-739-9914
Maryland
September 25, 2019 at 6 PM
Calvary United Methodist Church
301 Rowe Boulevard
Annapolis, Maryland
Contact: Michael Luisi at 410-260-8341
Draft Addendum VI was initiated in response to the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment, which indicates the resource is overfished and experiencing overfishing. The Draft Addendum explores a range of management alternatives designed to end overfishing and reduce fishing mortality to the target level in 2020.
The Draft Addendum proposes management options to reduce total fishery removals by 18% relative to 2017 levels. The proposed measures include changes in bag limits, minimum sizes and slot size limits for the recreational sector. Since catch and release practices represent a significant component of overall fishing mortality, the Draft Addendum also explores the mandatory use of circle hooks when fishing with bait to reduce release mortality in recreational striped bass fisheries.
Draft Addendum VI is available at the ASMFS website. Fishermen can provide written comment until 5 PM (EST) on October 7, 2019 and should be sent to Max Appelman via email at [email protected] (Subject line: Striped Bass Draft Addendum VI).
