<p>As many as 800 Massachusetts anglers have signed a petition seeking additional steps to conserve striped bass from overfishing. The petition calls for a 50 per cent reduction of both commercial and recreational efforts. As many as 30 Vineyarders signed the petition online according to Brad Burns, president of Stripers Forever, a Maine-based organization.
As many as 800 Massachusetts anglers have signed a petition seeking additional steps to conserve striped bass from overfishing. The petition calls for a 50 per cent reduction of both commercial and recreational efforts. As many as 30 Vineyarders signed the petition online according to Brad Burns, president of Stripers Forever, a Maine-based organization. The petition was delivered to Paul Diodati, the state Division of Marine Fisheries director, earlier this month.
In recent years both commercial and recreational fishermen on the Vineyard, as well as along the eastern seaboard, have noted a decline in the abundance of striped bass. Scientists are also reporting a decline, but the threshhold isn’t yet low enough for fisheries managers to limit fishing. Those who signed the petition believe it is time to cut the fishing effort this year before it gets worse.
“The recreational catch of striped bass in Massachusetts has declined by nearly 90 per cent since 2006, yet the harvest levels have remained undiminished,”
said Dean Clark, of Shrewsbury and Cape Cod. Mr. Clark is a co-chair of the Massachusetts chapter of Stripers Forever.
“We are killing too many fish,” added Mr. Clark. “All the scientists on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission say that within the next year or two we will be hitting triggers that were set that will demand reduction. Our concern is that we don’t know how many fish are in the ocean. I believe the stock assessment can be off by as much as 50 per cent.”
Cooper A. Gilkes 3rd of Edgartown, who runs a tackle shop, said he signed the petition. “Right now there are people fighting any way they can to get these fish back. I signed it. The petition is trying to get something done,” he said.
I signed it,” said Tom Rapone, an Edgartown charter fishing captain. “I have no doubt that there are less fish out there. Of the petition, I think this is a fair measure,” he said, because it cuts fishing effort of both recreational and commercial fishermen.
Mr. Gilkes recalled how not many years ago he and others could go to Lobsterville and be sure to see a fish. “We can’t do that now.”
“I don’t want to take anyone’s livelihood but we are seeing the same thing we are seeing with cod. We are taking too much and we have to slow down,” Mr. Gilkes said.
Currently, recreational fishermen are permitted a two fish per day bag limit, with the minimum size being 28 inches. The commercial season begins early in July with a 34-inch minimum size and a five fish bag limit on Sunday and a 30-fish bag limit on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Last year, commercial fishermen in Massachusetts landed 1,218,426 pounds or 115.2 per cent over the 1,057,783 pound state quota. Striped bass are now hard to find in Vineyard waters, with most caught off Chatham by commercial anglers.
“I am a fishing guide who isn’t necessarily opposed to commercial striped bass fishing,” Mr. Rapone said. “But I am opposed to any lack of effort on the part of the state to address the current decline.”
Paul Diodati, director of the state Division of Marine Fisheries, who received the petition told the Gazette he plans to bring the petition to the next meeting of the state Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission when they meet Thursday, April 4, in Lincoln.
“It wouldn’t be possible to implement the petition in the 2013 fishery season,” Mr. Diodati said. “It is late in the year for us.”
Mr. Diodati said he wants to take it before the commission to get some input. “I recognize that there continues to be strong interest and passion around striped bass. There is a lot of concern about the resource. We will address those concerns.”
Mr. Diodati said he and the commission are looking at eliminating commercial fishing for striped bass on Sundays. Last year the season opened on July 12 and closed on August 9. Mr. Diodati said he would like to establish a catch limit so that the quota runs through the summer.
That striped bass are managed in each state along the coast under the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission could prove challenging to local reductions.
“Unilateral action in Massachusetts might not be sensible,” Mr. Diodati said. “Whatever conservation we are trying to take, it might be compromised by the fisheries elsewhere.”
Comments
How can I sign the petition?
steve FalmouthHow can I sign the petition?
It is just such a shame that
Dave Khouw Dennis, MAIt is just such a shame that we always seem to wait until a problem has gotten out of hand instead of preventing it in the first place. It is like overeating and then trying to remedy the consequences like diabetes, cardiovascular problems and shortened and poor quality of life..Lack of foresight, overindulgence, instant gratification..with dire consequences for society as a whole..
It is necessary we take
alan bedard Buzzards BayIt is necessary we take action before the stocks decline to a critical point. We saw this very situation in the 80"s. Conservation measures were implemented and the stocks rebounded, now we are doing the same thing. We need to act NOW and not wait. Politics has no place in the preservation of such a natural resource. New England water are famous throughout the world as a world class fishery. We must preserve this. It is up to the public to demand action.
How can I sign the petition?
Please show some foresight,
Frederick Macdonald 134 Den Quarry Road Lynn, MA 01904Please show some foresight, and put a 50% of 2012's limit on this year's (2013) catch quota for both commercial and recreational striped bass fishermen in Massachusetts.
Then, hopefully in the near future, you will see the value of ending commercial striper fishing in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts forever.
I agree with you Fred we need
kyle pires lincoln maI agree with you Fred we need to put an end to commercial striper fishing,it is destroying our fishery.
But this will not matter unless every state jumps on board.
This piece debunks the idea
Jim H WarehamThis piece debunks the idea that commercial or recreational fishing has anything to do with the shortage of stripers today: http://www.eregulations.com/massachusetts/fishing/12masw/status-of-stri…
You cannot stop people from
kyle lincoln maYou cannot stop people from taking whatever they want.
Leave the recreational catch
Bill Biswanger Townsend MassLeave the recreational catch as is and cut the comercial quota by 25%. This will not hurt the local guy wanting a bass for the table. Times are tough and cutting the rec. fisherman to one or no fish is just a kick in the pants.
nobody needs 2 bass per day.
sandy carstensen cape codnobody needs 2 bass per day. If I had to eat bass every day I think I would turn into Striper. One per day should be adequate. At the rate we are going, there will be no bass per week.
Well put
Dave Nyberg MarylandWell put
I think the two per day limit
Tim Lynch SalemI think the two per day limit is fine for the recreational fisherman. How may recreational fisherman do you think fish every day and catch two per day? I have a boat and we fish for striped bass maybe once or twice at week at the most or maybe a half dozen times a month. we have only ever once, my son and I, caught our limit of two each.
How come Mass can't act
James MVY/North shoreHow come Mass can't act unilaterally? Would that be the thing to do as a leader?
I would like to see action
David Morrison Plymouth, MaI would like to see action taken to preserve these fish. Even stopping the recreational angler of taking any fish would work for me.
The plan was put in place for
Dan ChelmsfordThe plan was put in place for a reason, stick with it. Stripers Forever has never been above board with it's motives. They change their attack every year in an attempt to remove the commercial fishery at all costs.
Last year SF claimed that there were virtually no juevenile fish, yet the rivers were full. It was the cow stripers that weren't in huge numbers close to shore. In reality the fish were keyed in on the abundance of squid, pogeys and mackeral that lie just off shore along the MA coast. The fish were here, just not in the spots fishermen wanted to fish.
If the recreational take has been truly reduced by 90% then there's no need to reduce the daily take, it's been achieved. Want more fish? Fish more or try new spots. Last two years the Merrimack River was void of fishermen because fishing returned to normal and water temps were exceptionally high.
You have to work it if you want to find fish. The glut of fish from the 1990's is over, things have returned to normal. The fish may cycle again if the pollution levels of the Chesapeake don't and the over fishing of pogies by companies like Omega 3 decline, allowing stocks to replenish.
Blaming commercial fishermen is convenient but it's only a symptom of the real issues in the breeding grounds of the Chesapeake and the Hudson River.
I've said this before, the
Thom Swansea MA, on the coastI've said this before, the commercial fishing is killing the Bass crops, leave me and the other sport fishermen alone. I am allowed only two fish over 28 inches. When you stop the commercial fishermen completely, then you can talk to me about limits.
Thom Souza
Swansea, MA
No one has talked about the
John FalmouthNo one has talked about the condition of the spawning grounds for the striper or their birth rate.Also if you don't address the issue of seals on Muskeget and Chatham the whole issue is mute.The seals are depleting tons of fish!
I can attest to the fact
John E. FalmouthI can attest to the fact since the seals started appearing on Muskeget the great striper fishing in that area went down hill real fast. Whether it's the seals eating the bass or the bait they feed on it does have a significant impact on the fisheries
Cut the commercial bag limit
Bill Caldwell Hull, MACut the commercial bag limit by 25% & shorten the season. If overfishing causes stripers to disappear from New England waters everyone will suffer, from commercial fishermen to recreational to the tackle shops that rely on abundant fish to survive. The time to act is long past.
There is a great book out
Ron Edgartown MAThere is a great book out titled "Striperman, Confessions and Secrets of a Commercial Striped Bass Fisherman" It was written by a former commercial pin hooker named Sherwood Lincoln. If you haven't read it, you might want to pick up a copy, you will learn something. The author has more than 35 years of fishing expercience in and around Long Island Sound. He has more than fifty fifties to his credit. With regard to dwindling fish stocks he says, "The only real succesful conservation story of the twentieth century was the striped bass fishery, which was able to rebound from an all time low to abundance unheard of in modern times; now it's slipping away again". He goes on to say "The 800 pound shark in the room is over fishing. I don't care how you cut up the pie or who you blame it on, over fishing is the root of the evil, and people like me are complacent and letting it happen". Further, "Each of us must make our voice heard; if you are not the type to get up on the proverbial soapbox, you can stil do your part" and he lists various fishery advocacy groups like SF, CCA, RISSA and the RFA. The last sentence of the book says "The future of fishing is in your hands. Don't do what I did-do what I say."
First off, there's a math
Robert Sudar Longview, WAFirst off, there's a math error. The commercial catch wasn't 115.2% over the quota. It was 115.2% OF the quota, or 15.2% over. I don't see any mention of how the sport harvest compared to its quota. A 90% decline since 2006 is a lot - some numbers would be useful, to compare sport/commercial quotas and to see if the decline is steady or sudden. The one writer mentioned more feed offshore - could that be significant or not?
I remember reading when the striped bass resource on the East Coast was in trouble 20 years ago. As I recall, the sports guys blamed the commercials then, too. I was impressed when you made some changes and they recovered. I don't remember what the changes were, but could the same approach work again? Was it equitable between user groups? For a migratory fish like bass, are other states seeing these declines? That's why a change in MA may not really help if other states don't see a need to help, too. Shared burden of changes is always best for the resource because then all users have a vested interest in seeing improvements. Your problems are not that much different than what we deal with on the West Coast. Good Luck.
This is the annual assualt by
Tom Traina Harwich MAThis is the annual assualt by Stripers Forever to eliminate commercial fishing for striped bass. This wealthy group of elitists are trying to put a lot of hard working guys out of business. The fact of the matter is the recreational catch dwarfs the commercial quota and there are plenty of fish chasing the bait offshore where noone can fish for them. Anyone that chooses to release fish has that option, but try running a charter boat and telling a customer that goes once or twice a year he can't keep them. It would be time to sell the boat if any buyer could be found.
Stop commercial fishing on
David Goodman NantucketStop commercial fishing on weekend days, and cut the recreational limit to one fish per day. That would help true commercial fishermen and no recreational anglers need 2 fish per day.
Agreed. And make the minimum
Chris Junda ChathamAgreed. And make the minimum size 36" or use a slot limit to protect breeding females.
I'm a rec fisherman and don't mind the comm guys as long as the quota is sustainable. The biggest problem is when the fish school up in one place, like Chatham the last few years, and you end up with 100-150 boats in a small area. As soon as your rod bends over, you are surrounded by other boats. I call it combat fishing. Not fun. I typically don't fish on comm
days.
Yes it is important to
Nick DuxburyYes it is important to preserve the stripers forever, but in these difficult times, I would rather we limit recreational fishing to catch and release and leave the commercial fishermen alone, and by the way I am not one of them.
You should see all of the
jim brownYou should see all of the fish being taken at the canal and Merrimack by the No-ablo imports. No fishing license, no limits, and no minimum size. Those are the people who are taking a big toll on the population.
I am in favor of reducing the
Doug ChathamI am in favor of reducing the quota for both sport and commercial fisherman. As stated sport fisherman do not need 2 fish per day, for the commercial guy a reduction just increases the price per lbs (less supply /more demand / higher price paid)! Lets reduce commercial permits for the out of State fisherman, Striped Bass are caught off of NJ, Connecticut and NY!
You think striper fishing on
myron agee suisun delta caYou think striper fishing on the east coast is getting worse ?
It has gotten so bad here in the california delta that a 10 lb bass is a rare trophy .
What makes it so bad is the fisherman knows this and complains but does nothing about it .
If you dont do something now then you will have let the worlds greates sport fishery crash to levels where recovery would take decades if it ever recovered again .
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