In a last minute effort, the Governor of Massachusetts yesterday intervened in a successful effort to convince the state marine fisheries commission to remain conservative in adopting striped bass management for the coming season.
In a three hour meeting, held in Weston, state officials after lengthy discussion adopted a uniform 34-inch minimum size for the catching of striped bass for both recreational and commercial fishermen. This represents a drop in two inches from last year's minimum.
The striped bass, valued not only as a premier game fish but also as a commercial catch, is the subject of a three year, multi-million-dollar study by several federal agencies because of its apparently dwindling population.
Responding to the precipitous drop in the Atlantic striped bass population, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has mandated an 18 per cent cut in commercial and recreational harvest quotas for 2020.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has drafted new rules for both the recreational and commercial fisheries to preserve the dwindling stocks.
By the end of the day Monday, the first day of the commercial striped bass season, the Menemsha Fish House had brought in 297 filleted pounds of the elusive — and profitable — fish.
