DOVER, Del. - The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission plans to hold a public hearing on Thursday to gather input on controversial new striped bass regulations.
Draft Addendum III to Amendment 7 of the Atlantic Striped Bass Interstate Fishery Management Plan includes updated quotas and regulations designed to protect Atlantic striped bass, or rockfish, numbers in the Chesapeake Bay. Some watermen on Delmarva have criticized the latest proposed policies on striped bass fishing as overregulation that threatens their livelihoods.
The newest change to the management plan aims to reduce fishery removals by 12% through measures implemented in 2026, according to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources, including a change to Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay recreational season.
DNREC says ASMFC’s hybrid public hearing is slated for Sept. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. The public can attend in-person at DNREC’s Little Creek Hunter Education Training Center in Dover or virtually through DNREC’s website.
For more information on the Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum III ahead of Thursday’s meeting, you can click here.