CHESAPEAKE BAY, Md. - The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission approved Addendum III for public comment, introducing a new plan aimed at rebuilding the Chesapeake Bay's striped bass population by 2029.
The management plan includes updated commercial quotas and recreational fishing regulations designed to protect the species, which has shown signs of decline, particularly among younger fish in the Chesapeake Bay.
Mike Luisi of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said the plan focuses on increasing the population of young striped bass, which spend their early years in the bay before joining the migratory adult population offshore.
But not everyone agrees with the proposed regulations. Robert Newberry, a commercial waterman from Maryland, said the restrictions could devastate fishermen’s livelihoods.
“The Bay’s polluted. The fish are getting sick. The crabs are dying because of the bad water. They won’t address it,” Newberry said. “Instead, they keep overregulating us. Our voices aren’t being heard, and this has got to stop.”
Newberry criticized regulators, saying decisions are being made by special interest groups that don’t understand commercial fishing.
He said the commercial fishery has already faced a 46% reduction in striped bass harvest since 2012 and warned that additional cuts would be extremely damaging.
The ASMFC is holding public hearings along the East Coast over the coming weeks to gather input from fishermen, conservationists and other stakeholders before the plan is finalized.
The future of the striped bass fishery hinges on balancing conservation efforts with the economic realities faced by watermen and related industries.
For more information on the striped bass management plan and a schedule of upcoming public hearings, visit the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s website.