Published February 3, 2015 in the Press of Atlantic City:
Regarding the Jan. 10 Shep on Fishing column, “2015 N.J. striped bass proposal encouraging to local anglers”:
New Jersey’s recommended striped bass regulations for 2015 are shortsighted. This important Northeastern fish population has collapsed before and will again without moderate conservation efforts.
Past decades of striped-bass moratoriums, fish-hatchery programs and a united effort restored the prized striped bass to our coastal waters. This success restored a valued economic resource, terrific fishing opportunities and a fish biomass at viable reproducing levels.
But we have since fished this population too hard. The recreational fishermen must help reverse a current downtrend in striped bass numbers.
For 2015, the Atlantic States Marine Fishery Council has mandated a 25 percent reduction for the striped bass catch. All states in the ASMFC except New Jersey have recommended regulations that will reduce the daily catch limit to one striped bass per day per person, at 28 inches or larger.
But the New Jersey Division Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Fisheries Council is recommending a statewide catch limit of two fish, one at 28 inches or larger and a second fish at 43 inches or larger.
This shortsighted thinking will help doom a valuable natural resource that most will agree is in a state of serious decline.
The larger striped bass are females, and 40-inch-plus fish will spawn 500,000 eggs, where a smaller female is in the 50,000-to-75,000 egg range. Why would anyone advocate for harvesting the largest breeding fish out of the population? Special interests seem to be at play.
Our legislators need to tread carefully and take action to protect this wonderful natural resource, one that deliveries an ongoing positive economic influence to our coastal communities and their related businesses. New Jersey should get in line with every other state in ASMFC and go with a daily catch limit of one striped bass at 28 inches or greater.
You fisherman out there, please release the big striped bass when you catch one. Individual recreational fishermen often are the greatest conservationists.
RANDY ROASH
Strathmere