Dead Stripers Found Netted in Boothbay Harbor, ME

UPDATED 7/17/23

On July 9, angler Jake Walsh was kayak fishing around Boothbay Harbor in Liniken Bay, Maine when he came across an unfortunate sight: a net—stretching from the shoreline to approximately 500 yards out into the bay— with floating dead stripers in view.

Initially, we inaccurately reported that there were potentially hundreds of dead stripers in the net—a claim made based on photos of the angler’s electronics, which appeared to show large marks consistent with striped bass below the surface. However, this claim was made prior to Maine DMR being given the opportunity to comment on the situation.

Massachusetts native, Jake Walsh, has spent every summer in Boothbay Harbor for over 20 years since his childhood. “Around five years ago and each year since,” Walsh described, “my family and I noticed more and more bunker in the bay, which led to some commercial netting in the area.” The pound net—a stationary netting system that uses stakes to funnel fish like menhaden into a trap or “pound”—went in the water sometime around mid to late May. Walsh said that neither he, his family, or their neighbors have seen the net tended to before. However, representatives from Maine Marine Patrol confirmed that they have routinely checked the net and the license holder’s permits since it entered the water, and reported no violations or dead bycatch until last week. In fact, Maine DMR found only 2 dead stripers, 1 dead shortnose sturgeon and 1 menhaden in the net— far from the initial estimates of hundreds of bass which were made based on Walsh’s electronic imaging.

After discovering the net on a kayak fishing trip with his cousin, Walsh spoke with concerned locals and charter captains who informed him that there aren’t many permits given for pound nets in the commercial menhaden fishery. But, as long as it is set up in proper fashion, which it was, and the angler who owns it has the necessary permits, pound nets are totally legal for commercial menhaden fishing in Maine. See Commercial Menhaden Fishery Regulations under Section 41.30 1A and 1B.

While his fishfinder indicated a large amount of fish below, still, the only bycatch of the pound net recorded were the aforementioned schoolies and a shortnose sturgeon. It’s possible that Walsh’s electronics received a false reading from either the net itself or other schools of fish nearby; but the net was far from neglected, and never led to a substantial fish kill, as previously reported. Maine Marine Patrol followed up to check the net on both Monday and Tuesday of last week, and made it very clear that the claims of there being hundreds of dead fish were based solely on the marks seen on Walsh’s electronics. The DMR confirmed nothing more than the initial 2 dead stripers, 1 shortnose sturgeon and a single menhaden found in the net.

Maine DMR informed me that the license holder responsible for the pound net has been held accountable and was issued a summons for improperly marking his net. The pound net license holder also received warnings for the take of the shortnose sturgeon, an endangered species, as well as for the take of two striped bass by methods other than hook and line. It is also worth noting that even though they were not required to, the license holder for the pound net has voluntarily decided to remove the net.

Maine DMR values their resources and has been an active force in protecting Atlantic striped bass. They recently adjusted the slot limit for striped bass (28 to 31 inches) after the ASMFC announced an emergency action which reduced the slot size by 4 inches to support rebuilding the coastal migratory stock. Even more recently, the DMR closed a section of the Saco River to striped bass fishing on account of too many bass dying from catch and release.

This is a great example of an opportunity for recreational fishermen to connect with local and state regulatory agencies to report these sorts of findings before taking to social media. Equally, it is a learning experience for anglers like myself, who need to report fact and share stories such as this one without emotional influence. While a commercial menhaden netting practice initially appeared to decimate a small population of stripers in a concentrated area, further analysis has revealed that there was a lack of fact-based information and that Maine DMR reported no such fish kill.

If you see something, say something. If you are uncertain about the legality of some fishing practice or method, contact Marine Patrol or the DMR representatives in your area.

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For firsthand video and photo of the net, check out the original post on Walsh’s Instagram page @baldsohardfishing.