The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Striped Bass Management Board voted today to maintain “Status Quo” instead of reducing the striped bass catch by 12% in 2026.
However, the Commission agreed to establish a work group to guide the future of striped bass management beyond 2029, with a focus on the successive years of poor spawning in Chesapeake Bay.
Vote Passes to Form Working Group
The ASMFC Striped Bass Management Board voted to form a Working Group to develop a white paper identifying topics for future management consideration. The Working Group will include members from the Striped Bass Management Board, the Technical Committee, and the Plan Development Team. Areas of focus include recruitment in the Chesapeake Bay and other systems, biological reference points, hatchery programs, and factors influencing stock productivity. The group will coordinate with the Benchmark Stock Assessment Subcommittee (SAS) as part of this process.
Topics the Work Group Will Address
• Review biological reference points (BRPs) and consider recruitment-sensitive, model-based approaches.
• Formally review hatchery stocking as both a research and management tool, including cost analysis.
• Evaluate the potential for other river systems to contribute to the coastal stock.
• Explore drivers of recruitment success and failure in the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware, and Hudson Rivers, including changing climate, environmental conditions, and the impact of invasive species.
• Examine the reproductive contribution of large and small female striped bass and implications for size-based management.
• Discuss methods to address discard mortality in catch-and-release fishing.
What It Means for Anglers
For now, the vote means no immediate regulatory changes to striped bass size limits or seasons.
The Work Group’s findings will inform the next phase of the Fishery Management Plan and could lead to updates in future management actions. Updates are expected at upcoming ASMFC meetings throughout 2026.
For more info visit the ASMFC’s Atlantic Striped Bass Page.
This is just sad.