Thanks to a unique agreement between the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET) and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), funds raised by sales of the new striped bass license plate will be directed to fund projects and activities that support the conservation of saltwater fish with a focus on striped bass. Drivers can find the application form for the new Striped Bass Conservation Specialty License Plate here
According to the agreement, such projects could include:
- Studies of striped bass populations, stock structure, movements and local ecology
- Habitat improvements, including efforts to enhance river herring and eel passage
- Studies of angler habits to improve catch-and-release survival
- Educating anglers on the importance and means of improving the conservation of marine fisheries resources
“We were very specific in the agreement that money raised cannot be absorbed into an existing budget and under no circumstances will it pay the salaries of employees,” said Dan McKiernan, Deputy Director of DMF. “We plan to seek funding of projects that go beyond what we have been able to do with saltwater license money to study the striped bass stock, improve passageways for sea-run fish like river herring and eels, study angler practices to improve hook-and-release survival, and develop materials and programs to educate anglers about the importance of responsible catch-and-release practices.”
The agreement also establishes a grant review panel that will make recommendations to the MET Board. The panel will include representatives from DMF, an independent researcher, and a representative of the recreational striped bass fishing community, along with representatives from conservation organizations.
“Having a grant review panel is a big deal and it’s one of the reasons why DMF is fully onboard with creating the new striped bass plate,” said McKiernan. “It creates a level of integrity that buyers expect, and should reassure anyone who purchases the striped bass plate that their money will go toward striped bass conservation.”
Can you see if you can work the striped plate with RI state DEM and State Motor vehicle registry. Thank love the plate would like fish on left and right side so it would stand out more. RI has the blue wave and I think this would look great and help out you all and Ri DEM on the STRIPER conservation. Thank
We have the striped bass plate ,but we need 2000 people to sign up for it but remember can only be 5 digits just look up striped plate on dmv
Hi Kevin – Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately in Mass the special plate design regulations are very strict but I do agree with you – we are lucky our first three plates, whale, trout, and mill have lots of color and detail but since the production of these plates the rules have changed so there is much less detail allowed. Are you going to get a striper plate?? Thanks again, Kim
Are you kidding me? How about MA eliminating commercial fishing for stripers. Seems a better 1st step to conserving stripers than a few $$ from license plate sales.
Now your talking Tabanus. Thank you
agreed
ditto on the rhode island plate. id buy one if they offered it.
Do we know how close these are to production? Have ordered and waiting to replace my faded green plates
green plate were a single plate good enough reason to buy another car/truck
Green plate will no longer pass inspection. Driving around with rejection sticker waiting for new plates. It’s on a pretty new truck
i have signed up to receive a plate and was searching for the allocation of funds as to percentages and i am also curious how far away we are from receiving them must be close
I almost hate to ask, but does California have such a plate since Newsom, and Brown have done everything possible to ruin Striped Bass fishing in this socialized toilet of a state?
make them a game fish, regulate charter bag limits and ill buy plates for my entire family. i would be proud to have the plate but more needs to be done. the bullet points listed are already being addressed aren’t they?
If you want to raise a lot of money for this cause -auction off the first 100 plates. Maybe the first 250…
As of September 19, 2019 we are just shy of 500 applications for the Striper plate! We need 750 completed applications for the RMV to produce the plate. The Trust has kept in reserve plates 1-999 for the whale, trout and Mill Valley plates – for the Striped Bass plate we have reserved 1-100 and low numbers 101-851 will be allocated to the first 750 applicants. Auctioning low number MET plates is on the near horizon… Like MET on Facebook for notices! Thank you all for your support and comments although I prefer the positive ones as we are all in this world together 🙂 I’ll be walking around StriperFest with my brand new fishing shirt looking to talk to striper folk and to collect 250 applications!
Thanks for the update Kim! Looking forward to hitting that 750 and picking up my plate.
Awesome. See you there!
Hopefully we can get the last 250.
How much
Where can I get info on stiperfest? I also want a stiper plate for my new truck.
http://www.stripercup.com/striperfest/
Sportsman have always lead way in conservation. From land acquisition to species rehabilitation. We , the sportsman have lead this amazing transaction, for it is a chairist beauty for the Sportsman on the water, the Sportsman in the fields and the Sportsman woods.
Just sent in the application. Any idea how close you are to the 750? And thanks for doing this. Anything that will help the stripers is a good thing!
How does the new plate program mix with my regular registration process? In my case,I have just renewed my registration through the normal process
I sent in my application mid September however check has not been cashed, any idea how close you are to 750 applications yet?
I heard that they are under 10 applications or less to go to get this into production. This was a few weeks ago.
They met the quota.
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