ASMFC STRIPER ADVISORS STAND FIRM ON EEZ CLOSURE
By Al Ristori
(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association - June 1996 Newspaper)
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) made a presentation relative to opening the EEZ to striped bass exploitation during the May 17 meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Striped Bass Advisors in Washington, but Dick Schaefer of that agency found no support for that proposal. Schaefer did address some of the concerns expressed in the ASMFC resolution calling for continued closure of federal waters until striper stocks are fully restored and all loopholes are closed.
All state landing laws along the Atlantic coast were reviewed, and it was determined that only four states and Washington, DC were possible problems. Connecticut, D.C. and Florida have enough requirements to prevent illegal bass from getting through, but Georgia could be a problem in connection with the wintering stocks off Hatteras .... and I emphasized to Schaefer that Pennsylvania isn’t merely a potential problem but an ongoing one. Though it’s illegal to sell stripers caught in Pennsylvania, it’s no problem to bring them into the Philadelphia market without any paper trail even with the EEZ closed.
Opening the EEZ would complicate the situation, and I pointed out that N.J. netters were clamoring at the Long Branch public hearing for the right to catch stripers in the EEZ even though N.J. law doesn’t allow netted stripers to be landed and prohibits the sale of all stripers. As if to emphasize my point, an attorney for the Cape May draggers appeared to ask for reopening of the EEZ.... and he had no answer for my question as to why they wanted to catch fish which they can’t legally land.
Schaefer said it was a shame that draggers were discarding striped bass by-catch instead of charging it to each state’s quota. However, I noted that with a 28 inch minimum there would probably be even more waste if draggers got quotas and started targeting migrating or wintering bass. I made a motion to continue the ASMFC position while requesting that the Commission look into by-catch problems should the EEZ be opened in the future. That motion was passed unanimously by advisors from Maine to North Carolina
The advisors also discussed the proposed VPA allocation system which will provide each state with a quota which they can divide up as they please. However, that won’t come into effect until stocks can be fished at the maximum .... and scientists agree with the advisors that it won’t come about until 1997. Release problems with bass hooked during hot weather in the Delaware river was discussed, but the advisors agreed it wasn’t a resource problem as the Delaware stock is healthy. the states should study this problem and educate fishermen as to the danger of release mortality in high temperatures.