ASMFC Draft Addendum VI Approved For Public Comment

As hoped of the ASMFC meeting yesterday, public comment (Aug. 19 - Sept. 27) was approved for Draft Addendum VI (the addendum to Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass).  With any measure of success, new management regulations for 2020 may curtail the overfishing of the SSB, with the addendum's specific objective being a quantitative reduction of fishing mortality by at least 18%.  Fingers crossed for sensible change....

Striped Bass Action Alert

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) convenes this Thursday, August 8^th at 8:30AM in Alexandria, VA, to discuss the three options outlined in Draft Addendum VI that will establish year 2020 management policies regulating the pressured Striped Bass fishery.  The American Saltwater Guides Association (ASGA) has prepared an action alert webpage detailing the agenda items which will undoubtedly motion the commission’s contentious vote of action, and additionally, the ASGA VP/Policy Director, Tony Friedrich, even addressed a letter to the board commissioners and staff yesterday that implores from scientifically-founded rationale (and a recreational angling perspective) a critical urgency for conservation of the spawning stock biomass (SSB) and species at-large by ending overfishing within one year, and through application of established ASMFC guidelines, a rebuilding of the stock to the current SSB within ten years.  I recommend bookmarking and referring to the informative ASGA blog for all ASMFC policy-making updates and matters applicable to the Striped Bass fishery.

The Striped Bass spawning stock biomass is at a pivotal crossroads of perpetuating future sustainability for all millions of economic parties involved.  Let’s only hope that the gravity of our collective voices may help benefit the outcome of sensible ASMFC policy over the coming months so these famed-fish get the fighting chance they now pointedly need - and deserve - as a resource we all devotedly depend upon as fishermen. 

Click here to email your Striped Bass Board commissioner