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03-19-2009, 12:29 AM
STATE IMPOSES STRIPED BASS GEAR RESTRICTIONS
MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries took action Monday to protect the striped bass brood stock in the central and southern waters of the state.
Division of Marine Fisheries Director Louis Daniel issued a proclamation that implemented a 6.5-inch gill net maximum mesh size limit in these waters to allow large, migrating females – some reported to be as large as 40 pounds – to escape capture and continue to upriver spawning grounds.
While striped bass stocks are considered recovered in the Atlantic Ocean and in the Albemarle Sound and its tributaries, striped bass stocks are still depleted in central and southern waters of the state that run from Roanoke Marshes to the South Carolina state line.
“We have a joint fishery management plan with the Wildlife Resources Commission where we’re trying to rebuild a depleted stock,” Daniel said. “These large female fish are considered to be the most productive spawners. It is a good sign that they are migrating up the rivers, but we need to let them spawn.”
Researchers estimate that a 16-year-old female striped bass (about 42 pounds) has the potential to produce 28 times the number of eggs that a 3-year-old female striped bass (about 4 pounds) can produce.
Daniel had issued a proclamation to increase from five to seven the numbers of striped bass commercial fishermen were allowed to retain in the central and southern waters of the state, with no mesh limit. The intent was to provide fishermen the opportunity to retain incidental catches of striped bass when fishing for shad and flounder. Instead, a few fishermen began targeting the larger brood stock striped bass with 8-inch mesh gillnets, typically used for ocean fishing.
“Fishing on these large, adult fish is contrary to the intent of the state’s fishery management plan,” Daniel said.
The N.C. Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan can be found on the DMF Web site at http://www.ncfisheries.net/download/StrBassFMP2004.pdf.
At this point the proclamation does not impact recreational fishing. However, Daniel also advises recreational fishermen to not target or retain these larger fish. He said DMF is monitoring recreational harvests and further protective measures will be adopted, if necessary.
MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries took action Monday to protect the striped bass brood stock in the central and southern waters of the state.
Division of Marine Fisheries Director Louis Daniel issued a proclamation that implemented a 6.5-inch gill net maximum mesh size limit in these waters to allow large, migrating females – some reported to be as large as 40 pounds – to escape capture and continue to upriver spawning grounds.
While striped bass stocks are considered recovered in the Atlantic Ocean and in the Albemarle Sound and its tributaries, striped bass stocks are still depleted in central and southern waters of the state that run from Roanoke Marshes to the South Carolina state line.
“We have a joint fishery management plan with the Wildlife Resources Commission where we’re trying to rebuild a depleted stock,” Daniel said. “These large female fish are considered to be the most productive spawners. It is a good sign that they are migrating up the rivers, but we need to let them spawn.”
Researchers estimate that a 16-year-old female striped bass (about 42 pounds) has the potential to produce 28 times the number of eggs that a 3-year-old female striped bass (about 4 pounds) can produce.
Daniel had issued a proclamation to increase from five to seven the numbers of striped bass commercial fishermen were allowed to retain in the central and southern waters of the state, with no mesh limit. The intent was to provide fishermen the opportunity to retain incidental catches of striped bass when fishing for shad and flounder. Instead, a few fishermen began targeting the larger brood stock striped bass with 8-inch mesh gillnets, typically used for ocean fishing.
“Fishing on these large, adult fish is contrary to the intent of the state’s fishery management plan,” Daniel said.
The N.C. Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan can be found on the DMF Web site at http://www.ncfisheries.net/download/StrBassFMP2004.pdf.
At this point the proclamation does not impact recreational fishing. However, Daniel also advises recreational fishermen to not target or retain these larger fish. He said DMF is monitoring recreational harvests and further protective measures will be adopted, if necessary.