Striped Bass Harvest

Striped bass—also known as rockfish or stripers—is the Chesapeake's signature fish, supporting one of the Bay's most popular commercial and recreational fisheries. After bouncing back from a severe decline in the 1970s and 1980s, the striped bass population is now at its highest level in decades. However, scientists are uncertain about the health of the species because of a high prevalence of disease and possible lack of prey.

Why did striped bass numbers decline in the 1970s and 1980s?

The striped bass fishery experienced record-high catches in the early 1970s; in 1973, the commercial fishery landed 14.7 million pounds. But following that year, reported commercial and recreational catches declined steeply. By 1983, the striped harvest had fallen to just 1.7 million pounds.

The reasons for the sharp decline in striped bass harvest during the 1970s and 1980s were complex. Scientists primarily attributed it to overfishing, which may have made striped bass more susceptible to pollution and other stresses, including:

• Water temperature fluctuations in spawning grounds.
• Low dissolved oxygen in deeper Bay waters, which eliminated much of the fish's summer habitat.
• Acidity and chemical contaminants in certain spawning areas.
• Poor water quality from runoff from the land and sewage treatment practices.

In response to this downturn, Congress passed the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act in 1984. Maryland and Delaware imposed fishing moratoria on striped bass from 1985 through 1989, and Virginia imposed a one-year moratorium in 1989.

The Chesapeake fishery reopened in 1990, after three-year average recruitment levels exceeded an established threshold value. Since that time, the striped bass population in the Bay has dramatically increased, likely because of responsible, adaptive management coast-wide and suitable environmental conditions. In 1995, the population had increased to the point where striped bass was considered restored, and catches have remained stable since.

What current pressures exist on the striped bass population?

Scientists are concerned about the high prevalence of a disease called mycobacteriosis among Bay striped bass. Since the late 1990s, researchers have documented an increased occurrence of external lesions associated with mycobacteriosis on striped bass. This persistent episode of lesions has led to questions about:

• The effects of the disease on the striped bass population.
• Environmental conditions surrounding the increased prevalence of disease.
• The diminished nutritional state of the fish for recreational anglers and commercial fishermen.
• The ecology of disease.

Most theories about the current health of Bay striped bass are associated with the fish's increased abundance since moratoria were lifted in 1990. In particular, researchers are concerned about whether there is enough prey to adequately support the large striped bass population. Prey availability is an important factor in striped bass abundance and growth. Some believe that conservative management of striped bass, in combination with harvest of principle prey species, such as Atlantic menhaden, may be leading to a lack of food and slower growth rates in striped bass.