Striped Bass Management
Bay managers are currently developing an ecosystem-based fishery management plan for striped bass.
The recent history of striped bass in the Bay—full population restoration after steep declines in the 1970s and 1980s—represents a management success story. However, the current status of Bay striped bass—high abundance but uncertain health—illustrates the need for fisheries managers to take an ecosystem-based approach for their future existence. Continuing research and restoration efforts remain critically important to the future of the species, as the Bay is the primary spawning and nursery area for 70 to 90 percent of the Atlantic striped bass stock.
Current Management of Striped Bass
A coast-wide fishery management plan (FMP), from Maine to North Carolina, is in effect for striped bass under the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). The primary objective of the Bay Program's 1989 striped bass FMP is to follow ASMFC annual guidelines and requirements, including:
- Controlling fishing mortality.
- Developing regulations to allocate and control safe harvest levels.
- Determining stock assessment and research needs.
- Examining the effects of environmental conditions, such as habitats and water quality, on striped bass stocks.
Combined commercial landings of striped bass from Maryland and Virginia, as well as reported coast-wide recreational catches, have remained stable since the mid-1990s.
Developing an Ecosystem-based Striped Bass Management Plan
Bay managers are currently developing an ecosystem-based FMP for striped bass. Rather than the current single-species approach, ecosystem-based FMPs take into account a fish species' whole ecosystem, such as interactions with other species and pollution and other stressors.
One benefit of creating an ecosystem-based striped bass FMP is to better understand—and then manage for—predator-prey interactions. Striped bass are recognized as one of the top predators in the Bay, impacting forage species like Atlantic menhaden, an ecologically and commercially important species. Ecosystem-based FMPs will make sure that these two interdependent species have compatible management objectives.
- Atlantic Striped Bass: ASFMC management plan for the coast-wide striped bass stock.
- Striped Bass Harvest Monitoring: Monthly and yearly summaries of commercial striped bass landings from Chesapeake and Atlantic coastal waters from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
- It Takes an Ecosystem to Sustain Fisheries: Feature story from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explaining the steps and challenges of creating ecosystem-based FMPs for Chesapeake fish stocks, including striped bass.