ASMFC Striped Bass Draft Addendum III - Plain English Summary

[pequa1]

This goes for most fish. Males run smaller and the saying “bow to the cow” applies

 

[Roccus7]

Well, as predicted, ASMFC in their usual kick the can down the road mentality, and their inability to make tough decisions, stuck with keeping the current striped bass regulations for 2026.

My boss used to have a saying about delaying action and I find it most appropriate here, If you do nothing this big problem will eventually become a small problem. And then I can't wait for the howling and gnashing of teeth when the people who were dead set against taking a proactive conservation steps, start blaming ASMFC for not doing anything.

 

[hartattack]

Some good news on the Bunker front….

The Atlantic Menhaden Management Board has voted to cut the coastwide menhaden catch limit by 20% for 2026, setting the new total allowable catch at 186,840 metric tons. The decision, made by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), is a compromise following a new stock assessment that suggested a far more drastic reduction was needed to protect the ecosystem.
Key details of the board's decision

Coastwide cut: The 20% reduction applies to the entire Atlantic coast.
Effective date and duration: The new limit will take effect in 2026. Catch limits will be reassessed for the 2027 and 2028 fishing seasons.
Chesapeake Bay cap: The current cap for the Chesapeake Bay remains at 51,000 metric tons. Environmental groups had pushed for a cut of up to 50% for the Bay, which is considered a vital nursery for menhaden.
Rationale for the catch reduction

The board's decision was prompted by a 2025 benchmark stock assessment that revealed troubling new data about the menhaden population.
Updated stock assessment: The assessment found that the menhaden biomass is 37% lower than previously estimated. This was largely due to revised data on natural mortality.

Ecological targets at risk: The board's ecological reference point (ERP) model, which manages menhaden based on its role in the food web, was updated to reflect the new data.

The assessment showed that the previous catch limit of 233,550 metric tons had a 100% probability of exceeding the new, more conservative fishing mortality target.

According to the ASMFC, even the 2026 limit of 186,840 metric tons has a 100% chance of exceeding the target.