May 4, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Striped Bass Management Board exercised a seldom-used emergency action intended to reduce fishing mortality in the striped bass fishery with the goal of increasing the chances of rebuilding the population to the biomass target by 2029. The emergency action will implement a 31-inch maximum size limit across the entire recreational fishery (in the Chesapeake Bay and along the coast) with states tasked with implementing the change by July 2, 2023. The minimum size limit, bag limit, seasons and gear restrictions will remain unchanged. The Board also initiated Addendum II which will consider a more thorough management change using the formal public input process for implementation in 2024.
Read Full Press Release >May 4, 2023