Silver Spring, MD - In a move that will surprise many, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced today, Friday, September 8, 2006 that it will continue the closure of striped bass fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).  The EEZ includes all of the coastal waters from three miles off shore out to the United States' territorial waters. 


"This news is a great relief to striped bass fishermen everywhere," said Jim Donofrio, Executive Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA). "It was a bad idea from the very beginning, but we have seen this kind of thing happen before.  An idea is floated and a few who might benefit from it in the short run get it rolling like a down hill freight train.  They do not care about the long term effect to the majority of others involved in the fishery.  It is just a bad idea."  


RFA and Maryland Saltwater Sportsmen’s Association (MSSA) were part of a massive letter writing campaign supporting the continued closure.  NMFS received nearly 8,000 comments from RFA members from Maine through North Carolina pointing out that lifting the harvest ban would, in the long-term, damage the stock.


"We first picked up on this issue at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) striped bass management board meeting," said Bill Windley, President of the MSSA. "We knew that it had some appeal to a few people, but we were stunned when NMFS joined the supporters."


A federal moratorium on harvesting Atlantic striped bass in the Mid-Atlantic EEZ was implemented in 1990, and it imposed possession and harvest prohibitions by both recreational and commercial fishermen.  This conservation measure contributed to the eventual recovery of the striped bass stock and continues to keep the fishing mortality rate below the applicable target.  


"The ongoing recovery of Atlantic striped bass is arguably the crowning achievement of US fisheries management, a success that was only possible due to recreational anglers swaying policy decisions against what NMFS and the ASMFC wanted, which was to open the EEZ," continues Jim Donofrio. "Recreational anglers and their efforts are truly responsible for this success."


Striped bass produces a tremendous economic impact for the recreational fishing industry. The successful rebuilding of the striped bass fishery is responsible for generating $2.41 billion in direct sales and supporting 68,301 jobs. The unique aspect of the striped bass fishery is that it is a stable, consistent fishery, which has given anglers the confidence to make substantial investments and upgrades in the fishery.  Such a tremendous economic boom could not have been achieved without this consistency.


"Striped bass are one of the most important inshore species for recreational anglers and the recreational fishing industry," continues Donofrio. "This is a prime example of how effective conservation and management can greatly benefit coastal economies."


The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) is a national 501(c)(4) non-profit grassroots political action organization whose mission is to safeguard the rights of salt water anglers, protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our nation’s marine fisheries.

