The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is considering new restrictions on striped bass for 2026…
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is considering new restrictions on striped bass for 2026, proposing a 12% reduction for the recreational sector, which would require additional seasonal closures to achieve the reduction. The closures even consider “no targeting,” which prohibits anglers from fishing for striped bass, whether harvesting fish or practicing catch-and-release.
The American Sportfishing Association says that additional seasonal closures are not needed. Strict recreational fishery management using a narrow slot limit has effectively lowered fishing mortality to a 30-year low which is well below both the target and threshold needed for rebuilding.
The ASA argues, why push new restrictions? ASMFC is reacting to short-term swings in recreational catch estimates from MRIP, a survey NOAA Fisheries has already acknowledged overestimates fishing effort due to design flaws. In fact, the entire case for the proposed 12% reduction is based on a difference of 0.01 in fishing mortality–well within the margin of error and scientifically indistinguishable from the current management approach.
Instead of acknowledging this uncertainty, ASMFC is proposing a lose-lose choice: accept closures that ban fishing completely or unfairly burden anglers who prefer to legally harvest fish. These measures create unnecessary division in the angling community.
The recreational striped bass fishery drives billions of dollars in economic activity, supports tens of thousands of jobs, and sustains countless small businesses up and down the Atlantic coast. An additional 12% reduction would devastate the recreational fishing economy while doing very little to improve the health of the fishery.
The message is clear: New restrictions based on unreliable data, that are not scientifically distinguishable from status quo, threaten both angler access and the economy.
Tell ASMFC to reject new closures and maintain status quo management by going to www.asafishing.org, clicking on “Advocacy,” and then clicking on “Action Center.”
