The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be cracking down on illegal striped bass fishing in federal waters this fall. NOAA made the following announcement this week on their website:
In an effort to ensure the healthy population of the striped bass in the Mid-Atlantic region, NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) is raising awareness of the federal regulations governing striped bass in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and increasing targeted enforcement efforts to protect the species from illegal poaching activities.
“Right now, the striped bass are beginning to migrate south from the northern states,” said Lt. Wynn Carney, OLE supervisory enforcement officer. “The striped bass will follow the bait south near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, and in spring they will begin making their way up our streams and rivers to lay eggs.”
According to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, overfishing and poor environmental conditions lead to the collapse of the Atlantic striped bass fishery in the 1980s.
In order to ensure the sustainability of the species, the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act, found in Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations part 697.7, was promulgated. Thus, during the months of November through February, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement is joining state and federal marine law enforcement organizations in supporting a focused enforcement effort, targeting vessels retaining and fishing for striped bass in the EEZ. Marine law enforcement officers, including OLE and the U.S. Coast Guard, in the Mid-Atlantic will be ticketing fishermen who violate these regulations and who target striped bass within the EEZ.
“I am excited about the Mid-Atlantic States conducting a focused enforcement effort,” said Carney. “It’s significant that we’re working together toward a common goal.”
For maximum enforcement, officers will be conducting at-sea, aerial, and dock-side inspections.
For more information, call your local OLE field office or visit http://www.asmfc.org/species/atlantic-striped-bass.
Ok somebody please tell me what is the difference if you catch a striper inside the 3 mile limit or outside. You still have the same restrictions on size. And there are very few areas outside the 3 mile limit where stripers would be. They just don’t go, under normal circumstances, that far offshore. This is picking at nits and a waste of time. I am sorry, there are much more things to worry about than if a boat is inside or outside the 3 mile limit. This is just another excuse to hassle recreational fisherman. I say expand State waters by a mile, case closed, problem solved.
some years stripers go from the tip of Montauk and cut straight down to Del.Thats way outside the 3mile range for most of their trip,the especially Jersey shore. Weather and winds push bait and rainfish either way accordingly.
If there are few/no fish outside the 3-mile line, why did they arrest 70+ people a couple months ago off the coast of RI? The fish will go where the structure and bait are. Neither stripers or the bait know where the 3-mile line is located. Consider this… If you are sitting on a typical recreational fishing boat, the point on the horizon that you can see is about 3-4 miles away. These fish swim from Canada to the Carolinas every year. You don’t think they would swim 3 miles for dinner?
Ken, I’m not sure where you are getting your information.
Anyone that fishes offshore for other species would dispute this, as there are many, many areas where large schools of stripers travel beyond three miles offshore.
Apparently, Mr. Sass you don’t spend much time studying your fish, where they run. how far they travel when they are in a full blown blitz,(3 miles in 10 minutes when they have gorged on whatever bait fish is in the area), they also travel with bluefish, the latter on the surface and the Stripers hanging out underneath to pick up the scraps left behind as the Striper does not like to work or exert a lot of energy to eat. I have been pursuing Stripers since 1960, 6yrs old caught my first 30+ lber and 7 years old when I caught my first 55 lber off the back shore of Provincetown, MA. Mr. Sass it does make a difference! I am a staunch believer in preserving the fish so my grandsons and great-grandsons can enjoy what I have enjoyed all my life. Do you remember the collapse of the 80’s? I do and do not want to go through that again.
The big problem here is, MONEY!!!! They always money hungry!!!
The difference is you are not allowed to keep any size striper in the EEZ. There are plenty of stripers out in the EEZ. We often catch them 25 miles out while tuna fishing.
It seems to me the polieing of this region at high levels should have been done years ago to protect the stripers there. There have been so many reports of poachers coming from the region and mamy more not being caught so this is great news. I hope the police and Coast guard catch the poachers and keep their boats hand out fines and take their equipment. If nessasary for repeaters take their homes. Poachers must be stopped to allow the striped bass to grow.
Amen Bill! Unfortunately the US Government is a little slow to react to what the law abiding fishermen have been saying for years.
KenSass Ken you need to do a Little Checking cause you are WRONG! Stripedbass migrate off shore a lot . right now here in NJ they are 3-9 miles out ,in Federal waters which are closed.
large fleets of charter and private boats go out there everyday, some get caught, most do not
AMEN Bill…. I saw two jerks cleaning five striped bass at the Breachway in Charlestown, RI about a week ago. They were across the Breakaway from me and I couldn’t see the license plate on their brand new truck. They knew I was watching them, but couldn’t care less. I also saw a fisherman with a bucket full of stripers walking back from the Quonny Breachway at night a few weeks ago. I reported his sighting to the RI state authorities and got a polite response that they were looking into it. I only get to fish a few times a month. I can’t imagine how much poaching really takes place.
Dave
Sadly poaching happens all too often. I mostly fish the North Shore, and Cape Ann in Massachusetts.
I can’t tell you how many times I have called the Environmental Police on them. That’s about all you can do, other than confronting them yourself (not a good idea).
David, Mark is right as far as the poaching. Just call the local EPs, and if they say they are checking on it, ask for their badge # and informed them you are taking this further up the chain of command as soon as you hang up. I guarantee you here a pause and then they ask when where, how many people, what they are wearing, and if possible what type/vehicle they are operating.
There were tons of stripers this year well past the 3 mile line all around cape cod, they were chasing squid bars and baits that were intended for TUNA…I think there’s more out there than there is inshore
Fishing Sandy hook .love when a commercial fishermen catches 40 pounders.not intended. And throws them dead in the bay to prove a point. .love when my kids never get there sea bass money from Rutgers. Love have we want to kill the female flounder. …