ASMFC 2024 Spring Meeting Summary
A quick note before we get started with a summary. As we have done in the past, we provided live updates from the meeting through our Instagram stories (@stripersforever). If you are unable to attend a meeting it is a great way to stay up to date both during and after the meeting. Instagram is a great tool for connecting us with our supporters, we encourage everyone to give us a follow and to tune into our stories during future ASMFC meetings.
Last Wednesday, May 1, 2024, the Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board met during the ASMFC 2024 Spring Meeting. Below is a quick summary of the four major items that were addressed at the meeting. Following that you will find the ASMFC meeting summary, motions and all additional links.
Revised Addendum II State Implementation Plans
Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) all submitted revised implementation plans for Addendum II. Things were fairly straight forward for PA and PRFC, the same cannot be said for Maryland, what a surprise. If you remember, during the March meeting, Maryland dug deep to come up with every possible reason for why they could not comply on the commercial side. It was a weak argument and the rest of the board was not having it. Well, this time around, the board gave in and let Maryland off the hook despite saying essentially the same thing. Maryland will not make any adjustments to their 2024 commercial quota. Instead they will monitor 2024 commercial landings by using a complex system of check stations (33 in total) throughout the state. That will monitor, on a weekly basis, the total catch through December 1st of 2024. For the month of December, a projection of total catch will be made. Those numbers will then be combined to determine the total 2024 commercial harvest. If at that point, the total 2024 commercial harvest exceeds the Addendum II allowable quota, then the 2025 commercial quota will be adjusted accordingly.
But it doesn’t end there. Because all of that will be happening at the end of the 2024 calendar year, adjustments to the commercial quota for 2025 may not be possible or may stretch into 2026. The commercial season in Maryland begins much earlier than it does in the northern states. So, Maryland is already setting things up for no actual reduction or payback of commercial quota until 2025-26. Considering the circumstances, this seems somewhat unbelievable but the board did approve these revised implementation plans. Allowing Maryland to do this seemed in some ways a show of good faith by the rest of the board. The unfortunate truth is that we have a 2029 deadline for rebuilding and we need to reduce mortality now, not in 2025 or 2026.
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries – Recreational Release Mortality Study
Lots of interesting info coming out of the MA DMF Terminal Tackle Research Study. While the study is ongoing, preliminary data suggests that fishing methods and tackle types do have unique correlation to mortality. While the average mortality figure for released fish remained around 9%, individual tackle types showed a much different story. Single hook fly being the lowest overall chance of mortality at 3.3%. Lures with two trebles and dead bait produce the highest mortality, 8.1% and 6.8% respectively.
There was also some interesting info revealed in regards to circle vs J hooks. Perhaps the wide gap ‘octopus’ circle hooks are not doing as much good as we had hoped. The circle hooks in the original Caruso study had a much narrower 11mm gap. This study looked at the current popular model circle hooks which have a 19mm gap. Taking many variables into consideration, the mortality estimates showed that popular circle hook models did not reduce mortality. This information will certainly give the work group something to discuss.
The study had nearly 700 anglers sign up to participate and 882 trips and 3.580 fish in total were reported. The citizen science portion of the study will hopefully be extended into other states so water temps can be factored in and also so the study can have a broader collection of data.
If you would like to participate in the citizen science portion of the study please visit the MA DMF website to sign up: https://www.mass.gov/forms/become-a-dmf-citizen-scientist-for-striped-bass-conservation
Board Work Group To Discuss Release Mortality
The last portion of the meeting was spent forming a board work group to further discuss and integrate release mortality into the FMP (fisheries management plan). This group will focus on two areas to reduce recreational release mortality. Gear restrictions to increase the chance of survival after a striped bass is released and effort controls. The later would most likely be via seasonal closures, either no-target or no-harvest. All of this will be very important following the next stock assessment which is expected to be released in the fall of 2024. The board will need use these management tools to react and update the FMP with the goal of staying on track for a 2029 rebuild of the stock.
Striped Bass Advisory Panel & Vice-Chair
Peter Jenkins, owner of the Saltwater Edge in RI was approved to join the Atlantic Striped Bass Advisory Panel. Peter is not only a great person but also has been engaged in recreational angling for 50 years, has been a tackle shop owner for 30 years and more recently has been Chair of the American Saltwater Guides Association (ASGA) for the past 3 years. It’s fantastic news and we congratulate Peter on this appointment. Having a level headed and intelligent conservationist on the advisory panel means a lot for the future of striped bass.
Lastly, the board elected Chris Batsavage from North Carolina as Vice Chair of the Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board.
From the ASMFC:
ATLANTIC STRIPED BASS MANAGEMENT BOARD (MAY 1, 2024)
Meeting Summary:
The Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board met to consider revisions to Addendum II state implementation plans; receive an update on recreational release mortality study results; consider tasks for a Board Work Group on recreational release mortality; consider an Advisory Panel nomination; and elect a Vice Chair.
Three jurisdictions, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) submitted revised state implementation plans for Addendum II. States are required to implement Addendum II measures by May 1, 2024. In March 2024, the Board approved Addendum II state implementation plans with the following exceptions: 1) Pennsylvania’s proposed timeline for implementing its new spring slot and bag limit; 2) Maryland and PRFC’s proposed timeline for paying back any potential 2024 commercial quota overage. Pennsylvania’s revised implementation plan specifies that it has implemented its new spring slot and bag limit as of May 1, 2024. Maryland and PRFC’s revised implementation plans specify that they will monitor 2024 commercial landings and develop projections as needed to estimate whether landings will exceed the 2024 quota to inform 2025 commercial tag and permit distribution. The Board approved the revised implementation plans for all three jurisdictions.
The Board received an overview of a Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF) study to characterize striped bass recreational release mortality. The first phase of the study focused on the efficacy of circle hooks and comparing release mortality from J-hooks vs. circle hooks. The second phase of the study focused on comparison of release injury and mortality across various terminal tackle using citizen science data collected by striped bass anglers. Data collection for this phase will continue into 2024 with recruitment of citizen participants from other states. The third phase of the study will focus on a survey of striped bass anglers on terminal tackle use over the next few years. MA DMF noted that additional analysis of collected data and future publication will be pursued in the coming years. Visit https://madmf.shinyapps.io/striper/ for more information.
The Board discussed the establishment of a Board Work Group to discuss release mortality. The Board approved four tasks for the Work Group with an expected progress update from the Work Group at the 2024 Summer Meeting, and a report to the Board at the 2024 Annual Meeting. The first Work Group task is to review existing no-targeting closures (state and federal waters), including any information on impacts to striped bass catch, effort, enforceability, and how anglers may respond to no-targeting closures (i.e., shifting effort). The second task is to review the MA DMF release mortality study and other relevant reports to evaluate the efficacy of potential gear modifications. The third task is to identify stock assessment sensitivity runs to potentially inform Board discussion of release mortality as well as tradeoffs of reducing the release mortality rate vs. reducing the number of releases overall. The fourth task is to consider public scoping (e.g., survey) on potential measures to address release mortality.
The Board approved the nomination of Peter Jenkins, a recreational angler from Rhode Island, to the Atlantic Striped Bass Advisory Panel. Finally, the Board elected Chris Batsavage from North Carolina as Vice Chair.
For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at efranke@asmfc.org.
Motions:
Move to approve the revised Addendum II implementation plans for Pennsylvania, Potomac River Fisheries Commission, and Maryland. Motion made by Mr. Armstrong and seconded by Mr. Luisi. Motion passes by unanimous consent.
Move to approve the tasks for the Board Work Group on recreational release mortality as discussed today. Motion made by Mr. Hasbrouck and seconded by Mr. Luisi. Motion passes by unanimous consent.
Move to approve Peter Jenkins of Rhode Island to the Atlantic Striped Bass Advisory Panel. Motion made by Dr. McNamee and seconded by Dr. Davis. Motion passes by unanimous consent.
Move to elect Chris Batsavage as Vice-Chair of the Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board. Motion made by Mr. Gary and seconded by Mr. Geer. Motion passes by unanimous consent.
The 2024 ASMFC Spring Meeting summary can also be found at: http://asmfc.org/files/2024SpringMeeting/2024SpringMeetingSummary.pdf
For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at efranke@asmfc.org
ADDITIONAL LINKS
- ASMFC 2024 Spring Meeting – Atlantic Striped Bass Board: Presentations (PDF)
- ASMFC 2024 Spring Meeting – Atlantic Striped Bass Board: Meeting Recording Audio/Video (YouTube)
- ASMFC 2024 Spring Meeting Summary: 2024 Spring Meeting Summary (PDF)
ASMFC 2024 Spring Meeting (Wednesday May 1, 2024 1:15-2:45pm EST)
Tomorrow, Wednesday May 1, 2024 from 1:15pm to 2:45pm EST the ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board will meet to discuss a variety of items and possibly take action on several. Below is the meeting agenda.
Of particular interest, the revised implementation plans from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Potomac River Fisheries. During the boards last meeting in March, Mike Luisi of Maryland made every imaginable attempt to avoid compliance. In fact, the meeting ended with Mr. Luisi asking for information on how non-compliance would unfold. This certainly felt like a clear indication of Maryland’s intentions, the rest of the board was not in favor and requested revised implementation plans. The board will consider final approval of state implementation plans for Addendum II measures.
We also look forward to the presentation by Michael Armstrong (MA) on the Division of Marine Fisheries release mortality study. An update to the last , and now outdated release mortality study, has been long overdue. Considering how large of an impact the recreational sector has on the stock, a precise estimate of release mortality is very important to future management. Following the presentation the board will discuss and likely form a workgroup (smaller group of board members) to take closer and more prolonged look at release mortality. We hope that a conservation minded group of board members is formed to do so.
As always, we will be in attendance and will provide a meeting summary as quickly as possible. If you would like to attend please use the webinar link below.
To register for the live webinar please click here: ASMFC 2024 Spring Meeting – Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board
You can also attend via phone: Webinar ID: 385-329-571 Phone: 415.655.0060 Access Code: 439-781-011
ADDITIONAL LINKS
- ASMFC Spring Meeting: Main Meeting Materials (PDF)
- ASMFC Spring Meeting: Supplemental Meeting Materials (PDF)
ASMFC 2024 Winter Meeting Summary – Conservation (Mostly) Wins
A quick note before we get started with a summary. As we have done in the past, we provided live updates from the meeting through our Instagram account (@stripersforever) stories. If you are unable to attend a meeting it is a great way to stay up to date both during and after the meeting. Instagram is a great tool for connecting us with our supporters, we encourage everyone to give us a follow and to tune into our stories during future ASMFC meetings.
Last Wednesday, January 24, 2024, the Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board met during the ASMFC 2024 Winter Meeting. The final version of Addendum II to Amendment 7 was approved by the board. Conservation (mostly) won, more on the mostly part later. There was a lot on the table with implications to rebuilding of the stock and beyond. For the beyond, there were some options within Addendum II which had the potential to drastically change policy and the future management of Striped Bass. ‘Mode splits’, the elephant in the room, a proposed separation of private and for-hire anglers. Essentially this would have set different regulations for each party, where for-hire patrons would be allowed a wider slot and/or the right to keep more fish. The good news is that none of the options containing mode splits passed, the greater majority of the board realized that it was not the right thing to do and certainly not the right time to make such a drastic policy change. This was a big win for conservation. As Dennis Abbott of New Hampshire stated, “I’m opposed to this motion, I’m opposed to it for a number of reasons. And one of them is that I see a basic unfairness. There are millions of people who fish for Striped Bass and there are a small minority in the for-hire sector. I don’t see how we should advantage one group over the other.” Mr. Abbott went on to give what he termed a ‘sermon’, an inspiring reflection on 28 years of sitting on the Striped Bass board. His words were powerful as he urged the board to “do the right thing for the resource”. It set the stage for the remainder of the meeting, we commend and thank him for such an impactful ‘sermon’.
As you can see for yourself in the Supplemental Materials supplied before the meeting, public comment overwhelmingly supported the most conservation minded options available. It was no surprise that the usual suspects (mainly MD & NJ) would diverge and push for the complete opposite, the shortsightedness of some is astounding. Thankfully their selfish attempts to lead the board down a dark path fell on deaf ears as motion after motion failed and conservation (mostly) won. As you can see below, almost every option we supported passed and for 2024 Addendum II will essentially extend the emergency action ocean recreational fishery regulation of 1-fish at 28-31″ for all modes. So what does conservation (mostly) won refer to? After pleading with the board and multiple attempts at other options to “save the commercial fishery”, the board elected to pass a 7% quota reduction from the ocean and Chesapeake Bay commercial fisheries. In the face of 5 years of poor recruitment in the Chesapeake and now a failed 2023 spawn in the Hudson River, we really hoped the board would elect to maximize the commercial quota reduction at 14.5%. This was not a win for conservation but it was also not a total loss, as the saying goes, the devil is in the detail. Having failed to secure a less conservation minded Chesapeake Bay recreational option, the devilish powers at be shifted focus to delaying the compliance schedule for a variety of reasons that other board members saw through like the clear waters of a flat at high sun. An attempt to delay commercial compliance until 2025 failed and in its place a motion passed in which states must implement regulations (both recreational and commercial) by May 1, 2024. Another big win for conservation.
Below is a breakdown of each final motion as passed by the board. The bullet points that follow summarize our reactions along with some points derived from questions we have been asked following the meeting. Also below, links to; ASMFC press release, presentation slides, meeting recording and the 2024 Winter Meeting Summary.
3.1.1 Ocean Recreational Options – Move to approve in Section 3.1.1. Ocean Recreational Fishery Option B: 1-fish at 28-31″ with 2022 seasons for all modes. Motion passes 14-2-0-0.
- After much discussion and a failed attempt at Option C (mode splits), the board voted to pass Option B, our preferred option. This option secures the greatest overall reduction, protection for the 2015-year class as they mature and does so in a fair and equitable way across all sectors. A great win for conservation in 2024.
3.1.2 Chesapeake Bay Recreational Options – Move to approve in Section 3.1.2. Chesapeake Bay Recreational Fishery Option B2: 19-24″ slot, 1-fish for all modes, 2022 seasons. Motion passes 14-2-0-0.
- Maryland tried relentlessly to convince the board to go against the will of the people. After three failed attempts, we can thankfully say, they were smarter than that. Again we avoided an option with mode splits. And while the slot gained an inch over the prefered Option B1 (19-23″), we have to consider this a win as things could have gone much worse. In typical fashion, only MD and NJ were in opposition to the final motion. Option B2 creates more uniform regulations across the bay and similarly to Option B1 is estimated to meet the 14.5% overall reduction. Given the circumstances we will put this in the win column.
3.1.3 For-Hire Management Clarification
- Because no options containing mode splits were selected by the board this section did not require any action.
3.1.4 Recreational Filleting Allowance Requirements – Move to approve in Section 3.1.4 Recreational Filleting Allowance Requirements Option B: For states that authorize at-sea/shore-side filleting of striped bass, establish minimum requirements, including requirements for racks to be retained and possession to be limited to no more than two fillets per legal fish. Motion passes 15-0-0-2.
- This was a fairly easy topic of discussion and with only a slight adjustment the board passed Option B. This is very simple, in the event that a conservation officer boards a vessel or checks on a shore angler, it would be possible for that officer to know whether or not the fish was legally harvested. We are adding to the toolkit law enforcement has to ensure compliance by the anglers, again we were happy to see this pass.
3.2.1 Commercial Quota Options – Move to approve in Section 3.2.1 Commercial Quota Reduction Option B: 7% reduction from Ocean and Chesapeake Bay 2022 quotas with 2022 size limits.
- This was the one section where we had hoped to see a larger reduction of 14.5%. But there are a couple of important points to consider here. Some of the following points answer questions we heard following the meeting on January 24th.
- There were only two options for the board to choose from; Option A- Status Quo and Option B- A reduction from zero to 14.5%. After the motion for status quo failed the board had to decide on the actual percent reduction.
- We hoped they would max it out but that was not in the cards. Keep in mind, this is a reduction in quota, not harvest. The reality is that some states would not have seen any reduction at all, whether it was 7% or 14.5%. This is, in our opinion, a failure of the Addendum but a reality of the language within it.
- NJ will need to factor this reduction in when converting their commercial quota to the recreational bonus tag program.
- Thankfully, due to the agreed upon compliance schedule (below) we will actually see this reduction take effect in 2024. Prior to this meeting that was very much up in the air.
- It is likely that Addendum II measures will only be in effect for the 2024 season. As noted below in section 3.3, the board will be able to quickly react to the next stock assessment in the fall of 2024. Given the failed recruitment (spawning) in both the Chesapeake Bay and Hudson River, we are preparing for some bad news in that next assessment. If that is how things turn out, the board will likely take much stronger action to ensure we stay on track to recover the stock by 2029. That means we will be back at the drawing board to implement new measures for the 2025 fishing season.
3.3 Stock Assessment Response Options – Move to approve in Section 3.3 Response to Stock Assessments Option B: Board could respond via Board action to change management measures by voting to pass a motion at a Board meeting. Motion made by Dr. Davis, second by Mr. Borden. Passes 11-5-0-0.
- As we mentioned above, there is a really good chance that Addendum II will only be in effect for a one year period. The next stock assessment results are expected in the fall of 2024. Given the 5 years of very poor recruitment in the Chesapeake Bay and a failed spawn in the Hudson River in 2023, there is a good chance that stronger management changes will be needed to ensure a greater than 50% chance of rebuilding by 2029. If the board is required to do so via another Addendum, that process could take close to a year to finalize. The Striped Bass stock does not have that kind of time right now. Option B would allow the board to react by voting by a simple majority. While we prefer to have a public comment period, it just becomes a cumbersome and time consuming process which puts us farther behind in terms of rebuilding. This is unfortunate, the writing has been on the wall for years and as you are probably already aware, Stripers Forever has been calling for the most conservative measures since the beginning of the Amendment 7 process. If the results of the next stock assessment are as bad as we anticipate, the conversation about a equitable harvest moratorium will most certainly be back on the table.
Compliance Schedule – Move to approve the following compliance schedule: States must submit implementation plans by March 1, 2024. The Board will review and consider approving implementation plans in March 2024. States must implement regulations by May 1, 2024. Motion by Dr. Armstrong, second by Mr Borden. Motion passes 10-4-0-2.
- There was a lot of uncertainty around the implementation schedule. We heard in previous meetings that some states would not be able to implement commercial regulations for the 2024 season. The reasoning was suspicious and centered largely around the inability to generate the physical tags that were needed. Having already passed only a 7% commercial reduction, delaying until 2025 would have effectively cut that in half yet again. Thankfully the majority of the board saw through this and after a failed motion to delay until 2025, a motion passed in which all states would be required to implement regulations no later than May 1, 2024. This was a really big win!
From the ASMFC:
ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Addendum II – Establishes Measures to Continue Progress Towards Stock Rebuilding
Arlington, VA – The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved Addendum II to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Striped Bass. The Addendum modifies recreational and commercial measures to reduce fishing mortality in 2024, establishes an expedited response process to upcoming stock assessments, and addresses requirements for recreational filleting. Addendum II builds upon the 2023 emergency action by changing the measures in the FMP to reduce fishing mortality and support stock rebuilding. Addendum II measures will replace the emergency action measures upon its implementation by the states by May 1, 2024.
“First and foremost, thank you to the 2,000 members of the public who submitted public comments. The Board had difficult issues to discuss, and public comments were a crucial part of the deliberations,” said Board Chair Megan Ware from Maine. “The Board remains focused on rebuilding the stock by 2029. The upcoming 2024 stock assessment will be an important checkpoint on progress toward rebuilding.”
For the ocean recreational fishery, the Addendum implements a 28” to 31” slot limit, 1-fish bag limit, and maintains 2022 season dates for all fishery participants; this maintains the same ocean recreational measures adopted under the recent emergency action. For the Chesapeake Bay recreational fishery, the Addendum implements a 19” to 24” slot limit, 1-fish bag limit, and maintains 2022 season dates for all fishery participants. For the commercial fishery, the Addendum reduces commercial quotas by 7% in both the ocean and Chesapeake Bay.
To address concerns about recreational filleting allowances and compliance with recreational size limits, the Addendum establishes two requirements for states that authorize at-sea/shore-side filleting of striped bass: racks must be retained and possession limited to no more than two fillets per legal fish.
To enable an expedited management response to upcoming stock assessments prior to the 2029 rebuilding deadline, the Addendum establishes a mechanism allowing the Board to respond to a stock assessment via Board action if the stock is not projected to rebuild by 2029.
States must submit implementation plans by March 1, 2024 for Board review and approval, which will take place at a special Board meeting to be scheduled for later in March. All Addendum II measures must be implemented by May 1, 2024.
The press release can also be found at: https://asmfc.org/files/2024WinterMeeting/2024WinterMeetingSummary_revised.pdf
For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at efranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.
ADDITIONAL LINKS
- Atlantic Striped Bass Board 2024 Winter Meeting: Presentations (PDF)
- Atlantic Striped Bass Board 2024 Winter Meeting: Meeting Recording Audio/Video (YouTube)
- ASMFC 2024 Winter Meeting Summary: 2024 Winter Meeting Summary (PDF)
ASMFC 2024 Winter Meeting (1/24/24) & Hudson River 2023 YOY Report
ASMFC 2024 Winter Meeting of the Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board
To register for the live webinar please go here: ASMFC 2024 Winter Meeting- Striped Bass Management Board (GoToMeeting Webinar ID: 795-025-635)
ADDITIONAL LINKS
- Atlantic Striped Bass Board- Draft Agenda/ Meeting Overview/ Main Meeting Materials
- Atlantic Striped Bass Board- Supplemental Materials
Hudson River, NY 2023 YOY (young-of-year) Survey Results
The NYDEC Hudson River 2023 young-of-year survey results are in and we are sad to report another failed spawn. See the above graph and notice the big drop from 2022 to 2023. Many factors can affect spawning success, environmental conditions being one of them. Perhaps the warmer than usual winter with low snowpack is part of the problem. Maybe fishing shouldn’t be allowed when and where the fish are spawning, we have supported the introduction of seasonal closures since the beginning of the Amendment 7 process. Either way, this 2023 result only rubs salt in the wound, the Striped Bass stock is in big trouble.
