Pallone Introduces Legislation Prohibiting the Commercial Harvesting of Atlantic Striped Bass

Washington, DC --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), the ranking Democrat of the House Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans, introduced legislation last week that would prohibit the commercial harvesting of Atlantic Striped Bass in the coastal waters and the exclusive economic zone of the United States in order to enable coastal populations to return to historical abundances.

"The Atlantic striped bass is a valuable resource along the Atlantic coast and is one of the most important fisheries for recreational anglers in New Jersey," Pallone said. "I have a long history of involvement in protecting, preserving and enhancing the striped bass fishery, and I know how critical it is to take action now so we can avoid the potential threat of a collapse in the future. It is in this spirit that I would like to designate the striped bass as a federal game fish."

Pallones legislation designates the striped bass as a federal game fish by prohibiting the commercial harvesting of striped bass and reserving the resource exclusively for recreational catches. New Jersey is one of six states along the Atlantic Coast that already classify striped bass as a game fish.

The New Jersey congressman pointed to successful state and federal cooperation and angler support over the last two decades for the recovery of the striped bass population after shortages in the 1970s. In the early 1980s, Atlantic striped bass stocks declined as much as 77 percent. To recover the fishery, Atlantic states implemented a moratorium on the commercial fishery and placed strict catch limits on the recreational fishery.

A study on the Economics of Recreational and Commercial Striped Bass Fishing released earlier this year concluded that if commercial fishing of striped bass was eliminated "future harvest levels would produce greater returns for coastal economies and the national economy," since "fish captured by the recreational sector are far more valuable on a per pound basis than when harvested commercially.

The report found that recreational fishermen harvest 22.9 million pounds of striped bass, 3.2 times higher than the 7 million harvested commercially, which produces a substantial difference in retail sales of $2,412,284,999 from recreational fishermen compared to only $43,115,704 from commercial fishermen. The report was prepared by Southwick Associates in Fernandina Beach, Florida for Stripers Forever, a national organization that supports the elimination of all commercial fishing of striped bass.