Urgent Call to Action: Protect Striped Bass
Today, we’re calling on our TAK Waterman community to step up and take action for the long-term health of striped bass and the future of our fishery.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is considering critical management measures to address the challenges facing striped bass populations. As passionate anglers, your voice matters in ensuring that decisions made are fair, effective, and grounded in science.
Striped bass fishing is more than a pastime—it’s a shared legacy. Together, we can protect these incredible fish, so future generations can enjoy them as much as we do today.
We’re asking you to join us in signing ASGA’s public comment letter to support practical, science-based conservation measures for striped bass.
Deadline: Today Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 8 PM EST
Details and Letter: Sign ASGA’s Public Comment Letter
Why This Matters
The 2018-year class of striped bass is one of the last strong recruitment years, following several poor spawning seasons. Protecting these fish is vital to rebuilding the population and maintaining sustainable fishing opportunities.
Here’s what’s at stake:
- Future Generations: The 2018-year class will reach a vulnerable size in 2025, making it essential to prevent overfishing.
- Avoiding Past Mistakes: Overharvesting previous strong year classes has led to setbacks in population recovery.
- Sustaining the Fishery: With recent poor recruitment years, this year class is critical to maintaining healthy striped bass stocks.
What’s Being Decided
The ASMFC is evaluating several management options, including:
- Lowering the Slot Limit: Protecting the 2018-year class by reducing the slot size to limit harvest as these fish grow into maturity.
- No-Targeting Closures: Prohibiting targeting striped bass during specific periods to reduce mortality, though enforcement challenges make this option impractical.
- No-Harvest Closures: Temporarily pausing harvest while allowing catch-and-release fishing to reduce pressure on the population.
- Equity Across States: Ensuring fair reductions across all states, without disproportionately impacting those with shorter fishing seasons.
- Commercial Fishing Reductions: Implementing practical reductions in actual landed catches rather than focusing solely on quota sizes.
How You Can Help
Option 1: Submit your own comments to ASMFC. Whether you agree with our perspective or not, your voice shows the importance of striped bass conservation.
Option 2: Join TAK Waterman and our partners in signing the American Saltwater Guides Association (ASGA) public comment letter. This letter advocates for balanced and science-backed measures to protect the 2018-year class and ensure a sustainable future for striped bass.
Read and Sign ASGA’s Letter: https://bit.ly/3ZHRR8A
Together, we can make an impact. Let’s protect striped bass for generations to come.
Tight lines,
The TAK Waterman Team
