The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is preparing to implement a commercial tagging program for all states with commercial striped bass fisheries and to increase penalties for poaching.I'm pretty sure that Maryland currently requires watermen to tag all striped bass before sale to dealers. Unfortunately, other states do not, and stripers poached in Maryland and left untagged are often sold to out of state fish dealers. Once beyond the state line, it's very difficult to say that a fish (or a few thousand) were poached in Maryland, or legally caught in some state without the tagging requirement.
The commission approved for public comment Draft Addendum II to Amendment Six to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for striped bass. The draft amendment, which is going out for public comment shortly and will likely not be implemented until 2014, follows the recommendations of the Interstate Watershed Task Force. The task force was seeking ways to curb commercial striped bass poaching.
Poaching of striped bass has long been a problem. A recent federal investigation of the problem in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River resulted in $1.6 million in fines from 19 individuals and three corporations and showed the poachers illegally took more than 1 million pounds of striped bass from Bay waters.
To make your thoughts known:
Public comment will be accepted until July 13. Comments should go to Kate Taylor, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703-842-0741 (fax) or ktaylor@asmfc.org. Put Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum III in the subject line.
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