Public Hearings on Striped Bass Management Scheduled

Background

Atlantic striped bass were declared overfished in 2019, and managers are required to rebuild the stock by 2029. A 2024 stock assessment showed some progress—overfishing has stopped—but the stock is still overfished, and projections put the chance of recovery by 2029 at less than 50%. The primary concern is that the large 2018 year-class is now being heavily targeted under the slot limit, and there aren’t strong year-classes behind it.

To improve the odds of rebuilding, the Atlantic Striped Bass Board has released Draft Addendum III, which proposes new measures for 2026 aimed at reducing striped bass harvest by about 12%. Options include a commercial quota cut, recreational season closures, and changes to size limits.

The draft also considers requiring commercial fish to be tagged at harvest or first landing (to reduce illegal harvest); creating a single coastwide definition of “total length” for size-limit enforcement; and adjusting Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay recreational season to improve compliance and reflect angler input.

The Board plans to take final action by October 2025, with most measures in place for the 2026 season.

Public Hearing Schedule

The Atlantic coastal states of Maine through Virginia have scheduled their public hearings to gather input on the draft addendum: