Do Commercial Bass Regulations Make Sense

Do the commercial Striped Bass Regulations make sense?

A review of the current Massachusetts commercial Striped Bass fishing regulations. Let me start by saying that there are people far smarter, and far more educated on this subject than I am. I have held a commercial license for more than 10 years. I’m not against commercial fishing for Striped Bass. It’s just that I personally don’t think that the current regulations make sense.

Current Regulations for Massachusetts

The current recreational regulations, as of January 2022, for Striper fishing in Massachusetts, allow for a slot size of no smaller than 28” and no longer than 35” long and one fish per day. The commercial size limit has no slot limit but commercial fishermen can take nothing less than 35” in length. Supposedly, this makes cheating all that more difficult because if you’re fishing on a non-commercial day, you’re not allowed to keep a commercial-sized fish. That makes sense under the current rules and works as a good stop-gap measure. The quantity of fish that a commercial license holder is allowed depends on the type of license. 15 fish for a commercial boat license and 2 fish for a rod license.

The Spawning Age for Stripers

According to NOAA Fisheries, Striped Bass can live up to 30 years, grow up to 5 feet in length and weigh up to 77 pounds. Males are sexually mature between the ages of 2 and 4 years old. Females however start to reproduce when they are 4 to 8 years old. I guess some are shyer than others. The older the fish the more eggs it will lay in a given year.

Older fish produce more eggs

If older fish produce more eggs than their younger counterparts and it takes longer for the female of the species to mature into a reproductive state, then why take the larger fish for commercial purposes? Wouldn’t it make more sense to let the larger, more fertile fish stay in the waters and reproduce for future generations?

Fish Mortality Rates

Making the legal commercial size for striped bass 35″ makes it much more difficult to fill your quota on any given day. Think about your fishing trips. It’s pretty hard to hook a 35″ Striped Bass. Now, think about having to catch 15 of them. Fish under 35″ must be released. How many make it?

When we talk about fish mortality, it’s about how many fish don’t make it when they’re released back into the water. The numbers are staggering, according to research approximately 16-18% of all fish released don’t make it. By forcing a size limit of 35″ on commercial fishermen, are we throwing out the baby with the bathwater? A commercial fisherman has to catch 100 fish to get his daily 15-fish limit. Potentially 18  – 20 fish returned to the water won’t survive. In essence, we’ve lost more than twice the number of fish per commercial fisherman on any given day. 15 are taken to market and the 18 – 20 are lost to mortality.

Is that really big fish safe to eat?

Are we serving poison to the public? The FDA suggests that adults only consume one 4-ounce serving of Striped Bass per week because of Mercury. Other fish such as Cod, and Salmon are safe to eat up to 2-3 times per week.

According to Wikipedia, “Species of fish that are long-lived and high on the food chain … contain higher concentrations of mercury than others.” So, does it make any sense that we would be pushing larger, older fish onto the general public through the commercial fishing industry? The smaller the fish, the less contamination will be in the fish, thus the safer the fish is to consume.

My two cents for what it’s worth

Wouldn’t it maybe make more sense to change the commercial bass regulations to allow commercial fishermen to take Stripers in the same size range of 28” – 35” or perhaps just a little larger like 30” – 35” but release everything else?

Reduce the catch from 15 fish down to 10 fish to keep the prices higher. Then reduce the number of fishing days from 3 days a week, June to September, to only 2 days a week.

What Would Be the Benefits?

Less fish released back into the water equals less mortality. Secondly, it would leave the larger fish, those over 35” out there to thrive and reproduce for generations to come. In addition, the consumer would end up with possibly a healthier portion on their dinner plates. That would be because the smaller fish contain fewer contaminants.

I have seen the argument from recreational fishermen that “I’ve paid for my fishing license, why can’t I keep the slobs”? Come on dude, it’s $10! Have you seen the price of fish at the market? If you’re fortunate enough to be able to fish in the ocean then you’ll recoup your $10 fishing license 10-20-fold every season without even trying.

In addition to that argument, have you ever seen an old gray mare out in the pasture? Picture that image when you’re ready to fillet that 40-45” Striped Bass. Wouldn’t a younger, more tender fish be much more appetizing? Take your picture, share it with friends, and release the fish gently back into the water. You don’t need to kill it to enjoy it.

If you’re looking to see what Striper fishing is all about, book your next trip with us aboard St. Pete Sport Fishing.

Until next time,
Tight Lines and Smooth Seas