Maine anglers are expressing concern about a proposal to expand the commercial catch of striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay region. At issue is a rule change proposed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which would allow states' unused commercial fishing quotas to be carried over from one year to the next.
Commercial striper fishing is prohibited in Maine, but it's a major attraction for coastal recreational anglers, who spend $25 million to $30 million in a typical summer on the sport and related activities, state officials told the Portland Press Herald.
Anglers say Maine's striper catch was off this year for the second year in a row, and they're concerned that expanding the fishery further south could put more pressure on the resource. "I'm worried," Casco Bay fishing guide Doug Jowett told the paper. "It's going to be declining steadily because nothing is being done to improve it."
Despite that, commission officials told the paper that the striper population is not considered to be in immediate trouble. The commission is scheduled to vote on the proposal Nov. 2. in Newport, Rhode Island.