This is ridiculous. Striped bass are a success story. There are plenty of them around as far as I can tell. But now the small, often hand-gear striped bass fishery, which accounts for a small minority of total mortality is now going to be stopped? How can that possibly make sense? And on top of getting rid of the commercial guys, they will be handing that same quota to the recreational sector. If striped bass are doing so badly that we need to stop the smaller sector in the fishery, we should stop everyone. Nobody should be keeping any stripers if things are so bad now. I just dont get it.
Want to help stripers, take care of the bycatch issues in the midwater fleet. Dont go and push the smalll commercial fleet out of existence. This is going to hurt a lot of guys in MA, especially on the Cape. I am sure the same is true in all the states with a commercial striper fishery.
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Top Stories
Bush moving to gamefish status for striped bass, red drum
BY SUSAN WEST | SENTINEL STAFF
Gamefish status could be coming for striped bass and red drum, according to Sean McKeon, president of the North Carolina Fisheries Association, a trade group for the state's commercial fishing industry.
"We received confirmation Friday morning that President Bush plans to either issue an executive order designating the two species gamefish or to direct fishery management councils to do so," said McKeon.
The legal designation would place the species off-limits to commercial fishermen, removing the fish from the marketplace.
"This action would be a total circumvention of the fisheries management process established by Congress," said McKeon.
He said that commercial fishermen have shouldered harvest restrictions for both species and have anticipated sharing in less stringent regulations as the stocks have grown healthier.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission officially declared striped bass recovered in 1995. Recreational fishermen harvested 81 percent of the 36.47 million pound Atlantic harvest in 2006.
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries lists the red drum stock as recovering. In 2006, North Carolina anglers harvested 216,115 pounds and commercial fishermen landed 168,489 pounds.
"There's no doubt that the President intends to take this action at the request of the CCA (Coastal Conservation Association)," said McKeon.
The CCA, an organization of sportfishermen and associated industries, began in Texas in 1977 with a campaign to make red drum, more commonly called redfish along the Gulf of Mexico, and speckled trout gamefish.
The group has secured gamefish designations in Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and other states.
Josh Bowlen, legislative director for Rep. Walter B. Jones, told the Sentinel Monday that Jones believes the President plans to send a strong statement in support of strict conservation actions to the regional management councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and state fishery agencies as early as next week.
"Congressman Jones has asked folks within the administration to keep in mind that more than one sector depends on access to these species and that livelihoods are at stake," said Bowlen.
Katie Hallaway, communications director for Senator Elizabeth Dole, said Dole has expressed concern to the White House about the negative impact to North Carolina's commercial fishermen and small businesses.
"We must work to ensure that fish populations, like red drum and striped bass, remain strong. However, our commercial fishermen should not solely bear the responsibility of maintaining healthy fish stocks in the Atlantic," said Senator Richard Burr.
Outer Banks commercial fishermen said gamefish designations don't impact just commercial fishermen.
"Gamefish status will deny access to this public trust resource to people who want to eat striped bass or red drum but don't have either the time or the money or the desire to go recreational fishing," said Rob West of Buxton.
ridgeroad@earthlink.net 
President Bush signing an executive order to stop all commercial fishing for striped bass. 
way to go liberals and conservatives
