Sale of Wild Striped Bass in NJ?

[Angler Paul]

NJOA meets with legislator sponsoring bill to allow sale of wild striped bass

March 2014

NJOA council members Sergio Radossi (Hudson River Fishermen's Assoc.) and Tom Fote (Jersey Coast Angler's Assoc.) met with Assemblywoman Caride to discuss opposition of the bill she sponsored that would allow the sale of wild striped bass caught outside of New Jersey.

NJOA is appreciative of the opportunity to voice our concerns with the bill's sponsor. A special thanks to Brad Burns, President, Stripers Forever, for his input.

• Striped bass are game fish in NJ because the state recognizes their superior socio-economic worth as one species to set aside for the benefit of the recreational fishing public. Commercial fishing seriously depletes fish stocks, and encouraging commerce in wild striped bass (even if they weren’t landed in NJ) undermines NJ’s values when it comes to striped bass.
• Allowing traffic in wild striped bass creates a cover for unscrupulous fishermen to sell fish on the black market to fish dealers or restaurants who will pay cash for the fish. This is seen in states that allow commercial striper fishing.
• The population of striped bass is in serious decline throughout its range. Severe cuts in commercial and recreational harvest are expected to be mandated by the ASMFC as soon as 2015. This is no time to aid in the expansion of commercial fishing for striped bass.
• Striped Bass are known to carry elevated levels of mercury and in many cases PCBs. The New Jersey Department of Health recommends very limited or no consumption of these fish for most of the population. This warning is similar to those in almost every coastal state in the striped bass range.
• Hybrid striped bass (a cross between a striped bass and a white bass) are currently sold in NJ and served in restaurants and markets. These fish are raised in land based ponds and carry no risk of toxicity.
• The volume of possible wild striped bass to be processed or sold in NJ is very minimal. Striped bass are the top predator among inshore species of fish and their numbers are very limited by nature. The economic opportunities versus risks are a poor trade-off.