Ocean Explorer 2025 Stripers Have Arrived

[Broad Bill]

I don't truly understand how they assess the biomass of any fishery. It's in my opinion just like MRIP, one set of assumptions applied to another set of assumptions and more assumptions which could all be substantially inaccurate and are truthfully unquantifiable.

If fisheries management stopped trying to quantify things that can't possibly be quantified and focused on four things every fishery would be better managed. Protect the breeding stock of every fishery. Don't allow year round harvest, every fishery needs a safe harbor for some time frame throughout the year, they can't be pounded commercially year round. Protect the spawn, close the fishery to all fishing and fourth stop the insane commercial waste involved with dragging. Does anyone think North Carolina and Virginia steam all the way up here in the winter with 30,000 lb quotas and retain 14" to 17" fish while killing millions of juveniles. It's why we NEVER see all those almost keeper fish from the prior season develop into a healthier proportion of keepers the following season and this year will be no different. Deep water dragging in winter months kills tens of millions of fish representing the future of the fishery so commercials can cull and retain the size fish bringing the highest market value back at the docks. Set catch quotas in three year increments at a level until a balance in the fishery of healthy age classes across the board has been attained. Not protecting one or two age classes in any fishery will impact the entire fishery which is the singular problem impacting the striper and fluke Fisheries. A fishery with regulations that promotes the killing of juvenile and younger age classes while incentivizing the harvest of the breeding stock will NEVER be successful or sustainable.