Sportfishing Industry Reiterates Striped Bass Rebuilding Policy Priorities
The Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) released its 2024 Stock Assessment Update for striped bass at its annual meeting last week in Annapolis, Maryland.
While overfishing is not currently occurring, the stock remains overfished relative to updated biological reference points. The 2023 spawning stock biomass (SSB) is estimated at 77% of the SSB rebuilding target and the fishery remains under a rebuilding plan with a 2029 deadline. Click below to read more from ASA’s Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Policy Director, Mike Waine.
For Those Who Love to Fish, Supporting Amendment 2 Is a No-Brainer
“Recreational fishing has been an intrinsic part of my family for over 50 years. In 1968, my father purchased a small company that manufactured bait tanks. In 2005, I was fortunate enough to take over for my father; still leading it today and proudly calling Clearwater home.
In my years of experience as an angler and president of Marine Metal Products, I have seen how important fishing is for families in Florida. More than 120,000 of us Floridians have been lucky enough to make a living working in the fishing industry. Over 4 million anglers cast a line in our state’s waters each year. In total, recreational fishing provides almost $14 billion annually to our state’s economy.”
Click below to read Clark Lea, Jr.’s recent op-ed in Floridapolitics.com.
Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Investment in Marine Infrastructure to Support Recovery Through the Florida Disaster Fund
Governor Ron DeSantis announced the award of $1,000,000 in funding from the Florida Disaster Fund to the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida to support the rebuilding of fishing and aquaculture infrastructure damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The funding will go toward the rebuilding of boat slips and docks, the repair of fish houses, impacted aquaculture businesses, and other important infrastructure repairs for Florida’s fishing economy across the Big Bend region.
ASA’s Southeast Fisheries Policy Director, Martha Guyas, was on hand in Steinhatchee, FL for the announcement. Click below to read the full release from the Governor’s office.
About
The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association committed to representing the interests of the sportfishing and boating industries as well as the entire sportfishing community. We give the industry and anglers a unified voice when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. ASA invests in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous, as well as safeguard and promote the enduring economic, conservation and social values of sportfishing in America. ASA also gives America’s 55 million anglers a voice in policy decisions that affect their ability to sustainably fish on our nation’s waterways through Keep America Fishing, our national angler advocacy campaign. America’s anglers generate nearly $50 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for 800,000 people.
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