EEZ Opening for Stripers Considered Again

[Hooper]

I think this is good. Personally, I want to be able to fish offshore rips away from the summer lunatics inshore and not have to worry about getting pinched.

[keeperreaper]

I would support them opening it up. The "old" numbers would be back in play legally. Hooper we have to talk kid.

[baldwin]

That place acts as a reservoir for the genes that grow huge bass. Many very large cows winter over in the EEZ off North Carolina and even Nantucket (believe it or not), out of range of draggers. With large fish being taken at huge rates inshore, we need those offshore cows to keep the genes for fast growth in the population. Otherwise, genes for early maturity at small sizes will become more prevalent in the population. This has been scientifically shown in cod and swordfish in the wild and silversides in the lab. The same genetic processes work for stripers. Would you rather catch some very large fish for a relatively short time, or keep them around to catch until we ourselves die off? I know what I'd choose.

[Bass Babe]

If the commercial landings quota isn't increased, I don't have an issue with expanding the area in which stripers can be caught. I can see Baldwin's point in not wanting to artificially select for small-sized fish, but the flipside in that argument is that allowing harvest of fish in all areas will promote genetic diversity, as long as all effort does not concentrate on the "larger offshore cows". I have a feeling that, as macojoe said, because of gas prices, some fishermen will continue to target the inshore fish. We will also be able to find out what the deal is with the fish offshore. People will find out where they are, and we may be able to get better figures on relative abundance, migration patterns, etc. This opening of the EEZ could actually be good for the striped ones.

[Hooper]

Originally Posted by baldwin

That place acts as a reservoir for the genes that grow huge bass. Many very large cows winter over in the EEZ off North Carolina and even Nantucket (believe it or not), out of range of draggers. With large fish being taken at huge rates inshore, we need those offshore cows to keep the genes for fast growth in the population. Otherwise, genes for early maturity at small sizes will become more prevalent in the population. This has been scientifically shown in cod and swordfish in the wild and silversides in the lab. The same genetic processes work for stripers. Would you rather catch some very large fish for a relatively short time, or keep them around to catch until we ourselves die off? I know what I'd choose.

Are you saying there are two distinct groups of stripers? Inshore vs. offshore? Could you clarify this a bit? Bass swim, inshore, offshore, upside down, without regards to a line on a chart. The same fish caught off Bearse's today could be at the BB Bouy the day after tomorrow, how am I effecting the stock if I catch them at the BB as opposed to off Monomoy Point?

[taJon]

Keep the limits the same and theres really no problem I would think....

Originally Posted by Hooper

Bass swim, inshore, offshore, upside down, without regards to a line on a chart. The same fish caught off Bearse's today could be at the BB Bouy the day after tomorrow, how am I effecting the stock if I catch them at the BB as opposed to off Monomoy Point?

I think I would have to agree.