On May 6, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Striped Bass Management Board took steps toward shaping the future of striped bass management, with a focus on rebuilding the stock by 2029.

The Board reviewed the latest stock projections and discussed Draft Addendum III, a set of proposed management changes scheduled to take effect in 2026. Updated projections show that under current rules, there’s only a 49% chance of rebuilding the striped bass population by 2029. To bump that up to 60%, a 7% reduction in fishery removals would be needed in 2026. But, the Board noted that small reductions (less than 10%) would be tough to measure or enforce due to the uncertainty in harvest estimates.

Draft Addendum III includes potential changes to:

The Board voted to move forward with a trimmed list of recreational and commercial options and asked for additional data to be included, such as scenarios assuming continued low recruitment of young stripers. A revised version of Draft Addendum III will be considered for public comment in August 2025.

These discussions are part of a larger effort that includes a full benchmark stock assessment, scheduled for 2027. Stay tuned for updates on how you can get involved when public comment opens later this summer.