Strict harvest regulations the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission put in place in the 1980s saved one of America’s most-popular gamefish. The striped bass was in major decline from overfishing along the entire Atlantic portion of their range; its popularity and demand in the early 1970s and 1980s led to their demise.
Recovery efforts continue to rebuild stocks making the Atlantic striped bass among the best success story in history. While many rivers along the Atlantic seaboard contributed to the success story, North Carolina’s Roanoke River system is the poster child.
For centuries, striped bass have always been welcomed at the dinner table and of course, tugging on the end of the line. Their anadromous life histories made it easy for commercial fishermen to capture tractor trailer loads during spring spawning runs, especially in North Carolina, with single nets filled with thousands of pounds of fish. But, the massive catches deteriorated stocks dramatically.
The striped bass decline precipitated government intervention, and for good reason. In 1984, the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act was passed, setting a new life path for the fish.
States in the striped bass’s natural range were mandated to conform to the management plan created by the ASMFC. This generated multi-year moratoriums, and when commercial and recreational harvests were allowed, restrictions were determined by individual states.
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