CHATHAM — Commercial striped bass fishermen will have to make do with a lot less this year as state fishing regulations for the summer season cut in half the number of days they can go fishing and the number of fish they can catch each day. State fishery officials at public hearings said the move was needed to try to extend the season, improve fish prices paid to fishermen, and try to spread the catches to more ports.
In 1995, the striped bass season lasted 57 days before the annual quota was caught and fishing stopped. For the past two summers, its closed after just 16 days. That's due in part to a large aggregation of striped bass that has been gathering close to shore off Chatham in July, making it easy to catch as much as 60 percent of the quota in a short span of time.
While fishermen understood the need, and showed up by the hundreds at public hearings, many were disappointed by last week's vote by the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission, saying it cut deep into the profitability of the dedicated commercial striped bass fishermen.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Cape Cod Online
