For the sixth straight 12 months, the Maryland DNR is reporting abysmally low striped bass recruitment within the Chesapeake Bay. Since 1957, the DNR has used seine nets to survey fish populations at numerous websites all through the bay, establishing a Younger-of-12 months (YOY) Index that has confirmed to be a dependable indicator of future striped bass abundance. In 2024 the Index was a paltry 2.0.
(Featured Picture: A juvenile striped bass caught and launched by a survey crew within the Nanticoke River. Picture by Joe Zimmermann, Maryland DNR.)
Over the earlier 5 years, the YOY Indices are as follows:
2019: 3.4
2020: 2.5
2021: 3.2
2022: 3.6
2023: 1.0 (The second lowest on report behind 2012)
These have all been properly beneath the very long time common YOY Index of 11.0. Which means few younger striped bass have entered the inhabitants over the past six years, and is rightfully inflicting alarm amongst striped bass fishermen and fisheries managers.
Profitable striped bass recruitment is basically depending on environmental situations in the course of the spring spawning season. Whereas fishery managers have little management over that, what’s of their management, and within the management of every striped bass fishermen, is how we preserve and shield the prevailing inhabitants of grownup striped bass throughout this time of poor pure replica. The very first thing each angler can do is give attention to correct catch-and-release practices to boost a striper’s odd of survival after being caught.
In Virginia, preliminary outcomes from the YOY survey performed by researchers at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and the Batten College of Coastal & Marine Sciences additionally recommend a poor 12 months class of striped bass was produced within the Chesapeake Bay’s Virginia tributaries this 12 months.
Learn extra beneath from the Maryland DNR report:
The Maryland Division of Pure Sources introduced outcomes of this 12 months’s juvenile striped bass survey, which tracks the reproductive success of Maryland’s state fish within the Chesapeake Bay. The 2024 young-of-year index is 2.0, properly beneath the long-term common of 11.0, and marks the sixth consecutive 12 months of poor replica.
“These outcomes underscore the complexity of managing a coastal migratory species whose life-cycle is influenced by environmental situations throughout a quick spawning interval,” stated Maryland DNR Fishing and Boating Providers Director Lynn Fegley. “We’ll proceed to discover methods to preserve and improve the spawning inhabitants throughout this time after we are including fewer younger fish to the inhabitants.”
Throughout this annual survey, fishery managers study 22 websites positioned in 4 main striped bass spawning areas: the Choptank, Nanticoke, and Potomac rivers, and the higher Chesapeake Bay. Biologists go to every website 3 times per summer time, gathering fish with two sweeps of a 100-foot seashore seine web. The index represents the common variety of young-of-year striped bass present in every pattern. The juvenile striped bass common lower than 3 inches lengthy and aren’t often encountered by anglers. Related fish surveys performed this summer time within the Patapsco, Magothy, Rhode, West, Miles, and Tred Avon rivers discovered fewer striped bass, often known as rockfish.
Efforts to rebuild the Atlantic Coast inhabitants of striped bass have been ongoing for a number of years. Though current inhabitants estimates point out enchancment, low ranges of replica will affect future conservation measures into account by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Fee.
In recent times, Maryland has carried out administration actions aimed toward rebuilding the spawning inventory, together with reductions to catch limits, elevated protections for spawning fish, tighter slot limits, and season closures. Nonetheless, heat situations in winter proceed to negatively impression the reproductive success of striped bass, whose larvae are very delicate to water situations and meals availability within the first a number of weeks after hatching. Different species with comparable spawning habits resembling white perch, yellow perch, and American shad additionally skilled below-average replica this 12 months.
The below-average 12 months courses will possible turn into extra obvious among the many grownup inhabitants of striped bass within the coming years, because the juveniles attain maturity. Whereas environmental situations hamper reproductive success, fisheries managers focus conservation efforts on grownup striped bass in order that the spawning inhabitants can produce a powerful 12 months class when environmental situations are favorable.
