NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - Fisheries officials in Virginia have ruled that fishermen can keep just one striped bass instead of two per day for the upcoming season.
The Virginian-Pilot reports the Virginia Marine Resources Commission said in a statement that the move is meant to protect the species by keeping large breeding fish in the water. In 30-day emergency regulations passed unanimously on Tuesday, the commission said the changes are effective immediately. The public can comment in September ahead of opening day on Oct. 4.
Mike Standing has run the Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout for more than a decade and says the decision “kills it all.”
The one daily fish allowed will be restricted to 20 to 36 inches. The old rules allowed one of the two fish to be longer than 28 inches.
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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com
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