Young Striped Bass Are Up.... But Pressures Remain

Surveys of striped bass populations in the Chesapeake Bay found unusually large numbers of young stripers, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

“The results are good news for the recreational and commercial anglers who pursue this popular game fish because this year class is expected to grow to fishable size in 3 to 4 years,” the Virginia researchers wrote.

A note of caution, however:  striper populations often go up and down, often rising with favorable weather conditions (cold winters and wet springs).  So don't read too much into what could be a temporary rise in young stripers, which might not survive in such large numbers.

Water pollution in the Chesapeake Bay continues to create low-oxygen "dead zones" that stress striped bass.  And the overfishing of smaller fish that striped bass eat (menhaden), continue to deprive stripers of food they need to remain healthy.  Without enough food, stripers have weakened immune systems, and are more vulnerable to an increasingly common wasting disease called mycobacteriosis, scientists theorize.

Both the issue of pollution (especially the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus) and overfishing of menhaden need to be addressed so that healthy populations of striped bass can be sustained over time, according to Chesapeake Bay Foundation fisheries director Bill Goldsborough.

Goldsborough said: "Menhaden are filter feeders that consume plankton, and in turn are food for striped bass and other important fish, as well as marine mammals and water birds like ospreys. They form a critical link in the marine food web of the Atlantic coast, including the Chesapeake Bay."

"Yet in 32 of the past 54 years, we have overfished menhaden, and its population now stands at its lowest point on record—a mere 8 percent of what it once was," Goldsborough said.

To learn more, click here.

By Tom Pelton

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

 

Comments

[Drew Koslow]

Anybody who cares about balance in the Chesapeake, about the importance of food chains and who may enjoy eating and/or catching Rockfish should send comments to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission supporting cuts in the Menhaden quota. These fish are prime forage for rockfish, bluefish and scores of ocean going fish. The sharp declines in their populations will have broad deleterious effects on fishes throughout the Atlantic.

[Rick Edmund]

Many recreational fishermen use soft crabs as bait for rock. A large rock can contain upto 100 small crabs undigested in its stomach. More rock mean less crabs. Anytime one species is out of balance the effect is felt up and down the food chain. I haven't found any legislator or DNR person who acknowledges that predatory rock affect the crab population. If someone can correct my understanding of this interaction, please enlighten me. I want to see all species at a healthy level.

[free classified listing]

Menhaden are narrow bird feeders that eat plankton, and in turn are food for fish and other important fish, as well as sea animals and water wildlife like ospreys.