That's according to annual surveys conducted in Maryland and Virginia. Both found above-average numbers of baby rockfish - also called striped bass - squirming in seine nets dragged by biologists at dozens of sites around the Chesapeake Bay.
That means that in three or four years, there should be plenty of large rockfish to catch.
"We've hit the bay trifecta. We had increased blue crab reproduction two years ago, then oysters last year and now striped bass," said Tom O'Connell, director of fisheries for the Maryland...
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KoolAid!!! - 2011-10-24 08:25:27
Mr.O'Connell is drinking the same Kool Aid the DNR has been handing out for years.There is a serious problem when they start to believe in the inevitability of their expertise to improve on Mother nature.Not once did anyone talk about the real trifecta of climate,temperature and salinity which actually gave the Bay the CHANCE for an uptick in the crab,oyster,fish numbers. Now for the reality check.Yes these indicators are encouraging.Any improvements in the health of the Bay need at least 5 years to be accepted as fact.There are the as yet to be seriously acted on problems of pollution,diseases,freshwater flooding,run off,anoxic events,high mortality rates for hatchery oyster seed,poaching by unsupervised rec. crabbers and sports fishing,unpredictable weather and short term climate change,that threaten everything.Talk to me in 5 years and we'll see if it is all as rosy as the state wants us to believe.Till then stay away from the Kool Aid.
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Marc Castelli - Chestertown, MD - Karma: Neutral
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Collapse - 2011-10-19 17:49:57
While I am pleased to see what appears to be an excellent YOY survey, let's hope it does not distract from the precarious state of the Rockfish population. I fish just about every "fishable" day and can say with a great deal of confidence that we are facing a complete collapse of the species. I am not a commercial fisherman, just a concerned recreational fisherman who practices catch and release, so I have no economic interest in the debate. IMHO the main problem is the lack of Menhaden due to overfishing by Omega Protein in VA. Menhaden make up the majority of the Stripers diet and without them they are literally wasting away. Anyone who shares my concern should join StripersForever.org to help make the Rockfish a gamefish and write their representative and express your concern about the overharvesting of Menhaden.
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Rick weaver - Davidsonville, md - Karma: Neutral
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nice - 2011-10-19 13:12:03
This must be a direct result of Councilman Grasso's water fountains. We should all buy one for our piers.
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Tyler Durden - Pasadena, MD - Karma: Neutral
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