httpv://vimeo.com/32209893
The striped bass is one of the iconic american saltwater species . . . its current status is a world away from the early 1980’s when the fishery collapsed and various moratoriums were introduced. Efforts by fishermen and management programs to rebuild the stock proved successful. Whether the fishery is currently healthy is still debated, as there seem to be problems other than overfishing of the striped bass itself at work; with concerns about overfishing of prey fish and a disease called Mycobacteriosis.
In the UK we don’t have anything like the restrictions to protect ‘our’ bass as the Americans have to protect the Striped bass . . . but even so they are fighting to get the Striper elevated to gamefish status.
Many of the arguments they put forward regarding the economics of recreational ‘v’ commercial fishing are just as valid with regard to the european bass.
Stripers Forever . . . the case for Gamefish status.