Striped Bass: Lessons from the Last Stock Collapse Could Help Prevent the Next One

“When the Chesapeake Bay striped bass stock collapsed in the late 1970s, people tried to figure out why. Recreational fishermen were quick to point fingers at the commercial sector, which was not yet burdened by significant regulation. There were no gear restrictions and no annual quotas, and the fishery accounted for a larger share of the catch than it does today. The line between commercial and recreational fishermen was badly blurred, as few if any states required commercial licenses, and successful anglers regularly sold fish that they couldn’t use.”