Striper news

 News Release

Coastal Conservation Association New York

PO Box 1118, West Babylon, NY 11704
www.ccany.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 18, 2011               CONTACT: Charles Witek, 1-800-201-FISH

CCA NY THANKS GOVERNOR, LEGISLATORS FOR PROHIBITING COMMERCIAL STRIPED BASS FISHERY IN THE HUDSON RIVER

CREDITS LEGISLATION TO ANGLERS WHO CARE ABOUT NEW YORK’S BASS FISHERY

West Babylon, NY—Coastal Conservation Association New York is taking this opportunity to thank New York’s Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, along with the members of New York’s Senate and Assembly, for enacting legislation which will protect New York’s spawning population of striped bass.  The legislation, which Governor Cuomo signed today, prevents any reopening of a commercial striped bass fishery on the Hudson River until at least 2015.  CCA’s special thanks goes not only to Governor Cuomo, but also to the sponsors of the bill, Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti and Senator Mark Grisanti.

“The Hudson has been closed to commercial striper fishing since the 1970s,” notes Scott Emslie, CCA NY’s State Chair and a resident of the Hudson Valley.  When the Chesapeake Bay stock collapsed in the late ‘70s, from the Hudson that were largely responsible for keeping striped bass fishing alive in the State of New York.  Today, as the Chesapeake stock is again decreasing in numbers, we are pleased to see New York adopt this legislation, which will help keep Hudson striped bass available to the angling public.”

CCA NY has been active in the effort to assure that commercial striped bass fishing will not return to the Hudson River, and has supported similar bills since the year 2000.  However, it recognizes that a lot of people worked for this new law.  “We’re very pleased that this bill has been signed by Governor Cuomo,” said Brian O’Keefe, Chair of CCA NY’s Government Relations Committee, “We certainly worked for its passage, but have to give the New York Coalition for Recreational Fishing the lion’s share of the credit.  No one worked harder to get the bill passed, and they deserve the thanks of New York’s anglers.”

While the bill doesn’t permanently prohibit commercial striped bass fishing on the Hudson River, it effectively protects the status quo, and assures that no effort to create a commercial bass fishery on the river can begin until after the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has completed its next benchmark stock assessment. 

“Now, when people up and down the coast are complaining about a decline in the number of striped bass, New York has taken a strong stand against increased exploitation,” stated Bill Raab, President of CCA NY.  “New York has learned the lesson of the past, that the time to prevent a fisheries problem is before it occurs.  When Governor Cuomo signed this bill into law, he assured that no commercial fishery would be created in the second-largest striped bass nursery on the East Coast, at a time when the population in the largest producer area is not doing well.  It was simply the right thing to do.” ###

The stated purpose of CCA is to advise and educate the public on conservation of marine resources. The objective of CCA is to conserve, promote and enhance the present and future availability of these coastal resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public