§5155 Continuing Studies of Striped Bass Populations

Summary

The Secretaries must run ongoing studies of Atlantic striped bass. They must do yearly stock checks using fishing data and independent surveys to keep the long-term record from before 1994 and to learn how the population changes. They must study why bass numbers rise and fall, how water quality, land use, and other environmental things (including the Delaware River) affect spawning, survival, and abundance, and how striped bass interact with other fish like bluefish, menhaden, and mackerel, including effects of predation and competition. Working with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Secretaries must study the socio-economic benefits of striped bass and send a report to Congress by September 30, 1998. They must also publish progress reports every two years for Congress and the Commission and include recommendations, when appropriate, to help manage striped bass sustainably.