National Marine Fisheries Service
We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens from all walks of American life who are deeply concerned about the ongoing waste of striped bass in the New England groundfish fishery.
The National Marine Fisheries Service estimates that, in 2002, at least 289,000 pounds of striped bass were wasted as "bycatch" by trawlers in that fishery -- an amount greater than 25% of the total commercial catch of striped bass that year in New England!
To simply waste that volume of striped bass is a real tragedy. The striped bass is one of the premier American sport fish, and their population successfully recovered from a collapse that followed from decades of poor management. A healthy population of striped bass -- which seemed unthinkable 20 years ago -- has become a reality. Now is not the time to put that at risk by failing to respond to new threats as they arise.
Additionally, this is not an issue where time is on our side. The annual southward striper migration, which takes place in the autumn, is nearly upon us -- and once again the trawlers are waiting astride the striper superhighway. Delay or indecision will only mean another blow to the striper population.
We therefore call on the National Marine Fisheries Service and the New England Fishery Management Council to take prompt and effective action to limit the damage to the striped bass population in the Atlantic groundfish fishery from this point forward. This will ensure not just that we will know the striped bass, but that our children and grandchildren will as well.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Although the striped bass population has been recovering since its collapse in the 1970s, wasteful fishing practices that disregard the annual fall migration of the stripers are threatening to once again devastate this fish population.