The future of our striped bass fishery took a big hit in the recent release of the 2023 Young of the Year survey in Chesapeake Bay. Stripers spawn in the Chesapeake and this index is a measure of the the spawning success or failure. This year's index was an abysmal 1.0, one of the worst spawning years ever (it was .89 in 2012). This comes on the heels of 5 poor spawning years in a row (see chart below). In addition, the young-of the year index for Virginia waters was 4.2, significantly less than the average of 7.7. It is clear to see that the fishery is in trouble. Some blame warming waters, others blame over fishing and poor management.
For the average fishermen, this was a pretty good year. We have had very good numbers of 26 to 34 inch stripers around. But, there are big warning signs here. First off, there are almost no small stripers under 24 inches. Those should make up the bulk of the population. Poor spawning in the last 5 years has taken a toll on the small ones. In addition, I think there are less of those 26 to 34 inch stripers around this year than in previous years. The recreational fishermen have taken those out in record numbers in recent years, and that's why the slot size was decreased to 28 to 31 inches. Poaching and mortality rates have also reduced this population. And finally, those big fish (over 34 inches) numbers seem to be less this year than in previous years. The commercial fishery has targeted those fish. Those are the problems; the fix is more complicated and will be painful for many.
This Young of the Year result will force the issue for fisheries councils that have been simply kicking the can for years in an effort to appease a lot of user groups. If I were to venture a guess, I think we are in for big changes next year in an effort to preserve those slot size fish. Right now, they are the hope for the future.
