Budget Amendment ID: FY2013-S4-169

ENV 169

Striped Bass Annual Hearing

Messrs. Timilty, Richard T. Moore and Brownsberger moved that the proposed new text be amended by adding at the end thereof the following new Section:-

“Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the director of the division of marine fisheries shall annually, in December, hold a hearing on the relative social and economic values of the striped bass as both a game fish and a commercial fish; provided further that said hearing shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of the latest “young of the year” report from Maryland, the latest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report on the amount of commercial and recreational landings on the east coast and in Massachusetts, all materials generated by the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission’s striped bass subcommittee, an analysis of the number of commercial licenses sold in prior seasons and the number of pounds of striped bass landed by commercial fishermen holding a commercial license, an overview of the number of trips by charter boats fishing for striped bass and the average catch per trip, a review of a survey to be done by bait and tackle shops on the volume of business attributable to striped bass fishery and any other economic analysis that is important to the revenues generated for the Commonwealth by the recreational and commercial striped bass fishery”.