Crackdown on illegal striped-bass fishing. Coast Guard to patrol this winter; violators face fines.
By Kirk Moore
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen anglers talk of the fishing being “hot,” that’s usually a good thing. But not if it’s striped bass offshore this winter.
The Coast Guard said Wednesday it will step up efforts this winter to stop illegal fishing for striped bass in federal waters, where the prized fish often seen in New Jersey’s bays and surf move offshore in colder weather.
Angler, Brad Cuddeback, with a legally caught bass in Fall, 2013 (photo: S. Zarou)
Striped bass came under strict conservation rules after the fishery collapsed in the early 1980s, and one of those measures has been the ban on catching or possessing the fish in federal waters — between three miles off the beach and 200 miles offshore, also known as the exclusive economic zone or EEZ.
The longstanding rule still frequently is misunderstood or even ignored, so much so that last winter, the Coast Guard mounted Operation Striper Swiper, which frequently boarded and inspected commercial and recreational boats off Virginia and Maryland.
Fishermen caught with illegal striped bass are subject to civil fines.
The Coast Guard Fifth District, which includes New Jersey south of Shark River Inlet in Monmouth County, has set up an Atlantic striped-bass-reporting hotline, 757-398-6399.
The Coast Guard is encouraging people to report any suspected striper poaching to the hotline.
“Calls should include a description of the activity, those involved, the location and the time of the suspected offense,” according to a Coast Guard announcement of the campaign.
