One of the most important pieces of legislation to the striped bass industry was “Maryland House Bill H.759h: An Act relative to the conservation of Atlantic striped bass.” The bill requires all commercially raised striped bass to bear the tag (i.e. an identification of where the fish was from, and, in some cases, a locating microchip) of the fishery which spawned and/or raised the fish. An upper limit has been set on how many striped bass can be caught annually, based on the average number caught in the last 5 years. The bill also requires for striped bass catches to be reported within 90 days to the state wildlife agencies, with fishermen who don’t comply being forced to give up their fishing license. Many commercial interests that rely on striped bass opposed the legislation, with the Massachusetts Commercial Striped Bass Association describing it as “Yet another attempt to destroy the commercial bass fishery” on its Facebook page. They have encouraged their supporters to contact the relevant committee members to express their concerns.
The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) is an organization that sponsors several bills that put stricter regulation on the harvesting of striped bass in North Carolina. It has also worked with the federal government on “Joint Enforcement Agreements,” which empower federal patrol boats to play a more active role in pulling over and issuing fines to commercial fishermen who are violating conservation rules. The CCA has advocated for the Game Fish Bill, a piece of legislation that would, according to opponents, virtually ban the commercial sale of striped bass (as well as red drum and speckled trout). The Outer Banks Voice, a publication of NC Commercial Fishermen, argues that the CCA is projecting a disproportionately large amount of influence that belies its small membership.
PETA is concerned about the health and environmental impact of the large percentage of fish that are being raised in commercial fisheries. The organization believes that the diseases, parasites, crowded conditions and other negative factors are putting the health of consumers of aquaculture products at risk. PETA believe the situation could be improved by congressional passing new laws regarding the regulation of aquaculture, or by more people choosing a vegan lifestyle to reduce the number of fish eaten.