Anglers along the East Coast fear the striped bass, an iconic game fish, could be heading toward collapse, and scientists say their concern is justified.
Fewer fish
Bill Jakob, who has fished for stripers off Montauk, N.Y., for more than 60 years, remembers nights of catching fish up to 40 pounds. Big runs stopped after years of heavy fishing, and young fish are now harder to find. Regulators said last week that stripers have had eight straight years of poor reproduction in the Chesapeake Bay, their most important nursery.
Causes
Overfishing is part of the problem. Scientists also point to warming waters, poor river flow, drought, pollution and possibly more predation by seals and sharks, and ask whether tighter limits alone would be enough. The species supports an $8 billion fishing industry and tens of thousands of jobs.
Sources: PBS News, The Associated Press