May 20, 2015 — New restrictions designed to reduce harvest of black sea bass in N.Y. waters have been proposed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The proposed changes include a one-inch increase in the minimum size, from 13 to 14 inches, and an increase in the possession limit during the months of November and December only, from eight to 10 fish. The current eight-fish possession limit will be retained from July 15 through October 31. The open fishing season will remain July 15 through December 31 with a minimum size limit of 14 inches during the entire open season.
Weaknesses in the current stock assessment caused federal scientists to exercise extreme caution when recommending annual harvest limits, the DEC said in a press release. As a result, for the third year in a row, New York, along with other states in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s northern region (Massachusetts-New Jersey), must take steps to reduce the black sea bass harvest despite an apparent abundance of fish, the DEC said. A new stock assessment by the ASMFC in 2016 will be more robust and provide the basis for relief in 2017, according to regulators.