March 13, 2025 — The Supreme Court has denied a hearing for a coalition of Maryland fishing associations and charter boat operators seeking to overturn new striped bass fishing restrictions. But for Captain Robert Newberry, chairman of the Delmarva Fisheries Association, the legal battle is far from over.
“It’s not good that we were denied the hearing in front of the Supreme Court, but this is far from over. We are in it to win it. We will be announcing our next move within a week,” Newberry said.
The coalition had filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court to block the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s new restrictions, arguing they imposed “drastic, unwarranted, and illegal limitations” on striped bass fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast. The March 4 petition claimed the regulations violated the U.S. Constitution and threatened the livelihoods of small fishing businesses.