Bill > S476

This bill aims to conserve striped bass by establishing new regulations for commercial fishing. It permits commercial harvesting and sale of wild striped bass only for individuals who held commercial licenses on December 31, 2012, and can prove they historically averaged over 1,000 pounds of striped bass sales annually over the preceding five years, based on records kept by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). The Director of the DMF can grant hardship relief if a license holder can demonstrate legitimate reasons for landing less than the average. The DMF will calculate commercial catch limits based on these five-year averages, and when a license holder retires, the total commercial take will be reduced by their average landings. Importantly, no new commercial licenses will be issued, and existing licenses cannot be transferred or sold. Commercial fishermen who fail to report any catch for two consecutive years will not have their licenses renewed. All commercial fishermen must report their catch to the DMF within 90 days after the season closes, or their license will not be renewed for the next season, though the Director can waive penalties for late filings due to hardship. The bill also clarifies that the Director or the Marine Fisheries Advisory Board can limit, curtail, or suspend striped bass fishing if the fishery's sustainability is threatened. Finally, the issuance of new commercial striped bass licenses will stop on January 1, 2025.