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Senator O’Leary testifies against the elimination of commercial striped bass fishery
Boston, MA – The Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture today held a hearing on House Bill 796, An Act Relative to the conservation of Atlantic striped bass. This bill would end the commercial fishing of striped bass, reduce the recreational fishery to a “slot limit”, allow fish between 20” and 28” or over 40” to be harvested, and mandate a one-fish per day limit on the recreational fishery.
Senator Robert O’Leary (D-Barnstable) joined a number of his constituents and fishermen from across the state in testifying against the bill.
“There is already an entity responsible for the management for fisheries and it is not clear there is a problem with the striped bass stock,” said Senator O’Leary. “We should allow the people at the Division of Marine Fisheries, to do their job. Why should we target one group, commercial fishermen?”
The bill is now subject to the determination of the committee as to whether or not it will be released favorably from committee to the House. Should the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture report the bill out of committee favorably, it would then go before the House of Representatives for a vote first.
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