The striped bass, one of the most popular fish in New Jersey's coastal waters with both anglers and consumers, has been off the menus of New Jersey restaurants and off the plates of New Jersey consumers for years. Legislation and regulations banning the commercial harvest and sale of striped bass in New Jersey was originally put in place to protect these popular fish and allow them to return to their former levels of abundance.

Now they have, and two New Jersey legislators - Assemblyman Nicholas Asselta from the southern end of the State and Assemblyman Anthony Impreveduto from the northern - introduced legislation that would once again allow the seven million plus people in New Jersey who won't or can't catch striped bass themselves to share these delicious fish with the sports anglers who have had the species all to themselves for years.

But, in spite of an ocean that is by some reports overflowing with striped bass [to read what angling columnists, professional managers, etc. are saying about the striped bass recovery], the sports anglers (and the businesses that sell them their boats and poles and other tackle) are opposing the legislation. They want these delectable fish all to themselves!

In order to provide interested consumers with a more balanced view of the striped bass situation in New Jersey - and what is a growing anti-seafood consumer movement within some parts of the sports angling/yachting communities, we've added this section to our New Jersey Fishing website. Please explore the documents we've provided links to.

We hope you find them interesting and informative. If you have any comments or questions we encourage you to contact us using the email response form below.

Thank you.

Note: For the many recreational fishermen who have been visiting this page, thank you for your attention. While you're here I'd like to invite you to look at some of the other material on this site - all of it is relevant to your hobby and much of it is the work of other writers, reporters and scientists, not of the "management" here. 

[ link to directory of articles]

Press release announcing the Striped Bass Consumer legislation.

Second Striped Bass Consumer legislation press release focusing on stock recovery.

An article on the legislation that includes some background on dining on Striped Bass.

What you can do to exert your rights as a New Jersey seafood consumer.

Quotes from various sources on Striped Bass.

An excerpt from Mathiessen's Men's Lives about the Striped Bass conflict 40 years ago.

NJ FishNet comparing recreational and commercial harvest in the Mid-Atlantic.

Chart of recreational and commercial striped bass landings in the Mid-Atlantic.

"Tongue in cheek" examination of sports angler's attitudes towards sharing "their" fish.

Article from a Long Island paper detailing author Carl Safina's striped bass experience.

NJ FishNet discussing some anti-commercial harvesting myths.

A description of the striped bass.

If you're not a sports angler and live in New Jersey, here's what you're missing!

An article on the NJ Striped Bass situation by Cape Cod Times writer Molly Benjamin.