Coast Guard Cracks Down on Atlantic Striped Bass Possession off Cape May Coast

Cape May, NJ -- The Coast Guard cracked down on the possession of Atlantic striped bass within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) eight miles off Cape May this week.

Atlantic striped bass, commonly referred to as stripers or rockfish, normally migrate south during the winter seasons, following their ideal sea temperatures. While striped bass are typically found closer to shore, changing sea temperatures can cause them to migrate farther than three miles offshore.

More stringent regulations adopted in the 1980s were lifted in the mid-90s as stocks replenished; however, the prohibition of catching, fishing for or possessing Atlantic Striped Bass in the EEZ continues to be a federal offense.

Coast Guard law enforcement crews conduct boardings on a routine basis throughout the Mid-Atlantic and place an emphasis on the protection of the Atlantic striped bass against commercial and recreational fishing within the EEZ. They discovered Atlantic striped bass during two boardings this week.

First, a boarding team from the Virginia-based Coast Guard Cutter Dependable allegedly found five Atlantic striped bass Tuesday while boarding a pleasure craft approximately three and a half nautical miles off Cape May within the EEZ.

The following day, a boat crew from Coast Guard Station Cape May allegedly discovered three Atlantic striped bass while boarding a pleasure craft approximately eight miles off Cape May.

The boaters were charged in each incident.

“It is illegal to possess or target the Atlantic striped bass in federal waters, which begin three miles from shore,” Lt. Cmdr. Patricia Bennett, the deputy enforcement chief for the Fifth Coast Guard District in Portsmouth, Virginia, said. “In state waters – waters less than three miles from the coast – each state has its own laws designed to protect stripers. Even though the Coast Guard does not enforce those state laws, if we find a violation at the state level, we may notify state authorities.”

The attached image and video were provided by the Coast Guard