Movements of Striped Bass Between the Exclusive Economic Zone and Massachusetts State Waters

In recent years, commercial and recreational fishermen have reported large aggregations of adult striped bass in the US Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) adjacent to Massachusetts state waters (MSW).  Directed fishing for striped bass within the EEZ has been prohibited since 1990; there is overwhelming public perception that adult striped bass remain seasonal residents of the EEZ and do not enter MSW where they are available to anglers. Passive acoustic telemetry was utilized to examine the extent to which adult striped bass move between the EEZ and MSW and to assess the relative conservation benefit provided by the EEZ closure. Adult striped bass (n=125) were tagged with transmitters on Stellwagen Bank within the EEZ and monitored with an array of receivers deployed within MSW. The majority (95%) of all tagged fish were detected within MSW, 55% within 30 days of tagging. The results of this study indicate that adult striped bass encountered annually on Stellwagen Bank exhibit movement into MSW and are available to both commercial and recreational fisheries. If other studies within the migratory range of striped bass show similar results, fishery managers may need to re-evaluate the efficacy of the EEZ closure as a tool to reduce fishing mortality.