[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-824]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: January 13, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 121393C]

 

1992 Survey of Atlantic Striped Bass Fisheries

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Summary and notice of availability of survey results.

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SUMMARY: NMFS summarizes and announces the availability of the results 
of a survey of Atlantic coast striped bass fisheries for 1992, as 
required by the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act (the Act), to 
provide information on the status of the fisheries.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the survey results are available from David G. 
Deuel, NOAA/NMFS/FCM3, 1335 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 
(301) 713-2347.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David G. Deuel, (301) 713-2347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Act requires the Secretary of Commerce 
and the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a comprehensive annual 
survey of the Atlantic striped bass fisheries. The following is a 
summary of the survey for 1992. Management measures restricting the 
harvest of striped bass by commercial and recreational fisheries 
remained in place during 1992, as the stocks continue to rebuild. The 
1992 commercial harvest of striped bass was 1,692,000 pounds (523.9 
mt), an increase of 537,000 pounds (243.6 mt) above the landings of 
1,155,000 pounds (523.9 mt) in 1991. The Chesapeake Bay area (Maryland, 
Virginia and the Potomac River) accounted for 67 percent of the 1992 
commercial landings. The recreational catch in 1992 was an estimated 
4,282,000 fish, of which 416,000 were harvested; the remaining 
3,866,000 were released alive. The estimated weight of the recreational 
harvest was 4,902,000 pounds (2,223.5 mt), about three times that of 
the commercial harvest. Juvenile production in 1992 was below the long-
term averages for Maryland, North Carolina, and New York; and about 
average for Virginia and Delaware. Information from sampling the 
population of striped bass shows an increased relative abundance of 
striped bass from recent year classes. Copies of the survey are 
available upon request (see ADDRESSES).

    Dated: January 5, 1994.
David S. Crestin,
Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-824 Filed 1-12-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P