[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 32774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16081]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 021095B]


Atlantic Striped Bass Fishery; 1994 Survey of Atlantic Striped 
Bass Fisheries

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability, and summarizes the results, 
of a survey of the Atlantic coast striped bass fisheries for 1994. The 
Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act (Act), requires NMFS to provide 
information on the status of the fisheries.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the survey results are available from Paul Perra, 
NOAA/NMFS/FCM3, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 14837 Silver Spring, MD 
20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Perra, (301) 713-2339.

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 
1994. Management measures severely restricting the harvest of striped 
bass by commercial and recreational fisheries remained in place during 
1994, as the stocks continue to rebuild.
    The 1994 commercial harvest of striped bass was 1,923,000 lb (872.3 
mt), an increase of 13.6 percent above the landings of 1,695,000 lb in 
1993. The Chesapeake Bay area (Maryland, Virginia, and the Potomac 
River) accounted for 72 percent of the 1994 commercial landings.
    The recreational catch in 1994 was an estimated 8.1 million striped 
bass, of which 591,000 were harvested (7.3 percent of the catch); the 
remaining 7.5 million were released alive. The estimated weight of the 
recreational harvest was 6.9 million lb (3,125 mt), about three and one 
half times that of the commercial harvest.
    Juvenile production in 1994 was lower than in 1993, but remained at 
levels well above the long term averages for Maryland, North Carolina, 
Virginia. The Delaware production index of 2.3, while not higher than 
the long term average, was higher than any available annual index 
recorded prior to 1989.
    Information from sampling the population of striped bass shows an 
increased relative abundance from recent year classes. Copies of the 
survey are available upon request (see ADDRESSES).

    Dated: June 19, 1996.
Richard H. Schaefer,
Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-16081 Filed 6-24-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F