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

Abstract

AbstractIn recent years, commercial and recreational fishermen have reported large aggregations of adult Striped Bass Morone saxatilis occurring in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) adjacent to Massachusetts state waters. Directed fishing for Striped Bass within the EEZ has been prohibited since 1990, and there is overwhelming public perception that adult Striped Bass remain as seasonal residents of the EEZ and do not enter state waters, where they would become available to anglers. Passive acoustic telemetry was utilized to examine the extent to which adult Striped Bass move between the EEZ and Massachusetts state waters and to assess the relative conservation benefit provided by the EEZ fishery closure. From 2008 to 2011, 125 adult Striped Bass (68–110 cm TL) were tagged with acoustic transmitters on Stellwagen Bank within the EEZ and were monitored with an extensive array of fixed acoustic receivers deployed within Massachusetts state waters. Of these tagged individuals, 119 (95%) were detected for 1–56 d within state waters during a given year, and 96 (77%) were detected seasonally for up to 2 years after tagging. Sixty‐five (55%) fish moved into state waters within 30 d after tagging (during July and August) and became accessible to the Massachusetts commercial fishery. The results of this study provide definitive evidence that a majority of the adult Striped Bass encountered annually on Stellwagen Bank (i.e., in the EEZ) exhibit movement into Massachusetts state waters as part of their normal migratory and feeding behaviors. If future research in other areas off the northeast U.S. coast likewise documents routine movements between federal and state waters, fishery managers will need to re‐evaluate the efficacy of the EEZ closure as a tool for reducing fishing mortality.Received October 22, 2013; accepted January 21, 2014