Kevin Wickett shows off his striped bass to friend Chris Sanford in June. The two were fishing below the Lockwood Dam on the Kennebec River in Waterville. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel file

AUGUSTA — In order to better protect and sustain the striped bass population in Maine, the state Department of Marine Resources is seeking to restrict the size that anglers can keep.

Under a proposed rule, people fishing recreationally would be prohibited from harvesting stripers smaller than 28 inches and larger than 31 inches. The previous regulation had a 35-inch limit. All others would need to be released.

Anglers also would continue to be restricted to keeping one catch per day.

An “unprecedented” number of striped bass harvested along the East Coast in 2022 prompted the recent regulations, officials said.

The rules have been in place on a temporary basis for about two months, having been introduced in Maine as an emergency regulation to come into compliance with a regional mandate. The state is now in the process of making the change permanent.

As part of that process, a public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for 4 p.m. on July 12. People will be allowed to submit comments through July 24.

Maine is following suit after officials from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission earlier this year approved the same restriction to last for 180 days through Oct. 28. The decision impacts recreational fishing from Maine to North Carolina.

In announcing the new size limit in May, the commission said last year’s recreational harvest across the region was nearly double that of 2021.

According to federal data, Maine fishermen in 2022 harvested 57,578 striped bass. They harvested 12,739 in 2021, Maine Department of Marine Resources spokesperson Jeff Nichols said. The harvest numbers had not exceeded 40,000 since 2014.

The overwhelming harvest over the last year has reduced the commission’s probability of rebuilding the fish stock by 2029 from 97% to 15%.

Nichols also pointed out that the class of fish added to the stock in 2015 would have reached upwards of 31 inches this year. The new regulation lowering the slot limit, or size that can be harvested, also aims to protect them.

These new rules are expected to discourage the fishing of striped bass so that their population can stabilize and support the stock-rebuilding goals.

“Fishermen want to protect the fisheries and protect the stock — something I think is important,” said Nichols.

Members of Central Maine Bassmasters, Mainely Bass and the Southern Maine Anglers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The rules do not affect commercial fishing, and enforcement efforts will not change. Department of Marine Resources officials will continue to monitor compliance during routine patrols, according to the agency.

The public hearing will take place in Room 118 of the Marquardt Building at 32 Blossom Lane in Augusta. A remote option will be available to join from the Department of Marine Resources website. 

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that 57,578 striped bass were harvested in Maine in 2022 and 12,739 were harvested in 2021.