An Act relative to the conservation of striped bass

This bill aims to conserve striped bass populations in Massachusetts by prohibiting the commercial harvesting and sale of wild striped bass, with limited exceptions for existing licensed fishermen. It establishes a fixed catch limit for current commercial license holders based on their five-year average landings, while banning the issuance of any new commercial licenses or the transfer of existing ones. The legislation also requires annual catch reporting and mandates that all commercially sold striped bass be tagged to identify their grower or distributor. Additionally, the bill sets specific fines for violations and includes a provision to completely cease the issuance of commercial striped bass licenses by January 1, 2027.