An Act relative to the conservation of striped bass

This bill bans commercial harvesting and sale of wild striped bass in Massachusetts, except for existing license holders who averaged over 1,000 pounds of striped bass annually for the past five years (as verified by the Division of Marine Fisheries). It requires commercial fishermen to report annual catches within 90 days and prohibits new licenses or license transfers after 2029. Violations of commercial fishing rules incur fines starting at $200 per fish. The law does not affect recreational fishing but allows the fisheries director to adjust catch limits if fishery conditions worsen.