Why is it that it's ok to have a huge industry based on the killing and or the hurting of striped bass for profit, AKA- the charter fishing business, but it's not OK to catch these fish for the purpose of selling them to the non fishing public?  This seems beyond hypocritical to me, especially when you take into account that recreational fishermen release more fish that die each year than thew entire coast wide commercial harvest.

This has very little to do with conservation of striped bass stock per se', than it does with committing social genocide.  The "sports" don't like the commercial guys because they are envious they can't catch the fish as well and also because of the true commercial fisherman's freedom in life.     But if the sports were truly only interested in "preserving" the striped bass for fuure generations, they'd be calling for a total ban on the take of these fish, but they aren't, instead they are denying the real issue, which is habitat degradation and a recreational sector which kills more fish in the name of fun than the entire commercial fishery harvests.  The sports are doing this to attempt to allocate this species exclusively to a fractional minority of the American public, IOW, those who fish.

Don't be fooled by the hype.  Look at the issues and decide for yourself.  Look at the CCA and how they have systematically worked their way north and east from Texas, destroying the waterfront and eliminating commercial fisheries in their way.  Once you eliminate the commercial fishermen from an area, their is little opposition to waterfront development and the resources that these slick fellas claimed to be trying to protect are forever lost.

This call for gamefish for stripers is bogus and it looks as if even though SF is maintain their opposition to a continued commercial fishery in Massachusetts, they have almost no tangible support, publicly or politically.
 
 

Hey South: Who says “it's ok to have a huge industry based on the killing and or the hurting of striped bass for profit”?  Not any informed marine conservationist.  But you’re right that “it's not OK to catch these fish for the purpose of selling them to the non fishing public?”  If the public wants to eat wild striped pass, non-fishers should get themselves invited over for supper by an angler or learn to fish themselves.  What is this BS about the public having some kind of a right to buy and eat wild stripers?  Has it a right to buy and eat wild ruffed grouse, wild waterfowl, wild black bass?  “Social genocide”?  You gotta be kidding.  The very few people who make a significant part of their income from selling wild stripers will have to find other work.  Do I feel bad for them?  Sure.  Things are tough all over.  The recremercials will have to cough up more for gas and tackle like the rest of us.  Do I feel bad for them?  Hell no!  Sport anglers were the ones who did call and did get a “total ban” on striper killing.  That saved the resource.  Now these same anglers are calling for a partial ban--cutting the limit from two to one fish per day.  Habitat degradation can’t be blamed from dwindling striper stocks.  Habitat has steadily improved as the resource has eroded.

TW wrote: "Habitat degradation can’t be blamed from dwindling striper stocks.  Habitat has steadily improved as the resource has eroded."
 
Surely you're not serious Ted?  Lets just start with the Chesapeake, then working our way up the coast, lets look at the decline of almost every single native species in oufr estuaries,Oysters, scallops, eels, herring, all nearly gone in the majority of our wetlands. All of which irefutably points out that out inshore waters are sick.  There are so many bass offshore, it's ridiculous.
 
I understand you have to stick with the 'ol CCA party line though and bashing commercials is high on their coastal domination schemes agenda,.
 
There was never a total ban on striper harvest, commercially or rec'ly either. Tell the truth, will ya?

Why are your rambling on about “oysters, scallops, eels, herring”?  Who said their habitat is great?  Who said striper habitat is great?  What I said, and which is a demonstrable fact, is that striper habitat is much improved from the days that habitat degradation in the Chesapeake was one of the main contributors to the crash.  “There are so many bass offshore, it's ridiculous.”  What BS!  Please stop. Stripers aren’t in any of the places they should be, so you expect us to believe they’re all where they shouldn’t’ be.  I’m offshore all the time.  I see lots of stripers there now.  I’ve seen lots of stripers there for 30 years.  You used the term “total ban,"  You know about the com. ban.  The 36-inch limit, courtesy of rec. anglers, was a virtual rec. ban.  I averaged one keeper fish a year.