CCA OPPOSES any action that will focus on maximizing the catch of striped bass while the population remains overfished.

• Striped bass remain overfished and in a rebuilding period.
• The most recent stock assessment showed that the highest likelihood of achieving rebuilding targets requires maintaining fishing mortality at current levels.
• While the stock assessment is using low recruitment assumptions to project the rebuilding timeline, the continued low recruitment trend in Maryland is below the assumed average being used in the assessment.
• Per the stock assessment, recruitment in Maryland is the strongest driver of the coast wide population.
• Controlling fishing mortality is the key to returning striped bass to levels that the public demands, and now is not the time to allow any increased harvest in striped bass, no matter the reasoning.