Protecting California’s Native Fish
Proposed harvest size limit for Striped Bass further threatens endangered native species
Photo: A school of striped bass in the Sacramento River. Courtesy of P. Young
At Fish On, we normally advocate for precautionary management when it comes to fishing regulations. If there’s uncertainty, the best course of action is to protect fish stocks until we know more. But when it comes to striped bass in California, we can’t treat this as a typical case of adjusting angler harvest in response to population size and environmental change.
A Non-Native Predator in Native Waters
Striped bass are not native to California waters. They were first introduced to San Francisco Bay in the late 1800s, transplanted from the East Coast in hopes of creating a new sport fishery. That experiment was wildly successful: Striped bass thrived in their new environment and quickly spread. Today, they are caught from San Diego to Oregon.
But success for striped bass does not always mean success for California’s native fish. Striped bass are voracious predators, notably feeding on salmon and steelhead smolts, as well as nearshore species like perch. While some argue that striped bass have co-existed with native species for more than 100 years, there hasn’t been enough research done to support this claim. More recent water use and drought impacts on anadromous species like salmon compound the threat of predatory striped bass.
Slot Limits Proposed
This October, the California Fish and Game Commission will decide whether or not to impose a harvest size limit, or slot limit, of 18-30 inches for striped bass. This is framed as a precautionary measure—a way to protect the fishery—and under most circumstances, it’s a sensible approach. But striped bass don’t fit into California’s ecosystem in the same way native species—which have adapted together over millenia—do. For most fisheries, we want to protect their numbers for future generations. For non-native predators, we need to ask a different question: What is their impact on the health of the broader ecosystem?
Creating a trophy striped bass fishery poses an outsized and unnecessary risk, especially with very little science that measures the impacts of striped bass on nearshore species that are already data-limited and not well-managed, including those targeted by surf and shore-based anglers. By limiting striped bass harvest to boost their population, we are undoubtedly doing so at the expense of other species. Endangered Chinook salmon and steelhead, in particular, cannot afford added predation stress.
Balancing Fun with Responsibility
There’s no denying that striped bass have become a popular and exciting fishery in California. As anglers, many of us love the challenge of pursuing them in bays, rivers and surf. We respect that passion and recognize the value striped bass bring to California’s fishing community and economy. But that enjoyment cannot come at the cost of numerous other fisheries that represent Tribal and cultural traditions, ecological foundations and irreplaceable pieces of California’s natural heritage.
Protecting striped bass is not precautionary management—it’s shortsighted.
Take Action Now
The California Fish and Game Commission needs to hear from fishers who care about the bigger picture. Tell them you oppose the harvest size limit for striped bass using the form below and stay tuned for details on how to comment at the upcoming meeting.
