THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 11, 1994 TAG: 9412110052
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Fisheries managers have stocked the Pamlico River with more than 180,000 young striped bass during the last six weeks in an effort to restore the popular game fish to the river.
Young striped bass, averaging about 6 inches long, were released into the Pamlico River at various sites near Washington as part of a joint Division of Marine Fisheries and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service effort to help rejuvenate the river's striped bass population.
``The stocking program is very popular with fishermen because of the striped bass' importance both in recreational and commercial fisheries,'' said Jess Hawkins, head of the Division of Marine Fisheries regional office in Washington, in a statement released by the division Friday.
During the past two years, state and federal fisheries agencies have released about 300,000 young striped bass into the Pamlico River.
Striped bass, also called rockfish or rock, live in many freshwater, estuarine and saltwater areas and once accounted for an important commercial industry in the Neuse and Pamlico rivers as well as a popular sports fishery.
``Historically there was a large striped bass fishery in the river,'' Hawkins said. ``As recently as 1978 we had very good natural production of striped bass in the river.''
But a decline in water quality, a loss of habitat from such activities upstream as dam-building and over-fishing have combined to reduce the fish's population in the river.
Pamlico River commercial landings of striped bass declined from 51,000 pounds annually in 1980 to 370 pounds in 1993. No commercial fishing for striped bass is now allowed in the Pamlico River but fishermen can catch a limited number of striped bass in the Neuse River incidental to other catches.
Recreational hook-and-line fishing for striped bass is permitted in both rivers with restrictions on the limit and size of the fish.
Striped bass are anadromous fish, meaning they migrate from salt water to fresh or nearly fresh water to spawn. They spend most of their lives feeding in coastal areas, bays and the mouths of rivers. Striped bass in the Pamlico River have been found to migrate as far upstream as Rocky Mount.
Recent DMF studies identified the Tar River between Falkland and Tarboro as primary spawning grounds for striped bass.
Past studies indicate that striped bass released into the Pamlico River tend to stay in the river and its tributaries and that some fish have migrated up the river to spawn in the spring. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
STRIPED BASS TAGGING
The Division of Marine Fisheries tagged 2,500 striped bass that
were released last week into the Pamlico River. By tagging the fish,
division biologists can track the movement of the striped bass.
Fishermen catching the tagged fish are asked to contact the division
at the telephone number and address listed on the tags. Rewards will
be offered for information regarding where and when the striped bass
are caught. For details about the striped bass tagging program,
contact the division at (919) 946-6481.
by CNB