DNR To Hold Striped Bass Catch And Release Public Meeting

Annapolis, Maryland (November 13, 2009) - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service will hold a Regulatory Scoping Public Meeting on November 16, 2009 at 6:00 pm in Fellowship Hall at the Calvary United Methodist Church, 301 Rowe Blvd., Annapolis, MD 21401. DNR is holding the meeting to discuss the striped bass catch and release season.

The Department is looking for public comments on proposed regulations. These regulations will ease the impacts of catch and release trolling for large pre-spawn striped bass between March 1 and April 15. DNR officials believes it needs to closely manage pre-season catch and release striped bass fishing, as a spokesman told the Sport and Tidal Fisheries Commission on October 20.

Interest in fishing has increased during March and April, and catch and release may impact the ability of fish to successfully spawn. DNR will post the proposal on the Fisheries Service Web page at www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries by November 13.

All interested parties are invited to attend the meeting and give their views. Sign language interpreters and other accommodations will be provided upon request.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority.  Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov