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In Rhode Island, the rod and reel commercial season is less than two months, and then you can only sell 2-3 fish per day - depending on the year. The license will cost you $200 – so your first 100 pounds goes to that. Not much money is made by anyone unless they have a boat and are on the water a lot.
Many communities & people that once realized gain from the stripers commercial value now see far more money from the fish’s recreational value. The striper has gamefish status in all the New England states except RI and MA - no sale in ME,NH,CT. The commercial impact comes more from southern states.
In reality, every charter boat owner, tackle shop owner, website owner, lure manufacturer, taxi cab driver, ferry boat owner, motel owner, gas station owner, cities and towns that take in retail tax money, and a host of other commercial ventures that cater to sport fishing’s needs - are all commercially profiting from the striper. I do outdoor writing and shore guiding – so I’m profiting too. Technically, a lot us are commercial fishermen: we earn money from a fishery.
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