Keeper Sizes - should be a Min AND Max

[MikeTLive]

RE: min/max sizes.

Scientific studies have shown that if there is a minimum size restriction, with no Maximum restriction, The size of a breeding mature individual in the population WILL SHRINK.

How is this possible?

How about an experiment. With something simple like corn.[list=1][*]plant a field of corn.[*]remove most of the stalks that reach 6'[*]save and then plant all seed corn from remaining stalks.[*]repeat every growing season.[/list=1]Eventually you will breed the height out of the population.
The few stalks that produce viable mature seed at the shorter height are selected and allowed to reproduce. and with less competition than the larger variety.


Now do the same to Stripers. (it has been proven with trout)[list=1][*]Start out the fishing season.[*]remove as many fish as you can catch that are over 28" and release all fish that are under 28" (shorts)[*]repeat this every season.[/list=1]You will find that the portion of the population that are sexually mature (yet under 28") will increase with each season. The few mutant fish that mature early will survive and reproduce. The larger fish - which compete with them for food - will decrease.

Over time the majority of the population get smaller and smaller.
We are selecting for small fish by allowing them to live yet removing the larger cows.

The damage from this action can be felt within years.
However to recover requires very selective breeding and a lot of patience. Large fish must be preserved while short early maturing fish must be limited while not decimating the population.


Why? Because you will continue to have short fish breeding into the population and you must remove them. How do you differentiate short-early mature fish from young-large-fish?

That would mean that increasing the harvest of shorts and decreasing the harvest of large kept could actually be a good thing.


By having a maximum size you encourage the larger breed of the population to keep on producing and increasing the population.


I find it very dumb that if I go to Maine I can keep shorter fish but not the big fish but if I go to Mass I can keep the big cows and bulls thus damaging the breeding capabilities of the species.

Just my 2c.

For another example look at lobster pots.
They catch lobsters up to a max size.
then you can only keep them if they are above a given size.
AND, if they are egg bearers they must be released.

Add some sort of maturity meter to fishing of large stripers and watch them grow!!