DEC Releases 2024 Striped Bass Young-of-Year Survey Results

 

Second Consecutive Year of Poor Juvenile Production in the Hudson River

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the 2024 Hudson River striped bass young-of-year survey results for 2024 depict a second consecutive year of poor juvenile production in the Hudson River. The index value, which provides an estimate of annual juvenile production for striped bass in the Hudson River, is generated through a beach seine survey at 13 sites in the lower Hudson River conducted bi-weekly from July to November. This is the 45^th year of the survey, which provides important long-term monitoring information about striped bass and other fish species in the Hudson River.

“DEC’s annual juvenile striped bass survey conducted in the Hudson River is a critical method for measuring the reproductive success and potential future abundance of the striped bass population along the Atlantic Coast,” said DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar. “Given the challenges striped bass are experiencing in other spawning areas and the poor results of the 2023 survey, this year’s below average index value in the Hudson River heightens the concerns of the future availability of this critical resource as we approach the next decade.”

The 2024 value for the DEC’s Hudson River striped bass young-of-year index was 7.85 fish per haul. This value is below the long-term average, and for the second consecutive year, survey values were below the 25^th percentile. The survey can be viewed at: https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/hudson-delaware-marine-fisheries/striped-bass

Juvenile production is an important part of rebuilding the coastal striped bass stock and is heavily dependent on environmental conditions in estuaries along the Atlantic Coast. The recent low values in the Hudson River add to concerns about striped bass production in other Atlantic coastal estuaries. The Maryland young-of-year index in the Chesapeake Bay also posted poor results in 2024, extending a string of poor annual reproduction events in the Chesapeake Bay to a sixth consecutive year.

New York State works cooperatively with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to manage striped bass. In response to projections from the 2024 Stock Assessment Update, the ASMFC Board will meet on Dec.16, to consider adjusting 2025 management measures to reduce fishing mortality and increase the probability of rebuilding the coastal stock of striped bass (meeting details).