Our Mission
Our mission is to help restore Atlantic Coast migratory fish species, horseshoe crabs, native freshwater mussels, Brook Trout and their habitats. The restoration of species including Atlantic Sturgeon, American shad, American Eel, Alewife and Blueback Herring are priorities, however, all migratory and resident fish species benefit from the work conducted by our office.
Our History
The office was established in 1985 in response to the Emergency Striped Bass Act, 1979, after populations crashed from heavy fishing pressures combined with habitat degradation. Commercial landings had plummeted from 14.7 million pounds in 1973 to 2.9 million pounds in 1984. We were charged with coordinating and managing a tagging program to help assess the size of the stock and investigating the causes of the crash. Over half a million Striped Bass have been tagged by the Service and State agencies. Recreational fishermen consider Stripers to be one of the premier saltwater game fish along the East Coast. The fishery still supports a coast-wide commercial fishery and an industry of charter boats, bait and tackle shops, and related businesses.
Other Facilities in this Complex
We are co-located with Ecological Services-Chesapeake Bay Field Office in Annapolis, MD
