Fisheries - Striped Bass or Rockfish - Juvenile Survey

SB 87 expands Maryland's annual juvenile survey for striped bass or rockfish by requiring the Department of Natural Resources to add sampling sites in the central Chesapeake Bay region. Specifically, it mandates conducting surveys at 12-20 locations across seven designated waterways (including the Severn, Chester, and Miles Rivers) in addition to existing northern and southern sites. The bill directly affects the Department of Natural Resources, which must implement these new survey requirements starting June 1, 2025. This change aims to improve data collection on juvenile fish populations across the entire Chesapeake Bay, supporting science-based fisheries management.