The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are collaborating on a bold plan to boost the Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River Striped Bass population.

This initiative, which started in 2023, aims to address the decline in the Striped Bass population.

Hatchery Initiatives and Stocking Plans

The Marine Fisheries Commission Conservation Fund and the N.C. Marine & Estuary Foundation will provide financial backing to the initiative. The Edenton National Fish Hatchery will grow 150,000 Striped Bass, ranging from 5 to 8 inches. They will release these fish into Albemarle Sound in November and December. Previously, the Edenton National Fish Hatchery stocked nearly 1 million Striped Bass fry, just 2 to 4 days old, on May 6.

Additionally, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Watha State Fish Hatchery stocked 1.5 million fry in April and 500,000 juvenile Striped Bass, 1 to 2 inches long, in early June. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the N.C. Marine & Estuary Foundation funded this effort.

Research and Conservation Efforts

“This public-private partnership has lots of moving parts and we are pleased to be able to financially support these important restoration efforts,” said Chad Thomas, Executive Director of the N.C. Marine & Estuary Foundation.

Ben Ricks, Coastal Region Supervisor for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Inland Fisheries Division, added, “These stockings will help bridge the gap during a period of low abundance. By adding fish to the system, we aim to increase spawning potential and give anglers fish to catch. We are also investigating the sources of this population decline very aggressively. The Roanoke/Albemarle Striped Bass population is the only naturally reproducing population of Striped Bass in North Carolina. It is a precious resource to the state.”

Impact of Population Decline

For the first time ever, there will be no Striped Bass harvest season in the Albemarle Sound and its tributaries. These tributaries include the Roanoke and Chowan rivers. The number of adult fish returning from the Atlantic Ocean to spawn in the spring is very low. It has not been this low since the mid-1980s. At that time, the stock was considered collapsed.

Challenges in Natural Reproduction

The decline is attributed to below-average natural reproduction, according to Charlton Godwin, Biologist Supervisor with the Division of Marine Fisheries. “Beginning in 2017, we have observed a troubling pattern of poor or below-average spawning success in the Roanoke River,” Godwin explained. “This string of failures has resulted in low abundance of spawning females returning to the system each spring.”

Long-term Goals for Restoration

Anglers may see early returns from these stocking efforts through improved catch rates of smaller fish. However, the primary goal is for these fish to grow to spawning size, starting at age 3 for males and age 4 for females. “The goal of the restoration program is to have these hatchery fish contribute to the spawning stock and lead to a good natural spawn,” Godwin added.

Community and Economic Impact

Chad Thomas praised the efforts, noting, “We applaud our two fisheries agencies for their commitment to restore this fishery. Recovery is critical not only to the recreational anglers and the commercial watermen, but to each town in northeastern North Carolina that depends on the economic boost that this fishery provides.”