What Happened to Weakfish?
By Richen Brame CCA Atlantic States Fisheries Director Weakfish (or gray trout) were thought to be on track for a great recovery from their severely overfished condition in the early 1990s. Back then, the catch was primarily 1- to 2-year-old fish, with a few 3s, which is a prime indication of overfishing. Large commercial trawlers were landing millions of pounds of small weakfish for bait and scrap, and weakfish were one of the top bycatch species in the shrimp trawl fishery. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commissions (ASMFC) Weakfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) instituted measures that significantly lowered the commercial and recreational catch and reduced discards. The population appeared to respond well as anglers in 2001 and 2002 were abuzz with not only tales of big weakfish, but also lots of weakfish. Citations were on the rise in nearly every major weakfish state. It was thought the age structure would fill out and the stock was on track for a complete recovery. Then, su
