The Maryland Department of Natural Resouces announced the young-of-year striped
bass index for 1997 as 8.0. This is below the long term average and well below
1996.
To give you an idea of just how much, the 1996 level was 59.3 and the yrs 1994 and
1995 were equally good years. One year does not determine the quality of any fishery,
but it does indicate that the species did not have a good spawn in the Chesepeak.
Although I just learned of these results, they were out there before the hearings.
Did the DMV inform anyone of this information prior or during any of the hearings?