Chairman Wise reminded the Council that it had asked the Subcommittee on Special Striped Bass and Fluke Commercial Harvesting Permits to develop a recommendation on the number of extant striped bass harvesting permits that, if reached, by itself would trigger the issuance of additional permits. Previously, the Council had accepted a subcommittee recommendation that new striped bass permits be issued if the number of extant permits drops to or below 550 and New York’s annual commercial striped bass harvest quota reaches 1,059,000 lbs. The Council felt that a second trigger for issuance of new licenses, based solely on the number of extant licenses, was necessary as the required increase in the annual quota may never occur.

Councilor Freierman, chairman of the Subcommittee on Special Striped Bass and Fluke Commercial Harvesting Permits, reported that the subcommittee had discussed what number of extant striped bass permits should be established as a “floor.” The subcommittee recommended a floor of 250 permits, regardless of the size of the striped bass harvest quota. After a brief discussion, a motion was made to accept this further recommendation of the subcommittee. This motion was adopted by a vote of 9 in favor; 1 opposed; 0 abstentions.