If they were doing this in MD and VA, they are doing it up the coast as well. I hope that this is only the beginning. NY has a tiny commercial quota, but when I am in the City on business, every restaurant has fresh striper???
For guys doing it the legal way, I applaud them. Commercial fishing is hard work. For those who poach, there cannot be too heavy of a punishment. IMO.
And guys wonder why the Chesapeake Young Of Year count and other spawning metrics have been down. They were blaming low salinity issues from development (which I am sure had some impact). I cant even imaging the hundreds and thousands of huge cows that were slaughtered before releasing their millions of eggs. Put a net accross the river and you will catch the fish. Period. Targeting the buyers, restaurants, and poachers will hopefully deter the black-market trade of fish.