Sea bass catch limits increased  Published: Friday, June 14,
2013 at 07:39 AM.  Fishermen angling for black sea bass may have
more time on the water this season, following a massive increase
in the amount of fish that can be caught without endangering the
overall population of the species.  The South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council last month more than doubled the annual catch
limit for the commercial and recreational black sea bass
fisheries, increasing the total allowable weight to 1.8 million
pounds, up from 847,000. That decision followed a review of
scientific data showing that population numbers had increased
while overfishing plummeted, resulting in a healthy stock.  The
increase should ensure a full-length fishing season, putting an
end to the early closures that have plagued fishermen for years.
Those seasons, truncated after previous catch limits were
exceeded, were cautionary measures meant to prevent overfishing
of fledging sea bass populations. Throughout that process,
fishermen reported seei