Draft Addendum Considers Changes to Scup Commercial Management
Newport, RI – The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board (Board) approved Draft Addendum XXXVII to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for public comment. Draft Addendum XXXVII is intended to complement the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Framework 20 for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass, which was approved for final action in August 2026. The Draft Addendum considers an option to forgive commercial scup quota period overage paybacks in years where the annual quota is not exceeded. The current payback requirements for the commercial scup fishery may unnecessarily constrain harvest opportunities and disrupt the fishery when quota period overages do not result in an annual quota overage.
A press release will follow with details on the availability of the document for public comment, the public hearing schedule, and how to submit written comments. This information will also be available on the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Draft Addendum XXXVII Action Tracker webpage. The Board will meet to review submitted comments and consider final action on the addendum in January 2027 at the Commission’s Winter Meeting in Arlington, VA.
For more information, please contact Chelsea Tuohy, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at ctuohy@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.