Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved Draft Addendum XXIX to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan for public comment. The Draft Addendum proposes shortening the length of the commercial scup summer period and extending length of the winter period(s) to better allocate the commercial quota, which has been under‐harvested since 2011. The quota allocation for each period is not being altered.
The Draft Addendum was initiated jointly with the Mid‐Atlantic Fishery Management Council to address concerns raised by Advisory Panel members that commercial landings have been lower than the annual limits in recent years and the quota periods could be better utilized. The changes are intended to allow higher possession limits for a longer period of time each year, thus increasing the likelihood the commercial fishery will fully harvest the quota. The Draft Addendum proposes changes to the three scup commercial quota periods (Winter I, Summer, and Winter II), specifically a change in the start and end dates for the Summer Period. The options propose to shorten the summer period by 31 or 46 days.
The Draft Addendum also proposes options to continue allowing state permitted fishermen to begin fishing early in state waters when the Winter I quota closes prior to April 15. These options include extending the number of days the earlier fishing can occur as well as the start date when earlier fishing can occur. Allowing access prior to the start of the Summer period state permitted fishermen provides access to the resource when scup are highly available to nearshore (state) fisheries.
The Draft Addendum will be available on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org (under Public Input) by February 10. It is anticipated some states will be conducting public hearings; the details of those hearings will be released in a subsequent press release. The Board will review submitted public comment and consider final action on the Draft Addendum at the Commission’s Spring Meeting in May. For more information, please contact Kirby Rootes‐Murdy, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at krootes‐ murdy@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.