See the ASMFC news release for hearing details.
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) are considering changes to the process for setting recreational management measures (bag, size, and season limits) for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. The Council is considering these changes through a framework action. The Commission is considering an identical set of options through draft addenda. Collectively, these management actions are referred to as the Recreational Harvest Control Rule Framework/ Draft Addenda.
The Framework/Draft Addenda is intended to provide greater stability and predictability in recreational management measures from year to year and allow for more explicit consideration of stock status. The Framework/Draft Addenda proposes five possible approaches for setting recreational measures. Key differences between the options include the information considered when setting measures (e.g., stock size, recent harvest levels, whether overfishing is occurring) and the circumstances under which measures would change (e.g., a change in stock size, an expected harvest limit overage or underage).
The Commission has scheduled a series of public hearings to gather input on its Draft Addenda. Although the Council’s framework development process does not include public hearings, all public comments provided during the Commission’s comment period will be considered by both groups before taking final action.
Provide Comments
All those interested in the management of the recreational summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish fisheries are encouraged to provide input during any of eight virtual public hearings to be held between March 16 and April 13, 2022. Written comments may be submitted through April 22, 2022. Please see the Commission’s press release for a hearing schedule and instructions for submitting comments.
Learn More
The Commission’s Draft Document for Public Comment provides detailed information about each option under consideration in the Framework/Draft Addenda. Additionally, an Options Reference Guide has been developed to help stakeholders understanding and compare the proposed management options.
Contact: If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Julia Beaty at jbeaty@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5250.
