2014 Pending Fishing Regulations Master Thread
 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2013

PRESS CONTACT: Mary Clark

(302) 674-2331 (ext. 261)

Council and Board Adopt 2014 Recreational Measures for Summer Flounder, Scup,
and Black Sea Bass

[1]PDF/Printer-friendly version

Annapolis, MD —The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met jointly with the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black
Sea Bass Board last week to adopt 2014 recreational management measures for
summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. During the meeting, the Board
approved Draft Addendum XXV for public comment. The addendum, which is intended
to provide more equity in recreational harvest opportunities, includes options
for regional management of summer flounder and ad-hoc regional management of
black sea bass. The Council and Board's recommendations for 2014 were based on
the current management systems for both fisheries, and some recommendations were
contingent on the outcome of the addendum. [2]Click here for more information
about Draft Addendum XXV on the Commission's website.

Summer Flounder
Based on the recreational harvest limit of 7.01 million pounds, the Council and
Board recommended the use of conservation equivalency for the recreational
summer flounder fishery in 2014. Conservation equivalency allows individual
states or voluntary regions to develop recreational measures that achieve a
region- or state-specific harvest target. The combination of state- or
region-specific measures would be equivalent to the Council- and Board-approved
non-preferred coastwide measures of an 18-inch TL minimum fish size, a 4 fish
possession limit, and a May 1 – September 30 season.

Black Sea Bass
The Council and Board recommended that the 7% coastwide reduction needed to
achieve the 2014 recreational harvest limit (2.26 million lbs) be taken in both
state and federal waters. If the state waters measures under Addendum XXV
address the required reduction, the Council and Board recommended that federal
waters measures include a 12.5-inch TL minimum size, a 15 fish possession limit,
and open seasons from May 19 – September 18 and October 18 – December 31. If the
addendum does not address the required reduction, then coastwide measures for
both state and federal waters would be set at a 13-inch TL minimum size, a 5
fish possession limit, and a June 1-September 30 season.

Scup
Based on the associated recreational harvest of 7.03 million pounds, the Council
and Board approved federal water measures including a 9-inch minimum size, a 30
fish possession limit, and open season January 1-December 31. In state waters,
the Board voted to continue using a regional approach to scup management under
which states may set different measures.

Additional information and background documents are available on the [3]December
2013 Council Meeting Page.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional councils
established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of
1976. The Council has primary responsibility for twelve species of fish and
shellfish in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between 3 and 200 miles off the
Mid-Atlantic coast. Member states include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. [4]Visit our website for more
information.

Re: MAFMC- Summer Flounder-Sea Bass-Scup
 

Summer Flounder
Based on the recreational harvest limit of 7.01 million pounds, the Council and Board recommended the use of conservation equivalency for the recreational summer flounder fishery in 2014. Conservation equivalency allows individual states or voluntary regions to develop recreational measures that achieve a region- or state-specific harvest target. The combination of state- or
region-specific measures would be equivalent to the Council- and Board-approved non-preferred coastwide measures of an 18-inch TL minimum fish size, a 4 fish possession limit, and a May 1 – September 30 season.




:eek: :eek: :eek: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Re: MAFMC- Summer Flounder-Sea Bass-Scup
 

Time to fly the pirate flag

Re: MAFMC- Summer Flounder-Sea Bass-Scup
 

I'll bring the eye patches! I understand about regulating, to keep the fishery stock, their just trying to screwing us all. Those numbers are absurd.:mad:

Re: MAFMC- Summer Flounder-Sea Bass-Scup
 

This essentially wipes out quite a bit of time for the charter/party boat business. The times of year when you would fish solely for sea bass (May and September), will meat fishermen go for 15 fish? Or how about the fluke sharpies in the July and August time, going for 4?

There are times in the season when they overlap and a combo trip with a half-day of sea bass and a half-day of fluke could create double limits.

But now, there's the slippery slope of adding pressure to striped bass, especially the big ones, in the late spring and early summer. It's already tough enough to find something to fish for in October, unless you like C&R togging.

I don't get it... if limits of a certain fish are being routinely met like sea bass, wouldn't that mean that it is rebuilt and the stock is in good shape, not that restrictions need to be tighter?

Re: MAFMC- Summer Flounder-Sea Bass-Scup
 

Many people called this years ago , they are slowly taking away our right to fish for a natural resource that is abundent and rebuilt. They want us off of the water , the part boat/charter business destroyed and torn apart so they can have for profit big money reduction boats kill everything . And I guarentee they will over fish and wipe out species in a single year .

The only motivation behind this is corporate fishing for profit/greed , God forbid somebody wants to work hard with a charter business/ party boat and make some money and have there own business , let alone fish for enjoyment

Personally within my lifetime I am sure I will not be allowed to fish anymore or if we do , it will be like what they did with flounder - 6 week seaason - 2 fish - yet go deep and see all of the 3,4,5 pounders you want to catch , we cant keep them but hey big money interests can.

Summer Flounder around here last year wasnt that good for most , not overfished but yet lets reduce the bag limit again why , because we want to. We didnt overfish and with Sandy and the participation and low catches last year WTF ???

This is not about science or conservation - it is all about big money greed and taking our rights away just like evrything else

Raise the flags and let me know if you need someone to sail

Go Fluke Yourself

Re: MAFMC- Summer Flounder-Sea Bass-Scup
 

it will be interesting how many people will vote for 3 at 17.5 like last year. That worked out well right?

Re: MAFMC- Summer Flounder-Sea Bass-Scup
 

Make no mistake about it, this is the result of "Big Government". More laws, more restrictions to protect us from ourselves because the American Public can't be trusted with these decisions :rolleyes:

The government wants to control everything because:
- They want the power which puts them in a position to grant political favors
- They want us to be dependent on them for everything which gives them even more power

Even if you believe the statements made above are Fear Mongering ask yourself this question... Do you think the Government does a good job managing anything we've entrusted them with? Not only do they lack the talent but their thought process in regulating things have political motivations. It goes to the highest bidder or who has the clout to get them reelected... A vicious circle where individuals and small businesses who are of little value to them get left out in the cold.

The only sensible thing for individuals and small businesses to do is band together in a group to wield more clout. Supporting and getting involved in groups like the RFA, SSFFF and JCAA is the only shot we have to be players in the circle. Although you might not agree on some smaller things within these groups, you need to look at the bigger picture since one thing we all have in common is protecting our rights to fish.

Re: MAFMC- Summer Flounder-Sea Bass-Scup
 

Not one mention of winter Flounder??? Why is it that Mass & CT get a greater quota vs us??? Look at their limits it's sickening. There's something wrong here why doesn't anybody care? That mudhole fishing is totally untapped it's a disgrace.

Re: MAFMC- Summer Flounder-Sea Bass-Scup
 

I would like to Thank all the "Ghost"boats that were fishing by the thousands in June, July and August, for taking all those Fluke.
Pretty amazing seeing how our Harbor wasn't ready for boats until Mid August. The local area's, Bay, Knoll, Reach, Ambrose out to Scotland looked like a dessert on a daily bases, the stocks were fine last year, now there not? This crap is getting old, same shit every year yet we will all sit on the computer and piss and moan then, take it, as usual.

No Flounder, No Weakfish, No Sea Bass, and only Stripers to fish for in the Spring, another brilliant move putting that much pressure on one species. 2015 will be down to 1 Striped Bass.

Sure hope those Whales that have been showing up the past couple years don't go away!!!! Oh wait, maybe they will pass a law that you can't come within 3 miles of them also. Just great..........Merry Christmas.:mad: