We are implementing the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended 2024 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass specifications, and projected 2025 specifications for summer flounder and scup. The catch limits are based on the results of recently conducted stock assessments for summer flounder and scup, and the recommendations of the Council’s Science and Statistical Committee for all three species.
| 2024 Specifications | Scup | Black Sea Bass | Summer Flounder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overfishing Limit (OFL) | 44.74 | 17.01 | 22.98 |
| Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) | 43.82 | 16.66 | 19.32 |
| Commercial ACL = Commercial Annual Catch Target (ACT) | 28.48 | 7.50 | 10.62 |
| Commercial Quota | 21.15 | 6.00 | 8.79 |
| Recreational ACL = ACT | 15.34 | 9.16 | 8.69 |
| Recreational Harvest Limit | 13.18 | 6.27 | 6.35 |
| Scup | Summer Flounder | |
|---|---|---|
| Overfishing Limit (OFL) | 40.58 | 24.97 |
| Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) | 39.74 | 19.32 |
| Commercial ACL = Commercial Annual Catch Target (ACT) | 25.83 | 10.62 |
| Commercial Quota | 18.80 | 8.79 |
| Recreational ACL = ACT | 13.91 | 8.69 |
| Recreational Harvest Limit | 11.84 | 6.35 |
The final rule also approves the final summer flounder commercial state quotas.
|
State |
Final 2024 Quotas (lb) |
|---|---|
| ME | 4,180 |
| NH | 40 |
| MA | 599,507 |
| RI | 1,378,507 |
| CT | 198,394 |
| NY | 672,157 |
| NJ | 1,470,098 |
| DE | 1,564 |
| MD | 179,233 |
| VA | 1,873,707 |
| NC | 2,412,443 |
| Total | 8,789,831 |
There are no changes to the federal commercial management measures.
Through this action, we are removing the January 1-April 30 federal recreational scup closure. States will be implementing more restrictive recreational management measures for 2024 and 2025 to achieve the required harvest reduction.
This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.
