The follwing was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Council. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is responsible for managing and conserving fisheries in federal waters from New York to North Carolina. A Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) report released last week indicates that the summer flounder stock was rebuilt in 2010. However, the updated assessment predicts that the threshold fishing mortality rate will be exceeded in 2011 and that overfishing is occurring. The new information also suggests that the commercial quota and recreational harvest limit recommended by the Council for 2012 are too high and may need to be reduced substantially.
The new information became available only now because NEFSC scientists were unable to provide a comprehensive update earlier in the year. The Scientific and Statistical Committee, Monitoring Committee, and Council had developed 2012 recommendations in July and August, which were based on a projection from a 2010 assessment update.
"The timing of this report from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center highlights the importance of making more resources available to conduct Mid-Atlantic species assessments when we need them," said Executive Director, Chris Moore. "More often than not, we find ourselves in a situation where Mid-Atlantic species are not a top priority and we're left with little or no information for our stocks. It is unfortunate that instead of focusing on the success we've had rebuilding summer flounder, we are now in situation where we have to address and explain reductions in harvest limits."
"The current situation is an unfortunate consequence resulting from the redirection of Science Center resources to New England groundfish," said Rick Robins, Council Chairman." We appreciate the difficulty of beginning a new specification process for summer flounder but are committed to working with our management partners to provide a recommendation to the National Marine Fisheries Service as soon as possible."
The Council is scheduling meetings of the Scientific and Statistical Committee and Monitoring Committee to review the new information on summer flounder and provide recommendations at the December Council meeting.