May 5, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
We are finalizing “conservation equivalency” for the recreational summer flounder fishery as recommended by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Under conservation equivalency the combination of state or regional measures must be “equivalent,” in terms of conservation (i.e., not expected to exceed the recreational harvest limit), to a set of “non-preferred coastwide measures,” which are recommended by the Council and the Commission each year.
For the 2021 fishing year we have waived the federal recreational bag limit, minimum fish size, and fishing season for summer flounder, and fishermen are subject to regulations in the state where they land. Please contact your state for information on summer flounder recreational rules.
Read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register today.