May 12, 2017 — It appears that a compromise may be close on this year’s summer flounder regulations.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the state are close to agreeing on a recreational season of three summer flounder at 18 inches. The season would be shortened to 104 days from May 25 to September 5.
The commission had voted on Option 5, which was a 19-inch size limit, a three-fish bag limit and a 128 day season. New Jersey then appealed it, and has still not approved the summer flounder regulations for this year.
The compromise will need to be reviewed by the commission’s Technical Committee and then voted on by the ASMFC, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said.
“We look forward to the ASFMC’s Technical Committee’s review next week and, hopefully, a final positive commission decision. We still have some steps to go through, but we’re hopeful that New Jersey’s economically vital recreational fishing industry will be saved this summer,” said Bob Martin, Commissioner of the NJDEP.
The compromise would allow New Jersey to keep a three-fish at 17-inch fish limit in place in Delaware bay west of the COLREGS line, the water boundary line between the state and Delaware.