August 13, 2020 — A new report from the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) displays the importance of summer flounder to Mid-Atlantic coastal communities.
SCEMFIS found that $26.5 million worth of fish landed at the docks, generating over $151 million in total sales for wholesalers, retailers and restaurants. Overall, the fishery which operates in New Jersey, Virginia and Rhode Island is responsible for over $259 million in total economic output and over 1,600 direct jobs.
August 11, 2020 — After a slow start to the summer, the state Division of Marine Fisheries has proposed extensions to the commercial striped bass, black sea bass and summer flounder seasons, hoping to add additional fishing days and adjust catch limits for fishermen as fall approaches.
The DMF is proposing to add Tuesdays and Thursdays to the commercial striped bass season starting Sept. 1. The agency is then planning to add Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays starting Oct. 2 — which would allow commercial striped bass fishing every day of the week.
A similar change has been proposed for the black sea bass fishery, with DMF planning to add Mondays and Wednesdays in September and expand the season to seven days per week in October. The DMF is also proposing to increase the commercial pot limit from 400 to 500 pounds per week.
August 10, 2020 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS):
A new economic report reveals a clearer picture of just how valuable summer flounder is for coastal communities in the Mid-Atlantic: $26.5 million worth of fish landed at the docks, generating over $151 million in total sales for wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants, and millions more in indirect impacts.
According to the study from the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS), the fishery, based largely in Mid-Atlantic states such as New Jersey, Virginia and Rhode Island, is responsible for over $259 million in total economic output. This includes the millions in direct landings and sales, but also $44 million in indirect economic impacts, and over 1,600 direct jobs.
“Summer flounder is one of the cornerstone fisheries of our community,” said Greg DiDomenico, the Chair of SCEMFIS. “It’s important that we’re able to quantify exactly how important it is. It will help us better manage this species and maintain the health of our coastal communities.”
The economic impact of the summer flounder fishery is spread across several sectors of the economy, with a diverse set of indirect economic impacts. In tracking where flounder ends up, the study finds that over half of landings eventually go to restaurants and other foodservice establishments, with the other half going to retail.
The report comes at an important time for the fishery. The most recent summer flounder assessment found that flounder are not overfished, and are not experiencing overfishing. Regulators at both the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission are currently considering how to reallocate flounder quotas as part of an update to the summer flounder management plan. At the same time, fishermen and coastal communities are dealing with the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 crisis, facing a loss of revenue from decreased sales opportunities. Managers now have critical new information on the benefits and contributions of the commercial fishery to guide their decisions.
Prepared by Thomas J. Murray and Associates on behalf of SCEMFIS, the report draws on information from NOAA landings and market data and interviews with members of the seafood sector.
The SCEMFIS study is one of several that the Center has done to quantify the true economic value of commercially important U.S. fisheries, and complements efforts by NOAA to track the economic contributions of the fishing industry nationally. Part of the National Science Foundation’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers program, SCEMFIS brings together leading academics and marine scientists with members of the fishing industry to provide new research on the industry’s unaddressed scientific needs.
July 7, 2020 — The $25.2 million East Coast market for summer flounder — although a reliable bread-and-butter fish — has faced ups and downs in quotas over the years.
The 2020 commercial quota is 11.53 million pounds, while the recreational harvest limit is 7.69 million pounds. The highest percent of commercial allocation goes to Virginia (21.32 percent) and North Carolina (27.44 percent) while Delaware, Maine and New Hampshire have the smallest allocations.
Anecdotally, in the last few years, the price per pound for jumbo summer flounder (4 pounds or larger) decreased, with some vessels getting around 50 cents less per pound for jumbos compared to smaller sizes. As market conditions have shifted relative to quotas over the past few years, there is some speculation that markets prefer smaller product that fits better on a plate.
Now 2020 is the first full year with higher quotas for the fishery — but with the covid-19 crisis and its impact on markets globally, it remains to be seen if quotas will be fully utilized.
“It’s going to be very hard to predict summer flounder landings for 2020 at this point. Last year, the quotas were revised upward by about 50 percent, based on the new stock assessment, but that change wasn’t implemented until midyear,” says Kiley Dancy of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council staff.
June 17, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
We are finalizing “conservation equivalency” for the summer flounder fishery. We have waived the federal recreational bag limit, minimum fish size, and fishing season for summer flounder. 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.
April 29, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Supplemental materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2020 Spring Meeting Webinar are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2020-spring-meeting-webinar for the following Boards/Committees (click on “Supplemental” following each relevant committee header to access the information). For ease of access, supplemental meeting materials have been combined into one PDF – http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2020SpringMeeting/2020SpringMeetingWebinarSupplementalMaterials.pdf.
Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Memo on Exploration of Additional ERP Scenarios with the NWACS-MICE Tool; Public comment
ACCSP Coordinating Council – Program Updates
Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Memo on Next Steps for Management
ASMFC Bluefish Management Board & MAFMC – Bluefish FMAT Meeting Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment – Webinar Meeting Summary
Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board and MAFMC – Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment FMAT Meeting 1 Summary
The agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled Board meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of Board meetings. It is our intent to begin at the scheduled start time for each meeting, however, if meetings run late, the next meeting may start later than originally planned.
Board proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar, with separate webinar links for each day. May 5th meeting participants and attendees can register for the webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9135385124352928269 (Webinar ID: 894-169-955), while May 6th participants and attendees can register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6204543422027821581 (Webinar ID: 918-539-707). IMPORTANT: When registering, Commissioners, proxies, and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council members (on Wednesday only for Council members), should place two zeros (00) prior to their names (e.g., 00Toni Kerns). Detailed instructions on joining and participating in the webinars can be found at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2020SpringMeeting/Webinar_Instructions.pdf.
Each day, we will begin the webinar 30 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter. If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790. If he is busy supporting another meeting participant, please leave a message or contact the following Help Desk backups: Mike Rinaldi at mike.rinaldi@accsp.org (on Tuesday only) or Kirby Rootes-Murdy at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org (on Wednesday only).
We strongly recommend Commissioners/proxies, ACCSP Coordinating Council members and MAFMC members connect to the webinar using the computer audio (VoIP). For the best sound quality, we recommend you get a headset (any headphones with a microphone should work, such as headphones you use with your phone).
For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, you can do so by dialing 631.992.3221 (access code: 129-744-343) for the May 5th meetings and dialing 562.247.8422 (access code: 839-924-158) for May 6th meetings.
For management boards that are anticipated to take final actions, such as the Atlantic Herring and Tautog Management Boards, the public and stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide brief comments on actions for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period, as time allows. For all other meetings, the public should anticipate limited opportunity to provide comment via the webinar. When public comment is allowed, it will be at the discretion of the individual Board Chairs. As such, we strongly encourage members of the public to submit written comments in advance to be included in the meeting materials. Please see the following revised Public Comment Guidelines for more information about submitting public comment prior to the meeting.
April 6, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
We propose to continue the conservation equivalency approach for the summer flounder recreational fishery, in which states or regions develop minimum sizes, possession limits, and fishing seasons that will achieve the necessary level of conservation. Both the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recommended continuing conservation equivalency in 2020.
The proposed rule contains additional details on conservation equivalency, including what measures would be put in place if the Commission does not ultimately recommended conservation equivalency.
If approved conservation equivalency expires at the end of the fishing year (December 31). The non-preferred coastwide measures become effective January 1.
Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register today.
The comment period is open through April 21. Submit your comments through the e-rulemaking portal.
April 3, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Due to concerns regarding the coronavirus and following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission cancelled its in-person Spring Meeting. Instead, a number of Boards will be meeting via webinar to either (1) take required actions to allow for the fishery to be prosecuted now and into next year or (2) take non-decisional actions that allow for the continued development of draft management documents. Specifically, the Atlantic Herring and Tautog Management Boards will consider management actions. The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program Coordinating Council will consider approval of its Funding Decision Document and request for proposals. The Atlantic Menhaden and Atlantic Striped Bass Management Boards will be informational though the Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board may provide feedback on next steps. The Bluefish and Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Boards will be meeting jointly with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to review public comment on two scoping/public information documents, and provide further direction on the development of the respective Draft Amendments. Unless stated otherwise by the respective Board chairs, all votes will be recorded via roll call.
The agenda can be found below, attached, and on the ASMFC website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/
For management boards that are anticipated to take final actions, such as the Atlantic Herring and Tautog Boards, the public and stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide brief comments on actions for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period, as time allows. For all other meetings, the public should anticipate limited opportunity to provide comment via the webinar. When public comment is allowed, it will be at the discretion of the individual Board Chairs. As such, we strongly encourage members of the public to submit written comments in advance to be included in the meeting materials. Please see the revised Public Comment Guidelines (below) for more information about submitting public comment prior to the meeting.
For the remainder of Board actions previously scheduled to occur at the Spring Meeting, these actions have been deferred to the Summer Meeting or will be addressed via email. The types of issues that would be addressed via email include administrative items, such as FMP Reviews.
Details about the webinar and meeting process will be provided prior to the meeting.
March 16, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
Reminder: Scoping Comment Deadline for Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment and Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment
Scoping Comment Deadline: March 17, 2020, 11:59 p.m. EDT
Tomorrow is the deadline to submit scoping comments on two amendments that will consider potential changes to the management of summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. Scoping is the first and best opportunity to raise concerns related to the scope of issues that will be considered in these amendments. You are encouraged to submit comments on which options may or may not be useful or practical for meeting the goals of these amendments, as well as any other relevant issues that should be considered.
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) are developing this joint amendment that will consider potential modifications to the allocations of catch or landings between the commercial and recreational sectors for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. Members of the public are encouraged to submit written comments on potential changes to the commercial/recreational allocations for these three species. Eleven scoping hearings were held between February 13 and March 3. Written comments are due by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.
Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment
The Council and ASMFC are developing this joint amendment in order to (1) update the goals and objectives of the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan; (2) perform a comprehensive review of the bluefish sector allocations, commercial allocations to the states, and transfer processes; and (3) initiate a bluefish rebuilding plan. Members of the public are encouraged to submit written comments on any of these issues. Eleven scoping hearings were held between February 13 and March 4. Written comments are due by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.
February 26, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) have scheduled a series of scoping hearings to gather public input on the range of issues and information to be considered in the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment. Hearings will be held February 13 – March 3. Written comments will be accepted through March 17, 2020. All comments provided at public hearings or in writing will be presented to the Council and Commission.
This amendment will consider potential modifications to the allocations of catch or landings between the commercial and recreational sectors for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. The commercial and recreational allocations for all three species were set in the mid-1990s based on historical proportions of landings (for summer flounder and black sea bass) or catch (for scup) from each sector. In July 2018, the Marine Recreational Information Program released revisions to its time series of catch (harvest and discards) estimates. These revisions resulted in much higher recreational catch estimates compared to previous estimates, affecting the entire time series of data going back to 1981. Some changes have also been made to commercial catch data since the allocations were established. The current commercial and recreational allocation percentages for all three species do not reflect the current understanding of the recent and historic proportions of catch and landings from the two sectors. This amendment will consider whether changes to these allocations are warranted.
Scoping is the first and best opportunity to raise concerns related to the scope of issues that will be considered. You are encouraged to submit comments on which options may or may not be useful or practical for meeting the goal of this action and any other relevant issues the Council and Commission should consider.
Learn More
The Scoping and Public Information Document linked below contains background information on summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass management and on issues that may be addressed in the amendment, as well as a description of the amendment process and timeline. Additional information and updates on development of this amendment are available on the amendment action page.