A summer flounder – Delaware regulations for the species are to be revised effective March 2. DNREC graphic by Duane Raver

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that, effective March 2, the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife will implement changes to the recreational fishing regulations for summer flounder and scup required to keep Delaware in compliance with the Fishery Management Plans of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC).

For summer flounder, the size limit will remain at 16 inches from Jan. 1 through May 31, with the size limit increasing to 17.5 inches from June 1 through Dec. 31. The daily summer flounder possession limit will remain at four throughout the year. For scup, the daily possession limit is reduced from 40 to 30.

In December 2023, the ASMFC and MAFMC jointly approved management measures requiring member states of both panels to reduce summer flounder recreational harvest by 28% and scup recreational harvest by 10% for 2024 and 2025. The measures were called for because recreational harvest was otherwise anticipated to exceed the Recreational Harvest Limit for both species in both years – with the summer flounder stocks well below the target level.

The new restrictions are intended to achieve the full reductions in 2024, and are to remain unchanged in 2025 unless new information suggests a major change in the expected impacts of those regulations on either the stocks or the fisheries.

All regions in the summer flounder and scup management units in ASMFC and MAFMC member states were required to develop regional regulations that will reduce the recreational harvest. The Delmarva Summer Flounder Region and the Southern Scup Region – to which Delaware belongs – developed the restrictive measures, which were approved for implementation after review by the ASMFC.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will hold a joint Delaware-New Jersey virtual public hearing regarding the Recreational Harvest Control Rule Draft Addenda to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and the Bluefish FMP, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. The virtual hearing will be held Monday, March 28 from 6-8 p.m. To register for the hearing and for more information about providing input at the hearing, visit the ASMFC website.

The draft addenda considers changes to the process used by the ASMFC and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) to set recreational possession, size and season limit management measures for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass and bluefish. MAFMC is considering an identical set of options. Taking final action on the addenda will not implement any specific possession, size or season limits, but rather will start a new specification process for setting future management measures.

These potential changes are intended to provide greater stability and predictability in recreational fisheries management measures from year to year. The changes also will place greater emphasis on stock status when setting management measures. The draft addenda proposes five possible approaches for setting management measures. Key differences between the options include the information considered when setting measures, and the circumstances under which management measures would change.

The draft addenda is available on the ASMFC website, as is a reference guide to aid stakeholders in understanding the options contained in the draft addenda. The comment period for the Harvest Control Rule Draft Addenda runs until 11:59 p.m. EDT April 22, 2022 for providing input on the management of recreational summer flounder, scup, black sea bass and bluefish. Written comment should be sent to Dustin Colson Leaming, FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; faxed to 703-842-0740; or submitted by email to comments@asmfc.org (Subject: “Harvest Control Rule”).

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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Striped bass illustration by Duane Raver.

DOVER – Delaware’s Tidal Finfish Advisory Council will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17 in the DNREC Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.

The Council will address finfish topics including commercial anchor gill netting in the Delaware River, proposed changes to finfish regulations, and recent and proposed actions by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that may affect Delaware fisheries.

For more information, including the meeting agenda, visit the Delaware Public Meeting Calendar at https://publicmeetings.delaware.gov/Meeting/60594.

For more information on Delaware fisheries, please call DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 275