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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A summer flounder. Graphic illustration: Duane Raver for DNREC

Delaware recreational fishing regulations for summer flounder, scup and black sea bass were changed effective May 1, 2022 to ensure the state’s compliance with regional fisheries management plans (FMP) for these species, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today.

The recreational fishing regulations were instituted to sustainably manage each species consistent with FMP recreational harvest limits and to provide recreational fishing opportunities. The changes are:

• Minimum summer flounder size limit was reduced from 16.5 inches to 16 inches, with a continued four-fish daily limit and all-year season.
• Scup size limit was increased from 8 to 9 inches, with a continued 50-fish daily limit and all-year season.
• Black sea bass size limit was increased from 12.5 to 13 inches while the season was shortened by 20 days (runs May 15 through Dec. 11), with a continued 15-fish daily limit.

For more information on the regulations, contact the DNREC Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914 or see the 2022 Delaware Fishing Guide.

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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DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife will host joint Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)/Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) public fisheries scoping hearings on Wednesday, Feb. 19 in DNREC’s Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. A Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment hearing will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment hearing at 7 p.m.

The Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment will consider potential modifications to commercial and recreational catch allocations for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass in consideration of updated recreational and commercial fishing catch estimates.

The Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment will update the goals and objectives of the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP); perform a comprehensive review of bluefish fishery sector allocations, commercial allocations to the states, and allocation transfer processes; and initiate a bluefish rebuilding plan.

Scoping is the first and best opportunity to provide public input regarding the issues being considered. Stakeholders are encouraged to provide input on these proposed amendments either by attending the scoping hearings and/or providing written comments. Public comments will be accepted until 11:59 pm EDT on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, and should be mailed to Dr. Christopher Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; faxed to 302-674-5399; or emailed to jbeaty@mafmc.org for the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Seabass Amendment or to mseeley@mafmc.org for the Bluefish Amendment.

The Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment scoping document can be found online at http://www.mafmc.org/newsfeed/2020/mafmc-asmfc-sfsbsb-allocation-scoping-hearings. The Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment scoping document can be found online at http://www.mafmc.org/newsfeed/2020/supplemental-bluefish-scoping-hearings.

For additional information regarding these public scoping hearings, please contact the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

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

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