PLEASE NOTE: The press release sent out on December 9, 2005 incorrectly inverted the recreational and commercial quotas for 2006 in the second paragraph. They are 9,293,695 pounds for the recreational sector and 13,940,543 pounds for the commercial sector. The corrected press release follows below and can be found at
ASMFC Board Sets Summer Flounder TAL at 23.59 Million Pounds Board & Council Set Summer Flounder, Scup, & Black Sea Bass 2006 Recreational Specifications
The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board has approved a 23.59 million pound total allowable landings (TAL) limit for the 2006 fishery. This action responds to the findings of the 2005 stock assessment that indicate that gains in summer flounder biomass (total amount of fish) over the last few years are less than had been expected, with current biomass estimated at 121 million pounds compared to the biomass target of 204 million pounds. The approved TAL, a 6.7 million pound decrease from 2005, supports a fisheries management strategy to rebuild the stock by 2010 as required by law.
The TAL will be divided between the recreational and commercial fishing sectors at 9,293,695 pounds and 13,940,543 pounds, respectively; with 355,762 pounds allocated for research set-asides. Preliminary 2006 state commercial quotas are listed below. These quotas may be adjusted downward by the National Marine Fisheries Service if the final 2005 landings indicate that state overages have occurred.
The Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved the following recreational management measures for the 2006 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass recreational fisheries. These measures are intended to restrict catch to meet recreational harvest limits.
The Commission and Council adopted conservation equivalency for the 2006 scup and summer flounder fisheries, allowing the states to develop state-specific management measures (i.e., possession limits, size limits, and seasons). The states will develop management proposals and submit them to the Board for approval in early 2006.
For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, Summer Flounder Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator, or Julie Nygard, Black Sea Bass and Scup Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator, at (202) 289-6400 or
tk****@as***.org
or
jn*****@as***.org
, respectively.
Tina Berger Public Affairs Specialist Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 1444 I Street. NW, Sixth Floor Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202)289-6400 FAX: (202)289-6051 Email:
tb*****@as***.org
www.asmfc.org
ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations of all Atlantic coast fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015.
PLEASE NOTE: The press release sent out on December 9, 2005 incorrectly inverted the recreational and commercial quotas for 2006 in the second paragraph. They are 9,293,695 pounds for the recreational sector and 13,940,543 pounds for the commercial sector. The corrected press release follows below and can be found at
http://www.asmfc.org/pressReleases.htm.ASMFC Board Sets Summer Flounder TAL at 23.59 Million Pounds Board & Council Set Summer Flounder, Scup, & Black Sea Bass 2006 Recreational Specifications
The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board has approved a 23.59 million pound total allowable landings (TAL) limit for the 2006 fishery. This action responds to the findings of the 2005 stock assessment that indicate that gains in summer flounder biomass (total amount of fish) over the last few years are less than had been expected, with current biomass estimated at 121 million pounds compared to the biomass target of 204 million pounds. The approved TAL, a 6.7 million pound decrease from 2005, supports a fisheries management strategy to rebuild the stock by 2010 as required by law.
The TAL will be divided between the recreational and commercial fishing sectors at 9,293,695 pounds and 13,940,543 pounds, respectively; with 355,762 pounds allocated for research set-asides. Preliminary 2006 state commercial quotas are listed below. These quotas may be adjusted downward by the National Marine Fisheries Service if the final 2005 landings indicate that state overages have occurred.
The Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved the following recreational management measures for the 2006 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass recreational fisheries. These measures are intended to restrict catch to meet recreational harvest limits.
The Commission and Council adopted conservation equivalency for the 2006 scup and summer flounder fisheries, allowing the states to develop state-specific management measures (i.e., possession limits, size limits, and seasons). The states will develop management proposals and submit them to the Board for approval in early 2006.
For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, Summer Flounder Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator, or Julie Nygard, Black Sea Bass and Scup Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator, at (202) 289-6400 or
tk****@as***.org
or
jn*****@as***.org
, respectively.
Tina Berger Public Affairs Specialist Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 1444 I Street. NW, Sixth Floor Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202)289-6400 FAX: (202)289-6051 Email:
tb*****@as***.org
www.asmfc.org
ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations of all Atlantic coast fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015.