The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is taking public comment on the Public Information/Scoping Document for the Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment for Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass and Bluefish. The document is a joint effort of the ASMFC, together with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), to consider modifications to the recreational management of summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish.
According to the bulletin, the amendment may consider options for managing for-hire recreational fisheries separately from other recreational fishing modes (referred to as sector separation), as well as options related to the collection and use of recreational data, such as private angler reporting and enhanced for-hire vessel trip reporting requirements.
Considering that ASMFC is responsible for species management in state waters (0-3 miles) while MAFMC and NOAA Fisheries are tasked with management for federal waters (3-200 miles), the joint public hearings on this amendment started on February 24 and will continue through March 5, with written comments accepted through March 20, 2025.
“Following the initial phase of information gathering and public comment, the Commission and Council will evaluate potential management options and develop a draft amendment for public review,” the joint bulletin reads, adding “After the next round of public comment, the Commission and Council will identify the management measures to be included in the Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment.”
As noted in a February 18th email blast from The Fisherman Magazine, online meetings have already been hosted for the states of New Jersey (February 24), New York and Connecticut (February 26), and Rhode Island (February 27), but there’s still time to join the March 4th webinar for Delaware, Maryland, Potomac River Fisheries Commission, Virginia, and North Carolina, or March 5th for Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts. Even anglers who don’t reside in these states are welcome to attend the hearings.
For webinar schedule find the “Breaking News” bulletin titled States Schedule Hearings on the Public Information/Scoping Document for Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment at ASMFC.org.
The deadline for public comment is March 20, 2025. Written comment may be submitted by mail to Dr. Christopher Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, at 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; or you can email Kiley Dancy at kdancy@mafmc.org (Subject line: Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection).
For more information, please contact Tracey Bauer, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at tbauer@asmfc.org.
