The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service has announced that 2011 recreational summer flounder regulations will include a three-fish creel limit, an 18-inch minimum size limit and a season from April 16 through November 30.
A public notice announcing the 2011 regulations was published on March 26. The size limit also applies to summer flounder caught by commercial hook and line and goes into effect on April 16.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service has submitted this year’s recreational summer flounder regulations to the General Assembly for approval. The proposal limits coastal and Bay anglers to a three fish creel with a 19-inch minimum size from April 17 through November 22.
“After long and productive discussions with dedicated flounder anglers from the Atlantic Ocean City, coastal bays of Ocean City and Chesapeake Bay, this plan seems to do the most to encourage the enjoyment of our share of summer flounder while ensuring that Marylanders are doing their part to help restore the abundance of fish for the future,” said DNR Fisheries Director Tom O’Connell. “Of the management options that were available to Maryland, this plan will provide the longest fishing season which is of significant interest to sports fishermen as it will increase recreational opportunities and in turn support tourism and local businesses.”
The proposed regulations were ironed out with representatives from coastal and Chesapeake Bay sport fishing groups. They meet Federal requirements for preserving and restoring the nation’s summer flounder fishery by 2013, while protecting recreational opportunities for Maryland’s anglers to enjoy these hard-fighting and delicious fish.
Perhaps the most significant change from past years is the consolidation of the minimum size between Bay and coastal fisheries. Previously, coastal anglers fished with an 18-inch minimum and a creel limit of three a day. Bay anglers enjoyed a smaller minimum size of 16 ½ inches and a creel limit of just one fish per day. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission who is responsible for the management of flounder along the coast objected to the split rules due to the statistical difficulties that this system presented in assessing the recreational impact on the fishery and the fact that Maryland did not perform very well in staying below the recreational harvest targets in recent years.
DNR’s proposed regulations will also continue the practice of applying the recreational size limit on Maryland’s commercial hook-and-line fishery.
Anglers are also encouraged to participate in the management process by submitting volunteer angler survey information. Those who join the survey will become eligible to win a rod and reel combo donated by Keith Fraser, owner of All Tackle.com a fishing tackle retailer with superstores in Annapolis, Ocean City and online.
To register and earn a chance to win the rod and reel combo, anglers must fill out the survey at www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/survey/vasurvey.
In addition, Anglers who catch a citation flounder measuring 24 inches or longer will earn admission to the grand finale of the Maryland Fishing Challenge at Sandy Point State Park in September, and will be entered to win prizes in the year-long celebration of fishing in Maryland.
For details go to www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/recreational/tournament/mdsportfish
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service has set the dates and locations for two rescheduled public scoping meetings to present upcoming recreational summer flounder fishing regulations. The original meetings were postponed due to the recent snow storms. These will be the best remaining opportunities for stakeholders to ask questions and register comments on the Department’s proposal for size, creel, and season limits for the 2010 season.
The first meeting will be at 6:00 p.m. Monday February 22 at the Tawes Building Room C-1, 580 Taylor Avenue in Annapolis. This flounder scoping meeting we be a part of the Sportfish Advirsory Commision meeting. The second and last public scoping meeting for summer flounder will be at Wor-Wic Community College in Salisbury on at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday March 2, in Guerrieri Hall room 101.
The results of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Flounder Management Board meeting on February 2 require a 23.6 percent reduction in recreational fishing pressure in Maryland due to an overage in last year’s catch. However, an apparent improvement in the total fish population allows for an increase in the allowable catch from 61,000 fish to 75,000. The problem is, Maryland anglers apparently harvested as many as 89,000 last year and must reduce their harvest to meet the 2010 target of 75,000 fish.
ASMFC did not approve of splits in minimum sizes and creel limits for coastal and Bay anglers as Maryland has used in the past because the sample sizes and available data have been inadequate for effective monitoring and assessment. Therefore, the options come down to a consistent increase in minimum size and creel limits for the coast and the Bay combined with a choice of options for the timing of the open seasons. There is some good news in this because the minimum size is increasing, DNR may be able to extend the season.
The options on the table include three fish a day of 18.5 inches or more from April 17 to September 21, or the same minimum size with a season of April 24 to September 24, or June 8 to October 16. The fourth option would raise the minimum to 19 inches and extend the season April 17 to November 22.
If you are unable to join DNR staff at one of the two scoping meetings and would like to register a comment, please send your thoughts to fisheriespubliccomments@dnr.state.md.us and include “summer Flounder” in the subject line. You may also fax your comment to Carrie Kennedy at (410) 260-8279.
source: NOAA press release
The recreational summer flounder fishery in Maryland state waters will close at 11:59 p.m. on September 13, 2009.
“DNR has worked closely with coastal fisheries management partners and Maryland anglers to rebuild the stock by 2013,” said DNR Fisheries Director Tom O’Connell. “These efforts will ensure that Maryland can provide quality fishing opportunities to our anglers.”
In the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, anglers may keep one summer flounder per person per day, minimum of 16 1/2 inches in total length. In Maryland’s Coastal Bays and in the state waters of the Atlantic, anglers may keep three summer flounder per person per day, with a minimum size limit of 18 inches.
Maryland is working with its management partners and the federal Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) to better estimate the summer flounder harvest in Maryland.
Anglers are encouraged to participate in the summer flounder volunteer angler survey. To participate in the survey, please visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/survey/sfsurveyintro.html.
source: DNR press release
Maryland’s Summer Flounder season is underway, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is urging anglers to get involved with the State’s summer flounder survey.
“The anglers who volunteer their catch data as part of this survey play an important role in summer flounder management in Maryland, as well as along the Atlantic Coast,” said Fisheries Director Tom O’Connell. “As we prepare to begin another exciting summer flounder season, it is important that anglers continue to provide us all of the same valuable data they have in the past which helps guide future decisions to ensure a sustainable summer flounder population.”
By recording information on fishing trips that target summer flounder, anglers become active participants in summer flounder management. The survey data are later used to guide DNR’s establishment of creel, minimum size and season limits for flounder.
For 2009, anglers are encouraged to measure to the nearest quarter inch, continue to report trips where flounder are targeted but not caught, and promote the survey to fellow anglers, especially in less-fished areas. Anglers are reminded to fill out the survey in full, providing data about the date, location, and number of anglers in the party, method used and the total number of flounder kept, as well as the total number released.
The average length of flounder caught in 2008 was 13.4 inches, which has remained relatively consistent for the past seven years. In 2008, a total of 11,056 fish were reported caught on 883 trips. The majority of angler activity occurred along the Atlantic coast, with less than 6 percent taking place in the Chesapeake Bay. Approximately 10 percent of trips targeting flounder resulted in no flounder being caught.
To learn more or to participate in the survey visit:
http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/survey/sfsurveyintro.html
Information and survey packets are also available by mail, through contacting Allison Luettel at 410-260-8343 or aluettel@dnr.state.md.us.
On Monday, March 9, 2009. the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Department of Fisheries announced new regulations for the 2009 summer flounder fishery.
The new 2009 recreational summer flounder regulations will be:
Creel and Size Limit (Split Management):
- Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays (3 fish @ 18 inch minimum size)
- Chesapeake Bay (1 fish @ 16.5 inch minimum size)
The 2009 recreational summer flounder season will run from April 15 until September 13.
The new limits will be submitted as emergency regulations and DNR plans to close the recreational summer flounder fishery via public notice this week. The fishery will reopen when the emergency regulations become effective.
DNR is required to reduce the 2009 recreational summer flounder catch in Maryland by 32%. This reduction is necessary to mitigate exceeding harvest targets last year.
DNR believes that these regulations will achieve the required reduction in the fishery, attain the recreational harvest target of 61,000 fish and minimize the impact both on recreational anglers and businesses that rely on the summer flounder fishery.
Various options for the 2009 recreational season were approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and presented to the Coastal Fisheries Advisory Committee, the Sportfish Advisory Commission and the general public at an informational meeting held in Ocean City, Maryland last month. Approximately 100 people attended the meeting.
More information is available online at www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries.
For more information, please contact Steve Doctor at 410 – 213 -1531 or Mike Luisi at 410 -260 – 8341.
The Secretary of Maryland Department of Natural Resources, pursuant to Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 08.02.05.12E, announced the closure of the 2008 recreational fishery for summer flounder in all state waters effective 12:01 am October 24, 2008.
The National Marine Fisheries Service has estimated that Maryland’s 2008 recreational quota for summer flounder has been achieved.
The 2009 Maryland recreational fishery will open January 1, 2009 under
conditions outlined in COMAR 08.02.05.12.
