The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service has submitted a proposal to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for the following regulations for the 2003 recreational summer flounder fishing season.
Minimum size: 17 inches
Creel: 8 fish
Season: no closed season
The 2003 recreational harvest limit for Maryland is 122,000 fish. This limit is established as a part of a coastal management plan for summer flounder. In 2002 the regulations in Maryland restricted anglers to a 17-inch minimum size, with a closed season from July 26- Aug. 11. The target harvest for 2002 was 130,000 fish.
Projected 2002 recreational summer flounder landings for Maryland were below the 2003 target, leading to the proposed modifications.
Public input received by the department overwhelmingly supported elimination of the mid-season closure as the preferred management action for 2003. The department’s fisheries managers will be closely monitoring recreational landings throughout the 2003 season to ensure compliance with coastal plan.
The regulations will be enacted after the Maryland proposal is approved at a meeting of the ASMFC’s summer flounder management board in late February.
Posted: 2-24-2003
