Final Rule for 2023 Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Specifications

We are approving the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended 2023 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass specifications. In December 2021, the Council and Board adopted revised quota allocations for the commercial and recreational sectors of these three fisheries as part of the Commercial-Recreational Allocation Amendment (Amendment 22). We approved Amendment 22 on November 7, 2022, so this action sets the 2023 acceptable biological catch (ABC) limits, as well as the recreational and commercial annual catch limits (ACL), annual catch targets (ACT), commercial quotas, and recreational harvest limits (RHL) for all three species consistent with the new allocations adopted in this amendment. This action also implements an administrative change to allow the continuation of states participation in a recreational black sea bass Wave 1 fishery.

This rule also sets the 2023 summer flounder state quotas. The state quotas account for adjustments necessary to address any long-standing overages or preliminary 2022 overages.