Final Rule to Implement 2024 and 2025 Summer Flounder and Scup and 2024 Black Sea Bass Recreational Management Measures
Summary
NOAA Fisheries is implementing 2024 and 2025 summer flounder and scup and 2024 black sea bass recreational fishery management measures.
Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass
We are approving the conservation-equivalency approach for the summer flounder and black sea bass recreational fisheries. Under conservation equivalency, federal recreational management measures are waived. Recreational fishery participants, including federally permitted for-hire vessels, must comply with the recreational summer flounder and black sea bass regulations in their states.
For summer flounder, we have approved conservation equivalency for 2024 and 2025. For black sea bass, we have approved conservation equivalency for 2024. Recreational black sea bass measures will be reevaluated for 2025 after the 2024 management track assessment is available.
Scup
There are no changes to federal recreational scup measures for 2024 and 2025. Federal recreational scup measures are: a year-round open season, a 40-fish possession limit, and a 10- inch minimum size.