Final 2021 Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Specifications

NOAA Fisheries is implementing final 2021 specifications for the summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries.

NOAA Fisheries is implementing the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended 2021 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass specifications (Table 1). The final 2021 catch limits for all three stocks are increasing relative to previously approved 2021 quotas because the Council revised its risk policy, which defines the acceptable risk of overfishing. The revised catch limits still minimize the chance of overfishing, while providing more opportunities for fishermen. No additional changes to the federal commercial management measures were made.

Table 1: Summary of the Final 2021 Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Specifications, in millions of pounds.

This rule also announces the final 2021 summer flounder commercial state quotas, which include any necessary deductions for overages that occurred in 2019 (Table 2). The final state quotas use the new allocation method approved through Amendment 21 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan.

Table 2: Final 2021 Summer Flounder Commercial State Quotas