NOAA Fisheries is implementing the approved measure from Amendment 23 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Previously, the black sea bass regulations required a commercial coastwide in-season closure for all federally permitted vessels and dealers, regardless of state, once the coastwide quota is projected to be landed. This action changes the trigger so that the closure will occur once landings are projected to exceed the coastwide quota plus an additional buffer of up to 5 percent. The Council and Board will recommend the appropriate buffer for the upcoming year through the specifications process. Through this measure, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Monitoring Committee and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (Commission) Technical Committee would provide advice on the appropriate buffer based on considerations such as stock status, the quota level, and recent fishery trends to recommend the appropriate buffer for the upcoming year through the specifications process.
For the 2025 fishing year, the Council and the Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board approved a 5-percent buffer. A commercial coastwide closure will not be triggered until the 2025 black sea bass commercial quota plus a buffer of 5 percent is projected to be harvested.
