Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Plan

The summer flounder fishery operates from Maine to the North Carolina/South Carolina border. Summer flounder is one of the most sought after commercial and recreational fish along the Atlantic coast. Summer flounder is found in inshore and offshore waters from Nova Scotia, Canada, to the east coast of Florida. Summer flounder are mainly caught in bottom otter trawls, but are also taken by pound nets and gillnets in estuarine waters. The market for summer flounder is for human consumption and is primarily sold fresh.

The scup fishery operates from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Scup are a migratory, schooling species found on the continental shelf of the Northwest Atlantic. Scup are mainly caught using otter trawls, but also taken by floating trap and hand lines, paired trawl, pound nets, and pots and traps.  Scup is an important recreational and commercial species along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. The market for scup is for human consumption.

The black sea bass fishery operates from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Black sea bass migrate seasonally and spawn off of New England in the late summer. The black sea bass fishery uses predominantly black sea bass pots, otter trawls, and hook and line. Black sea bass is an important recreational and commercial species along the Atlantic coast. The market for black sea bass is for human consumption and is primarily sold fresh or frozen.

Implementing regulations are found at 50 CFR part 648 subparts G, H and I.

Find out more about Managing Sustainable Fisheries in the Greater Atlantic Region.

SAFE Reports

Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports are documents or sets of documents that summarize the best scientific information available for federally managed fish stocks. This includes information concerning the biological condition of stocks and marine ecosystems, essential fish habitat (EFH), and the socioeconomic condition of commercial and recreational fisheries. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires that SAFE reports be made available on a publicly accessible website to facilitate use of the information. Summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass SAFE report documents are available on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's website.