2003 FEDERAL RECREATIONAL REGULATIONS: Summer Flounder | Scup | Black Sea Bass | Bluefish 2003 FEDERAL COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS: Summer Flounder | Scup | Black Sea Bass | Bluefish Spiny Dogfish | Long-finned Squid | Short-finned Squid | Atlantic Mackerel Butterfish | Surfclams | Ocean Quahog | Tilefish NOTE: This information is intended to be used as a guide and presents an overview of federal fishing regulations in a summary form. It is not intended to replace the more comprehensive and detailed requirements contained in the fishing CFRs, and it is subject to change based on changes in the regulations. Moreover, individuals should check state specific fishing rules and regulations which apply to fishing in state waters. Fishing rules and regulations may not be consistent with this web page and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is not responsible for any discrepancies that may cause any individual or vessel to inadvertently violate the law. FINAL FEDERAL RECREATIONAL MANAGEMENT MEASURES: SUMMER FLOUNDER - final Fishing Season: state-specific Recreational Harvest Limit: 9.28 million pounds Size Limit: state-specific Bag Limit: state-specific Research Set-Aside: 91,163 pounds return to top of page SCUP - final Fishing Season: Jan. 1-Feb. 28 and July 1-Nov. 30 state-specific Recreational Harvest Limit: 4.01 million pounds Size Limit: 10" total length state-specific Bag Limit: 50 fish state-specific Recreational Set-Aside: 66,650 pounds return to top of page BLACK SEA BASS - final Fishing Season: Jan. 1-Sept. 1    Sept. 16-Nov. 30 Recreational Harvest Limit: 3.43 million pounds Size Limit: 12" total length Bag Limit: 25 fish Research Set-Aside: 67,676 pounds return to top of page BLUEFISH - final Fishing Season: January 1-December 31 Recreational Harvest Limit: 26.8 million pounds Size Limit: none Bag Limit: 15 fish Research Set-Aside: 141,900 pounds return to top of page ATLANTIC MACKEREL - final Fishing Season: January 1-December 31 Recreational Harvest Limit: 15,000 metric tons Size Limit: none Bag Limit: none Research Set-Aside: none return to top of page FINAL FEDERAL COMMERCIAL MANAGEMENT MEASURES: SUMMER FLOUNDER - final Fishing Year: January 1-December 31 Commercial Quota: 13.98 million pounds Size Limit: 14" Gear Restrictions: 5.5" minimum diamond mesh    6" minimum square mesh Research Set-Aside: 91,163 pounds Remarks: State-by-state quotas return to top of page SCUP - final Fishing Year: January 1-December 31 Commercial Quota: 12.47 million pounds Size Limit: 9" Gear Restrictions: 4.5/5.0" minimum diamond mesh Gear Restricted Areas - Northern Gear Restricted Area closed from November 1-December 31 and the Southern Gear Restricted Area closed from January 1-March 15 Research Set-Aside: 66,650 pounds Remarks: TRIMESTER QUOTAS & TRIP LIMITS: Winter I: January-April - 15,000 pounds per week (Sunday-Saturday); Winter II: 1,500 pounds per trip. Net modifications allow vessels fishing with small mesh and having an escapement extension of 45 meshes of 5.5" square mesh behind the body of the net and ahead of the codend to fish in the GRAs provided vessels have an observer onboard consistent with ACCSP standards. return to top of page BLACK SEA BASS - final Fishing Year: January 1-December 31 Commercial Quota: 3.33 million pounds Size Limit: 11" Gear Restrictions: 4.5" minimum diamond mesh    Pots/Traps: circular vents: 2-3/8"; square vents: 2"; rectangular vents: 1-3/8" x 5-3/4"* Fishery affected by Scup Gear Restricted Areas Research Set-Aside: 66,676 pounds 11" Notes: State-by-state quotas return to top of page BLUEFISH - final Fishing Year: January 1-December 31 Commercial Quota: 10.5 million pounds Size Limit: none Gear Restrictions: none Research Set-Aside: 141,900 pounds Remarks: State-by-state quotas return to top of page SPINY DOGFISH - final Fishing Year: May 1-April 30 Commercial Quota: 4.0 million pounds Size Limit: none Gear Restrictions: none Remarks: QUOTA PERIODS & POSSESSION LIMITS: Quota Period I: May 2003-October 2003 - 2.32 million pounds; possession limit of 600 pounds Quota Period II: November 2003-April 2004 - 1.68 million pounds; possession limit of 300 pounds return to top of page LONG-FINNED SQUID (Loligo) - final Fishing Year: January 1-December 31 Commercial Quota: Max OY - 26,000 metric tons (mt) Allowable Biological Catch (ABC), Initial Optimum Yield (IOY), Domestic Annual Harvest (DAH), and Domestic Annual Processing (DAP) - 17,000 mt 17,000 mt allocated to quarterly quotas Size Limit: none Gear Restrictions: 1.875" minimum diamond mesh    Remarks: QUARTERLY QUOTAS: Quarter I: January-March - 5,649 metric tons (33.2%) Quarter II: April-June - 2,994 metric tons (17.6%) Quarter III: July-September - 2,941 metric tons (17.3%) Quarter IV: October-December - 5,416 metric tons (31.9%) *When 80% of the directed fishery in quarters one through three is projected to be taken, vessels are resticted to a 2,500 pound trip limit for the remainder of the quarter. The quarterly overages would be deducted as follows: 1st quarter deducted from the 3rd quarter and 2nd quarter deducted from the 4th quarter. If the landings in the 1st quarter are less than 80% of the allocation, the underage would be applied to the 3rd quarter. Any underages in the 2nd and 3rd quarters would be applied to the 4th quarter. When 95% of the annual quota is taken, the fishery is closed. return to top of page SHORT-FINNED SQUID (Illex) - final Fishing Year: January 1-December 31 Commercial Quota: Maximum Optimum Yield (Max OY), Allowable Biological Catch (ABC), Initial Optimum Yield (IOY), Domestic Annual Harvest (DAH), and Domestic Annual Processing (DAP) - 24,000 mt Size Limit: none Gear Restrictions: none Remarks: The directed fishery for Illex will remain open until 95% of the ABC is taken (22,800 mt). When 95% of ABC is taken, the directed fishery will be closed and a 5,000 lb trip limit will remain in effect for the remainder of the fishing year. return to top of page ATLANTIC MACKEREL - final Fishing Year: January 1-December 31 Commercial Quota: Allowable Biological Catch (ABC) - 347,000 mt Initial Optimum Yield (IOY) - 175,0000 mt Domestic Annual Harvest (DAH) - 175,000 mt Domestic Annual Processing (DAP) - 150,000 mt Joint Venture Processing* (JVP) - 10,000 mt Total Allowable Level of Foreign Fishing (TALFF) - zero Size Limit: none Gear Restrictions: none Remarks: *NMFS Northeast Regional Administrator could increase the Atlantic Mackerel JVP to 10,000 mt without consulting the Council return to top of page BUTTERFISH - final Fishing Year: January 1-December 31 Commercial Quota: Max OY - 16,000 mt ABC - 7,200 mt IOY - 5,900 mt DAH & DAP - 5,900 mt Size Limit: none Gear Restrictions: none Remarks: none return to top of page SURFCLAMS - final Fishing Year: January 1-December 31 Commercial Quota: 3.25 million pounds Size Limit: suspended Gear Restrictions: none Remarks: Individual Transferrable Quotas (ITQ) return to top of page OCEAN QUAHOG - final Fishing Year: January 1-December 31 Commercial Quota: 4.5 million pounds Size Limit: none Gear Restrictions: none Remarks: Individual Transferrable Quotas (ITQ) Maine Ocean Quahog Quota - 100,000 bushels return to top of page TILEFISH - final Fishing Year: yet to be approved Commercial Quota: 1.995 million pounds Size Limit: none Gear Restrictions: None Remarks: 5% of the total quota is allocated to incidental take and the remaining 95% of the adjusted quota is allocated as follows: Full-time Tier 1 Permit-66%; Full-time Tier 2 Permit-15%; Part-time Permit-19% return to top of page This information is intended to be used as a guide and presents an overview of federal fishing regulations in a summary form. It is not intended to replace the more comprehensive and detailed requirements contained in the fishing CFRs, and it is subject to change based on changes in the regulations. Fishing rules and regulations may not be consistent with this document and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is not responsible for any discrepancies that may cause any individual or vessel to inadvertently violate the law. * Adobe Acrobat PDF files require a free viewer available directly from Adobe