An Amendment to the Fishery Management Plans for Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish
Overview
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) Policy Board are developing an amendment to consider modifications to the recreational management program for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. Specifically, the amendment may consider options for managing for-hire recreational fisheries separately from other recreational fishing modes (referred to as sector separation), as well as options related to for-hire permit and reporting requirements.
Stakeholder Workshop: September 23-24, 2026
The Council and Commission will host a stakeholder workshop on September 23–24, 2026, to discuss recreational sector separation options for the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish fisheries. The workshop will be held in the Baltimore, MD area (specific location to be announced at a later date). Input provided during the workshop will help inform continued development of management options for consideration by the Council and Commission later in 2026.
The Council and Commission are seeking approximately 20 highly engaged recreational fishery stakeholders with experience in the for-hire or private recreational fisheries for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass and bluefish and an interest in identifying meaningful approaches for improving management across all recreational sectors. Participants must be available to attend in person. The Council will cover travel/lodging costs for selected participants. If you are interested in participating, please complete the application below by Friday, July 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Amendment Development Timeline
Action Plan (as of 2/5/26)
October 2020 Council/Policy Board Meeting: This amendment was initiated along with several other Recreational Reform Initiative Topics.
Early 2021 – Mid 2024: Work on this amendment was put on hold to prioritize development of other actions.
December 2024 Council/Policy Board Meeting: The Council and Policy Board approved a draft scoping/public information document for public comment in early 2025.
January-March 2025: The Council and Board conducted scoping hearings and collected written scoping comments on this action.
April 2025 Council/Policy Board Meeting: The Council and Board reviewed scoping comments and identified near-term priorities, including continued development of management options for recreational sector separation and options related to for-hire permit and reporting requirements.
August 2025 Council/Policy Board Meeting: The Council and Board reviewed draft conceptual alternatives and preliminary analysis for the amendment and provided feedback to the FMAT/PDT on further development.
December 2025 Council/Policy Board Meeting: The Council and Policy Board reviewed and provided guidance on a revised range of alternatives for the amendment. The groups delayed development of a draft amendment/public hearing document in order to hold a workshop in 2026 to further refine the draft alternatives.
Supplemental: Sector Separation Amendment Discussion Questions Summary
February 2026 Council/Policy Board Meeting: The Council and Policy Board provided feedback on plans for a stakeholder workshop to seek input on draft alternatives for the Recreational Sector Separation Amendment. This workshop is tentatively planned for September 2026.
Next Steps: The Council and Commission will host a stakeholder workshop on September 23–24, 2026, to discuss recreational sector separation options. Input provided during the workshop will help inform continued development of management options for consideration by the Council and Commission later in 2026.
Contacts
Kiley Dancy, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, kdancy@mafmc.org, 302-526-5257
Hannah Hart, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, hhart@mafmc.org, 302-526-5263
Tracey Bauer, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, tbauer@asmfc.org
Chelsea Tuohy, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, ctuohy@asmfc.org