The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (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).

The workshop will support development of a joint amendment considering potential changes to the recreational management programs for these species, including options for managing for-hire fisheries separately from other recreational fishing modes, as well as possible changes to permit and reporting requirements for the for-hire sector. Workshop discussions will primarily focus on the current draft range of options, including:

• Recreational mode management approaches and guidelines

• Potential Letter of Authorization program for federally-permitted for-hire vessels

• Federal for-hire permit requirements and limited entry options

• State for-hire permitting and reporting requirements

Input provided during the workshop will help inform continued development of management options for consideration by the Council and Commission later in 2026. 

The application window for this workshop closed on July 3, 2026. Individuals selected to participate will be notified in late July.

Contact

If you have questions about the workshop, please contact Kiley Dancy at kdancy@mafmc.org.