The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) held 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 was held at the Sheraton Baltimore Washington Airport Hotel (1100 Old Elkridge Landing Rd, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090).
The workshop supports 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 primarily focused 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 and in early 2027.
The application window for this workshop closed on July 3, 2026. Individuals selected to participate were notified in late July.
Contact
If you have questions about the workshop, please contact Kiley Dancy at kdancy@mafmc.org.
Final Workshop Report
Recreational Sector Separation Workshop Report (October 2026)