WGMD Fishing Report 12-13-22
On Tuesday, as promised, I attended the joint meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in Annapolis, Maryland. The meeting was to set the 2023 recreational fishing regulations for summer flounder, scup and black sea bass.
First the good news. Summer flounder and scup will remain status quo for 2023. Now the really bad news. There will be another 10% cut in black sea bass recreational landings. This is the second year we have cut the black sea bass recreational catch and there is absolutely no need for this to happen. That is exactly what I told the assembled members of both the Commission and the Council. I might as well have saved my breath. The 10% reduction passed without a whimper.
After the vote, I was assured that the 15-inch minimum size and the 5-fish bag limit would not apply to Delaware. We would us a conservation equivalent that will cost us more days from the end of the season.
This is Eric Burnley with your WGMD fishing report.
