Sports

Expect tighter regulation on flounder, scup

It appears summer flounder and scup regulations will be tighter this coming season, despite the higher quotas that were recommended back in August by Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

At a joint meeting in December with both the council and the Atlantic States Fisheries Commission, it was decided the proposed quotas were too high and need to be revised based on updated stock assessments.

They also recommended recreational management measures for summer flounder, scup and black sea bass for 2012. The council and board opted for a recreational harvest of 8.76 million pounds for the summer flounder fishery.

They recommended a recreational harvest of 8.31 million pounds for scup with a 10.5-inch minimum and 20-fish possession limit. For sea bass 1.32 million pounds and in federal waters an open season from Jan. 1-Feb.29 with a 12.5-inch minimum and 15-fish in possession and then again from May 19-Oct. 14 with a two week closure and then run from Nov. 1-Dec.31 and again with 12.5 minimum but with 25 fish in possession.

Of course, the quotas are not based on any good science.

Tackle and boating industry professionals around the country are being led to believe a new bill in the House and Senate called the Fishery Science Improvement Act of 2011 (HR2309/S1916) actually would improve science and help keep anglers on the water in 2012.

Nevertheless, Atlantic coastal fishermen specifically who have read the legislation agree the bills being promoted do nothing to actually fix the science, nor will they truly keep important recreational fisheries open to coastal anglers.

“It doesn’t do anything to improve the science,” said Capt. Mark Brown of South Carolina. “It seems to lack any real direction and is very confusing to people who think there’s some type of scientific requirement written in.”

“The two fishery science improvement bills look like a joke to me,” noted Capt. Steve Byrne of First Cast Charters out of Staten Island. “I can only guess that the bills were written with the hope that no one would ever read any further than the title. I don’t see anything in there that would improve the science.”

A more comprehensive House bill sponsored by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the Flexibility and Access in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2011, would address Annual catch Limit’s and accountability measures in all coastal fisheries while also requiring the National Academy of Sciences to perform a detailed analysis of the data collection used by NOAA to enforce fisheries limits and restrictions.

ken.moran@nypost.com