CHANGES ANNOUNCED BY DNREC TO 2024 SUMMER FLOUNDER AND SCUP RECREATIONAL FISHING REGS

State of Delaware - In a press release today, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) announced that the recreational fishing regulations for summer flounder and scup are set to undergo some changes. 

These modifications, set to take effect from March 2, are necessitated by the Department's commitment to abide by Fishery Management Plans as stipulated by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC).

Under the new regulations, the size limit for summer flounder will stay at 16 inches from January 1 to May 31, increasing to 17.5 inches from June 1 through December 31. The daily permitted catch of summer flounder will remain at four. Scup, on the other hand, will experience a reduction in daily possession from 40 to 30.

This change comes after the ASMFC and MAFMC jointly passed management measures in December 2023. These measures require member states to reduce summer flounder recreational harvest by 28% and scup by 10% for the years 2024 and 2025. This is due to an anticipated excess in the Recreational Harvest Limit for both species.

The new restrictions are designed to achieve the necessary reductions in 2024, with regulations expected to remain constant in 2025 unless fresh data indicates a significant change in the impact of these regulations on stocks or fisheries.

Member states in all regions, including the Delmarva Summer Flounder Region and the Southern Scup Region to which Delaware belongs, were obligated to develop regional regulations to reduce the recreational harvest. These plans have been approved and will be implemented post a review by the ASMFC.