Advisory: 2019 Commercial Fluke Trip Limit to Increase on November 1st
October 29, 2019
MarineFisheries Advisory
Reminder: 2019 Commercial Summer Flounder Trip Limit
to Increase to 1,000 Pounds and Pilot Program Scheduled to End
This advisory serves as a reminder regarding recent adjustments to the 2019 Period II (June 10 – December 31) commercial summer flounder trip limits and open days. These adjustments were reviewed and approved by the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission at their August 2019 business meeting and were subsequently announced to the public (Advisory on Trip Limits; Advisory on Pilot Program).
Effective November 1, 2019 through the end of the year, all commercial closed fishing days for summer flounder days will be eliminated thereby allowing commercial fishermen to fish for, possess and land summer flounder seven-days per week and the commercial trip limit will be increased to 1,000 pounds for all gear types (Declaration Notice). This will allow vessels fishing offshore to have greater access to the state’s remaining 2019 commercial summer flounder quota (about 240,000 pounds).
Additionally, as set forth in the implementing Letter of Authorization and Statement of Permit Conditions, the on-going pilot program allowing commercial fishermen to land two daily limits of summer flounder lawfully caught and retained over consecutive open commercial fishing days will expire after October 31, 2019. This pilot program was designed to allow the inshore day boat trawl fleet to operate with greater flexibility and safety during the fall as weather worsened and the fish remained available inshore. The program allowed fishermen to lay up overnight in ports on the islands south of Cape Cod or at-sea closer to the fishing grounds and fish consecutive calendar days before having to return to port to offload and sell their retained catch.
For more information about summer flounder management, please visit our website:
