December 19, 2013 — The following was released by NOAA:
NOAA Fisheries has approved a change in the approach used to set recreational accountability measures (payback measures when annual catch limits are exceeded) in several Mid-Atlantic recreational fisheries through an omnibus amendment to these fishery management plans. This new approach, which was informed by measures suggested by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will avoid a 1 million pound reduction in the recreational black sea bass fishery for 2014.
The new measures maintain strong accountability in the recreational summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, bluefish, and mackerel fisheries, without compromising the health of these important stocks. This is because managers take into account the status of the stock and biological consequences of catch overages when determining accountability measures for exceeding catch limits. The new accountability measures only require a full payback of overages when the stock is in an unhealthy condition or under a rebuilding plan.
Read the full release from NOAA