2025 Black Sea Bass Recreational Management Measures Proposed Rule

NOAA Fisheries is seeking comments on proposed 2025 black sea bass recreational fishery management measures.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission jointly manage the summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass commercial and recreational fisheries. We propose the Council and Commission-recommended status quo recreational black sea bass measures for 2025, including the continued use of conservation equivalency for the black sea bass recreational fisheries. Under conservation equivalency, states or regions develop minimum sizes, possession limits, and fishing seasons that will achieve the necessary level of conservation. This action sets the recreational management measures for only black sea bass and for only one fishing year (2025).

The proposed rule contains additional details on conservation equivalency, including what measures would be put in place if the states or regions do not implement conservationally equivalent measures.

The proposed rule does not include changes to the Federal summer flounder or scup recreational fisheries from 2024 because they were previously set for two years (2024 and 2025) with no further action required.

Submit a public comment here.