It was only approved that anglers could fish black sea bass two months out of the year and this has worried many. Now, the regulation that cut the once year-round fishery to only June and September may soon be expanded, bringing relief to local commercial and recreational fishermen. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council recently recommended a quota for black sea bass be increased, from 2.3 million pounds to 4.5 million pounds, for 2010.
It is said that if the National Marine Fisheries Service approved the new regulation then it will be a partial reversal of some stringent black sea bass limits. Black sea bass are commonly found in the waters off Maryland and all along the East Coast, congregating around reefs, piers and structures on the seafloor and near the coast. Dan Furlong, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, explained that previously the fishery was closed early in October after official estimates predicted the quota had been exceeded.
Furlong added that new quota system would possibly have different management program because the management program didn’t constrain the fisheries to its target. The National Marine Fisheries Service has yet to approve the proposed change, or extend the fishery.
