DMF commission unanimously cuts Period 1 summer flounder trip limit to £2,000 for 2025

The Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission voted unanimously Dec. 17 to reduce the Period 1 trip limit for summer flounder from £5,000 to £2,000 for the 2025 season as an in‑season adjustment intended to slow quota consumption and lengthen fishing opportunity later in the year.

DMF staff member Jared told the panel the change applies only to Period 1 (Jan. 1–April 22) and is a temporary in‑season measure; the department plans broader, permanent regulatory proposals for public hearing this winter. "We're proposing to reduce the trip limit from £5,000 to £2,000 and the purpose of this is to slow the quota consumption rate to achieve a longer season," Jared said.

Commissioners said they supported the objective but flagged concerns about effort shifting and bycatch. Commissioner Bill Amaru, while supporting the motion, urged attention to potential bycatch and discard issues if effort shifts among fleets. "I want there to be close attention paid to what bycatch, discards are occurring in this fishery down the road," Amaru said.

The motion was made and seconded on the record, and the chair ordered a roll‑call vote. The clerk recorded unanimous approvals from commissioners present, and staff confirmed the change will be implemented as an in‑season adjustment for 2025. DMF staff said they will hold broader public hearings this winter to consider more permanent trip‑limit and allocation changes.

Next steps: DMF will (a) publish the technical rule change for the in‑season adjustment, (b) hold public hearings this winter on a broader suite of summer flounder measures including period‑2 allocation questions, and (c) monitor quota consumption and bycatch data to evaluate the adjustment's effects.