Article by Larry Jock
Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Councle adopts 2014 recreational measures for summer flounder, Sea bass and scup
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board last week to adopt 2014 recreational management measures for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. During the meeting, the Board approved Draft Addendum XXV for public comment. The addendum, which is intended to provide more equity in recreational harvest opportunities, includes options for regional management of summer flounder and ad-hoc regional management of black sea bass. The Council and Board's recommendations for 2014 were based on the current management systems for both fisheries, and some recommendations were contingent on the outcome of the addendum. Click here for more information about Draft Addendum XXV on the Commission's website.
Summer Flounder
Based on the recreational harvest limit of 7.01 million pounds, the Council and Board recommended the use of conservation equivalency for the recreational summer flounder fishery in 2014. Conservation equivalency allows individual states or voluntary regions to develop recreational measures that achieve a region- or state-specific harvest target. The combination of state- or region-specific measures would be equivalent to the Council- and Board-approved non-preferred coastwide measures of an 18-inch TL minimum fish size, a 4 fish possession limit, and a May 1 – September 30 season.
Black Sea Bass
The Council and Board recommended that the 7% coastwide reduction needed to achieve the 2014 recreational harvest limit (2.26 million lbs) be taken in both state and federal waters. If the state waters measures under Addendum XXV address the required reduction, the Council and Board recommended that federal waters measures include a 12.5-inch TL minimum size, a 15 fish possession limit, and open seasons from May 19 – September 18 and October 18 – December 31. If the addendum does not address the required reduction, then coastwide measures for both state and federal waters would be set at a 13-inch TL minimum size, a 5 fish possession limit, and a June 1-September 30 season.
Scup
Based on the associated recreational harvest of 7.03 million pounds, the Council and Board approved federal water measures including a 9-inch minimum size, a 30 fish possession limit, and open season January 1-December 31. In state waters, the Board voted to continue using a regional approach to scup management under which states may set different measures.
Additional information and background documents are available on the December 2013 Council Meeting page.
Work begins on major enhancements at Delaware Seashore State Park
Nearly $10 million worth of construction has begun on enhancements in Delaware Seashore State Park. The work, which includes major upgrades, replacements and enhancements, will be focused on the south and north sides of the Indian River Inlet. As a result, the park is closed for the season. The southeast day-use area will be closed at a later date this winter.
The contract was awarded for $9.87 million, of which the Federal Highway Administration agreed to pay up to $7.06 million while the remaining funds came from state capital funds awarded to DelDOT.
Construction will begin south of the Inlet first. This will include:
•Refurbish existing south RV and tent campground
•Construct 94 family camping sites
•Renovate bathhouses
•Construct a scenic beach access
•Add a promenade along the Indian River Inlet
•Construct six new RV sites with full hook-ups
•Create a new DART Bus stop
•Replace the south inlet Day-Use parking lot and entrance
•Reconstruct south park roadways
•Create more parking for anglers
•Construct outdoor pavilions
Construction north of the inlet will begin following the south inlet refurbishments. This will include:
•Relocation and construction of a north inlet Day-Use parking lot
•Construct 221 visitor parking spaces
•Construct north RV campground and amenities
•Create an 80-space full hook-up family campground
•Construct a playground
•Enhance fishing access along the inlet
•Create direct access to the beach on the north side of the inlet
•Construct outdoor pavilions
Construction will take place simultaneously on the north and south sides of the bridge. The area used as a construction site on the north side will be returned to an 80-space full hook-up family campground, 221 visitor parking spaces, a playground, enhanced fishing access along the inlet, as well as direct access to the beach on the north side of the inlet.
The park’s south campground and the southeast day use area are scheduled to reopen before Memorial Day weekend in 2014.Camping reservations for 2014 will be accepted once a firm date is set for completion of the construction work.
You can watch for the progress of the reconstruction work on the DelDOT and Delaware State Parks websites. The DelDOT site can be viewed at http://www.deldot.gov/ information/projects/sr1/irib_parks/. Information on the Delaware State Parks website is found at destateparks.com/DelSeashoreMap.
