The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Department of Fisheries announced March 9, new regulations for the 2009 summer flounder fishery.

The new 2009 recreational summer flounder regulations will be:

Creel and Size Limit (Split Management):
- Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays (3 fish @ 18 inch minimum size)
- Chesapeake Bay (1 fish @ 16.5 inch minimum size)

The 2009 recreational summer flounder season will run from April 15 until Sept. 13. The new limits will be submitted as emergency regulations and DNR plans to close the recreational summer flounder fishery via public notice this week. The fishery will reopen when the emergency regulations become effective.

DNR is required to reduce the 2009 recreational summer flounder catch in Maryland by 32%. This reduction is necessary to mitigate exceeding harvest targets last year.

DNR believes that these regulations will achieve the required reduction in the fishery, attain the recreational harvest target of 61,000 fish and minimize the impact both on recreational anglers and businesses that rely on the summer flounder fishery.

Various options for the 2009 recreational season were approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and presented to the Coastal Fisheries Advisory Committee, the Sportfish Advisory Commission and the general public at an informational meeting held in Ocean City, Maryland last month. Approximately 100 people attended the meeting.

More information is available online at www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries.

For more information, please contact Steve Doctor at (410) 213 -1531 or Mike Luisi at (410) 260 - 8341.