Editor's note: The following is from part of an e-mail from Tom McCloy from New Jersey's Marine Fisheries Administration that a third party provided to Fishing Reports Now. These are the options for the fluke or summer flounder regulations for 2009. The Marine Fisheries Council 's Summer Flounder Committee is supposed to meet one last time March 5 in Galloway to gather public opinion about the regs. In past years the committee has also decided the regs at the meeting, so apparently that could happen again this year.

(Below) please find options for discussion at the Summer Flounder Committee meeting for your review. Please understand that these are examples of possible scenarios. Dealing with seasons, the dates can always be shifted one way or the other. For 2009, NJ must take a 4% reduction. In addition, the ASMFC Summer Flounder Board mandates that states must take at least 50% of their reduction (2% in NJ case) from a season closure. This means that the option of 18.5 inch minimum size with an expanded season is probably NOT a viable option. Based on NJ's required reduction and the requirement that half of that reduction come from a season closure, the season will not be long enough to include BOTH Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends unless there is a mid-season closure.

Size…...Bag…..Season
Limit......Limit
18"…....8……..June 6–Sept. 7
18"…....6……..June 1–Sept. 7
18"…....4……..May 31–Sept. 7
18"…....8……..May 23 – Sept. 1
18"…....6……..May 23–Sept. 4
18"…....4……..May 23–Sept. 4
18"…....8……..May 15–July 20 and Aug. 3–Sept. 13
18”…....6……..May 13–July 20 and Aug. 3–Sept. 16
18”…....8……..May 20–July 19 and July 30–Sept. 11
18”…....6……..May 18-July 19 and July 30-Sept. 13
*18 ½”..8……..May 9-Oct. 4

* This option may not be viable since it may not meet the required 50% reduction from a closed season.

Board mandate that at least 50% of the required reduction should come from a closed season.

2008 Regulations: 18” size limit, 8 fish possession limit, open season May 24 to September 7.

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