Significant reductions expected in quotas for scup, black sea bass

Federal fisheries regulators are calling for reductions of 21% to 33% in the recreational quota for two locally popular fish, black sea bass and porgies, but a top state marine official has labeled the measures "unnecessary."

Under a plan expected to roll out this spring, regulators at the National Marine Fisheries Service, which manages marine resources within 200 nautical miles from the U.S. coastline, are requesting measures aimed at reducing the recreational harvest of black sea bass by up to 21%.

For porgies, also known as scup, the reduction would be as much as 33%.

The measures were recommended by an interstate fishery management council after meetings in December and February.

In New York State, the new quota would mean increasing the size of keeper scup by 1 inch, to 10 inches, in addition to new unspecified restrictions on taking the fish in federal waters.

Limitations on the keeper size for black sea bass could increase from the current 15 inches to 16.

Changes in daily catch limits and even the season they can be caught are possible, according to three options federal officials are contemplating.

However, the federal plan calls for easing the quota for summer flounder, after years of tightened restrictions that anglers have criticized harshly.

Regulators are eyeing a potentially longer season and a smaller minimum keeper fish size of 18 inches or 18.5 inches, compared with 19 inches now, according to options released by the state.

Reducing the fish size makes it easier for anglers to catch allowable fish.

In a letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service, Jim Gilmore, director the state Department of Environmental Conservation's marine resources division, called the proposed changes in black sea bass and scup quotas "unnecessary," given their populations are "healthy" and "robust."

Gilmore asked the agency to send a representative to a meeting on Tuesday with fishing interests to explain the need for the changes.

Allison Ferreira, a spokeswoman for the federal Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office who responded for the fisheries service, said the service had received Gilmore's letter.

But Ferreira noted the service had not yet published a formal rule seeking public comment on recommendations by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, one of eight regional councils that manage fisheries within federal waters, that the new quotas be established.

"Given a robust conversation already occurred regarding these two quotas over the course of two council meetings, we will unlikely heed their [the DEC's] request," Ferreira said in a statement to Newsday.

A DEC spokeswoman declined to comment beyond Gilmore's letter.

In his letter, Gilmore said he and his staff were finding it "difficult to explain why we must" tighten quotas when the black sea bass and porgy stocks are healthy.

He said neither he nor other state fisheries directors "understand the reasoning [or] the lack of discretion" by the federal agency "in implementing what we believe to be unnecessary reductions."

"These changes will result in significant and unnecessary economic impacts to an industry trying to recover from the COVID pandemic," Gilmore wrote.

"They will also undermine federal and state management credibility since it appears we are simply following statutory mandates that run contrary to current stock conditions, state fishery management expertise and the insights of the fishing community," Gilmore said.

Steve Witthuhn, a Montauk charterboat captain, said the proposed measures could harm fish the federal agency is trying to protect.

"Going to a bigger fish is just putting more grease on the pole," he said, requiring more effort to catch the bigger keeper fish.

"I could probably catch another 30, 40 throw-back fish just to meet that 16-inch limit," on sea bass, Witthuhn said.

By Mark Harrington

mark.harrington@newsday.comMHarringtonNews

Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries.