The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service announced the 2014 commercial quota and recreational harvest limits for summer flounder.
The coast-wide summer flounder total allowable landings are 19.07 million pounds, a release said.
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission announced that the state’s commercial quota is 2,427,783 pounds, after subtracting the research set-aside amount. The inshore quota allocation is 300,000 pounds, and the offshore quota is 2,127,783 pounds.
The first offshore quota period of 1,504,342 begins March 12, VMRC said, while the second period quota of 623,441 pounds begins on the second Monday in November, which this year is Nov. 10.
Vessels legally licensed in the Virginia Offshore Summer Flounder Fishery must adhere to the cumulative possession limit of 12,500 pounds in each of the two, 20-day landing periods, the notice said. It is unlawful for any vessel to offload in Virginia any amount of summer flounder more than ...