The department needs to adopt rules for spot to be in compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).
Spot are currently managed under the Omnibus Amendment to the Spot, Spotted Seatrout, and Spanish Mackerel FMPs, Addendum II, and Addendum III. According to Addendum III management action has been triggered and states are required to implement coastwide regulations for the entire fishery (recreational, charter/head boats, and commercial).
STRIPED BASS — Chesapeake Bay Commercial Transfer Cap
COMAR 08.02.15.04
The purpose of this action is to remove the cap on the amount of striped bass shares that can be permanently transferred within a single year by a permittee registered in a Chesapeake Bay commercial striped bass fishery. Removing the annual transfer cap would allow a permit holder to sell or buy up to that maximum amount in one transaction, rather than having to break it up in multiple transactions over multiple years.
The cap on how much of the total fishery can be owned still exists so that no one person can own more than 1% of the Chesapeake Bay fishery.
STRIPED BASS — Commercial ITQ Fishery
COMAR 08.02.15.07
The purpose of this action is to extend the commercial striped bass Chesapeake Bay Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) fishery seasons for hook and line, haul seines, and drift gill nets. The proposed action does not allow additional harvest. It provides fishery participants with greater flexibility in their business model by allowing fishermen to time their fishing activity with meeting market demands. The changes are consistent with the Chesapeake Bay ITQ fishery priorities developed jointly by the department and the industry when the ITQ program was first implemented. The proposed action also reorganizes certain sections to clarify which provisions apply to each fishery.
STRIPED BASS - Recreational In-Season ClosureCOMAR 08.02.15.12
The purpose of this action is to establish an in-season closure period for the striped bass recreational and charter boat fishery and create a definition for target. The proposed action establishes a closure period that begins July 16 and ends July 31. The proposed action also establishes a definition of the term target. Target means to catch or attempt to catch.
This action will ensure Maryland’s compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass.
SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION - Housekeeping
COMAR 08.02.01.12
The purpose of this action is to make corrections in submerged aquatic vegetation protection zones. Amendments to the zones became effective June 2020 and maps of each area were created so that users have a visual description of each area rather than just the coordinates. During the mapping process, errors or points needing clarification were found within the text. This is a housekeeping action that is necessary to make the regulation clear for all users. There is no change in the amount of protected area.
- Somerset County — modifies a direction between points, corrects the name of an island, removes duplicate text, and corrects a coordinate.
- Dorchester County — corrects coordinates.
- Talbot County — modifies directions between points, corrects coordinates, adds missing text needed to describe an area properly, and corrects the name of a creek.
- St. Mary’s County — corrects the coordinates of a point.
- Kent County — corrects descriptions of defined points and better describes the water bodies included in the zones.