What is a Fishery Management Plan?
A Fishery Management Plan (FMP) serves as a framework for conserving and wisely using fishery resources. An FMP provides a format for undertaking management measures throughout Maryland state waters. In addition, FMPs allow the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR or Department) to specifically address issues that are unique to Maryland resources. The goal of an FMP is to protect the resource while allowing sustainable harvest. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASFMC) states that the main objective of fisheries management is to “allow enough harvest to sustain and build the fishing and seafood industries while protecting the productivity and sustainability of the marine ecosystems.”
Guidelines for the contents of a plan are described in Natural Resources Article,
§4-215, Annotated Code of Maryland. When developing or reviewing a plan, staff review previous management measures, current monitoring data and results, stock assessment conclusions, scientific research data, ecosystem and socioeconomic factors, and other relevant data and information.
What happens after a plan is adopted?
Upon adoption of an FMP, most of the FMPs are incorporated by reference into the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR). Incorporation by reference (IBR) is a legal device by which one document is made a part of another simply by referring to it. The text of the referenced document, in this case the FMP, becomes fully and legally a part of COMAR. A regulation proposing to incorporate a document by reference is no different than any other proposed regulation. All the standard regulation-making procedures apply. In some cases, regulatory and statutory actions may be necessary to fully implement a management action and must go through the appropriate process, including scoping and public comment. Visit our
Regulation pages for information about the regulatory process.
How does the FMP guide management?
Natural Resources Article,
§4-215, Annotated Code of Maryland states: Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, except § 4–1002 of this title, once a fishery management plan has been adopted by regulation, the State’s fishery resources shall be harvested in accordance with the conservation and management measures in the fishery management plan and any regulations implementing or amending that plan.
Developing a Climate-Resilient Fishery Management Plan for State-Managed Fisheries
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (department) has been awarded a 2025 Climate Resilient Fisheries Engagement Grant by Blue Convergence Fund. In the coming years, the department will develop a climate-resilient fishery management plan for state-managed fisheries.
Environmental change, especially when driven by climate change, poses both challenges and opportunities for Maryland’s nontidal and tidal ecosystems, recreational and commercial fishing communities, and fisheries management systems. It is the department’s responsibility to work proactively and develop a framework for utilizing adaptation and resilience strategies to manage fisheries.
The purpose of this project is to connect interested and impacted parties in Maryland fisheries to 1) exchange existing climate and fisheries data and industry knowledge, and 2) collaboratively develop a climate resilient fishery management plan for state-managed fisheries. The fishery management plan will enable the department to prepare for and respond to environmental and climate change, thus ensuring continued, equitable access to fishing resources for all users.
The department will be forming a workgroup to assist with the development of the fishery management plan. The workgroup will be an essential forum for exchanging knowledge, identifying climate-driven challenges and opportunities, and developing the fishery management plan’s goals and objectives. Workgroup membership will represent diverse forms of knowledge including science, management, industry, and culture.
Additional information about the workgroup will be posted on this page.
Resources and Links
